Christian Lacroix: the last show

colectia haute-couture FW '09-'10

mireasa din finalul prezentarii

vagoane TGV cu design Lacroix

extravaganta Anna Piaggi

o doamna in taiorul Balmain - j'adore!

o rochie haute-couture, cred ca era chiar Lacroix

Corinne Roitfeld - editor sef Vogue France

Saptamana modei ce se deruleaza in acest moment la Paris, cu prezentarile de haute couture pentru sezonul de toamna iarna '09-'10, a cunoscut marti un moment emotionant: ultima prezentare a lui Christian Lacroix, probabil ultimul mare creator. Casa de moda ce-i poarta numele este in faliment si, se pare ca activitatea sa va inceta in curand.

Lacroix a reusit sa-si creeze propria casa cu ajutorul grupului LVMH care, din cauza rezultatelor nesatisfacatoare, a vandut-o unui grup american, proprietarul de astazi al marcii. Originar din sudul Frantei si pasionat de calatorii si de "melange-ul" de culturi, colectiile lui Lacroix au purtat amprenta unei creativitati vii, plina de culoare, care celebreaza viata. A amestecat in permanenta texturi si culori iar rezultatele erau de o teatralitate ce moda nu mai intalnise pana atunci. Motiv pentru care a creat mult pentru teatru si opera.

Prima oara cand am vizitat Parisul, am avut ocazia sa vad la Opera Garnier o expozitie cu rochiile create de Lacroix pentru diverse spectacole. Si ce m-am mai bucurat cand am calatorit prima oara cu TGV-ul al carui design l-a asigurat chiar el!

Din pacate, colectiile de pret-a-porter nu au avut succesul scontat, iar parfumurile Lacroix nu si-au gasit consumatori pe piata. Faptul ca astazi este in faliment demonstreaza, inca o data, ca o marca nu poate supravietui exclusiv din haute couture, care nu mai este folosit decat pentru imagine, ci dintr-o linie de pret-a-porter purtabila si, mai ales, din parfumuri care ating un public larg. Chiar si acum, dupa solduri, colectia Lacroix, superba de altfel, pe care Galeriile Lafayette a scos-o in totalitate la vanzare, are preturi piperate. Este adevarat ca se afla undeva la limita couture-ului, calitatea este ireprosabila si sunt piese ce pot fi purtate si peste zeci de ani.

Intamplator, am trecut marti pe langa multimea ce iesea de la ultima sa prezentare. Incarcata de emotie, cu clienti care aproape refuza sa creada ca nu vor mai putea cumpara vesmintele sale, prezentarea a avut loc cu sprijinul furnizorilor traditionali care au pus la dispozitie gratuit accesoriile, materialele folosite au fost luate din stocul existent, iar manechinele au defilat pe gratis. Dupa cum arata pozele de pe toate site-urile, Lacroix are la sfarsit un zambet care de altfel nu vine decat sa completeze ceea ce a declarat: ca va face in asa fel incat sa continue, probabil la o scara mai mica. Cu toata creativitatea de care da dovada cred ca ar fi pacat sa stea acasa.

Prezentarea Lacroix era prima pe care-mi placea sa o vad pe toate site-urile care afiseau prezentarile de haute couture de la Paris. Adevarul este ca numele sau este atat de legat de haute-couture, ca este greu sa te gandesti la o pereche de jeansi Lacroix.

The Fashion Week that is taking place at this moment in Paris, with the haute couture shows for the autumn-winter '09-'10 season, was marked by an emotional moment on Tuesday: the last fashion show of Christian Lacroix, who is probably the last big couturier. The fashion house wearing his name has gone bankrupt and it seems that it is about to close its doors.

Lacroix has succeeded to create his own brand with the aid of the group LVMH. Because of unsatisfactory results, LVMH sold the brand to an American group, who is the present owner of the brand.

Christian Lacroix comes from the South of France and has a passion for travelling and for the culture « mix ». His collections bear the imprint of a brisk creativity, full of colours and celebrating life. He has always blended textures and colours and the result of his work has always been very theatrical – something the world of fashion design has never seen before. This is why he creates so much for the theater and for the opera.

When I visited Paris for the first time, I had the opportunity to see at Opera Garnier an exhibition with dresses created by Lacroix for various shows. And how joyous I felt when I travelled for the first time by the TGV whose design was also Lacroix's!

Unfortunately, the prêt-à-porter collections did not have the expected success and, the Lacroix perfumes did not find consumers on the market. The fact that nowadays, they have gone bankrupt, is a proof that a brand cannot survive only with its haute couture (serving to promote an image) but, rather with a range of wearable prêt-à-porter and most of all, with perfumes that can touch a large public. Even now, after sales, the Lacroix collection – that is gorgeous by the way – on sale at the Galerie Lafayette, is still quite pricey. It is tue however that the collection has reached the summit of the « couture », its quality is outstanding and there are things that can be worn even after tens of years.

On Tuesday I was walking when I saw by pure chance the crowds that were getting out of his last show. The atmosphere was very emotional, with clients that were almost refusing to believe that they would never be able again to buy Lacroix's creations. The show was organized with the help of traditional suppliers, who have offered free of charge accessories, material that was taken from the existing stock, and the show's models displayed for free. As we can see in all the show pictures from various sites, Lacroix's smile at the end of the show, is only confirming what he had previously declared: that he will do his best to continue his work, but probably at a smaller scale. And it would be a pity indeed for such a couturier to stay home with all the creativuty he has got.

The Lacroix show was among the first I used to watch on all the sites that were featuring the haute couture fashion shows from Paris. His name is so much connected to the haute couture, that one can hardly imagine a pair of Lacroix jeans.