Paris is the largest fashion centre in the world and has been the measuring stick for fashion since the 16th century. France has a large fabric industry that works in harmony with the couture houses; this provides the perfect environment for a fashion capital.

In the 40s and well into the 50s and 60s a group of French designers led the fashion industry. Beginning with Dior, Balmain, Fath and Givenchy then Pierre Cardin, Guy Laroche as well as the new youthful designers Yves Saint Laurent and Andre Courreges.

In the early 60s Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent were the top designers of the French classic style, but the times were changing. The more experimental styles of designers like Andre Courreges became popular. The 60s killed the real couture style and replaced it with young and daring street style clothing.

Yves Saint Laurent was one of the most innovative and brilliant of the younger designers. He inherited Christian Dior's fashion house in 1957. In 1962 Laurent made a successful comeback when he opened his own fashion house. In 1965 he designed dresses like Mondrian paintings. A year later he created pop-art dresses decorated with comic strips. He opened his own Boutique chain Rive Gauche in 1966, which soon expanded to 160 branches worldwide. In 1968 he started to get inspiration from the students of Paris. He launched the Left Bank Look, inspired by these students and once said "clothes were a form of protest."

Courreges used similar themes in his designs as Pierre Cardin, they both designed space age mix and match pieces in silver or black and white.

André Courreges was a French designer who worked for Balenciaga for 13 years before opening his own house in 1961. Courreges is thought to be the 'father of the mini,' but he did invent the moon girl look. He produced media-grabbing collections with creations such as sheer chiffon tops, with cut-outs and peep holes. His clothing was very experimental and barely wearable yet they were incredibly popular. In 1964 he was preoccupied with space age white and he launched his Moon Girl Collection, which contained thigh high skirts in white and silver colours and geometric shapes. He was influential in establishing white and silver as THE colours of the season. His models wore spacemen-like helmets. He created shiny white mid-shin high PVC boots to go with his collection. This look was so popular that everyone everywhere created and sold their own interpretations of the look. He introduced trouser suits into his collection in 1964 and they soon entered main stream fashion on a large scale. In 1969 he created his 'gladiator girl' look complete with breastplate and helmet. His ethnic look was influenced by ancient Egyptians and contained outfits made from heavily sequined bands held together by transparent silk. His models wore squared off bob wigs in metallic colours.

The French have bred and educated many generations of designers, skilled workers, artists and critics which coupled with France’s fabric industry, large home market, export trade and long tradition of couture makes it the fashion capital of the world.

Last updated: June 01, 2003

Sixties Central, Copyright 1998-2003 by Mandy Hoeymakers.
Information may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes if attribution is given.