Monica D. Murgia

Where art, creativity, and fashion meet

January 7th, 2013

Menswear: Courrèges Homme

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to find a dress designed by André Courrèges. It was one of my most exciting finds. I never dreamed of finding something by such an iconic designer. It’s like getting struck by lightening – within the realm of possibilities, but highly unlikely to occur. Well, lightening struck me twice, because this Saturday I found a jacket by Courrèges Homme.

Courrèges trained under Cristobal Balenciaga from 1950 to 1960. Learning from such a master influenced Courrèges for a long time. After working for Balenciaga for 10 years, Courrèges opened his own house, Maison de Courrèges. His designs always focus on comfort, simplicity, and precision – much of what he learned from Balenciaga. During the 1960s, Courrèges became well-know for innovative silhouettes. He was among the first to show a mini skirt in a couture show and introduced “moon boots” in 1964. Moon boots are white, flat heeled, calf length boots. Courrèges continued to innovate fashion throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His Space Age collection in 1968 featured clothing that was simple, futuristic, and used lots of industrial hardware.

Ensemble and Moon Boots by André Courrèges, c. 1965. Images are courtesy of the permanent collection of the Powerhouse Museum.

It wasn’t until 1973 that Courrèges started designing menswear under the division Courrèges Homme. Like most men’s fashion, it seems that Courrèges Homme is mentioned only as a side note. There are hundreds of articles and chronologies on his work, and they all only seem to list “1973, Courrèges Homme”. So, I’ll have to rely mostly on looking at this menswear jacket and comparing it to the women’s wear labels to tell you more.

A major difference between the menswear line and womenswear is the logo used. The menswear has an interlocked “a” and “c” monogram, referencing the designer’s initials. Here the logo is on the left side as an embellishment, and it also appears on the label.

This interlocking monogram only appeared on objects for men, from what I’ve seen. I was able to locate images of the Courrèges Homme fragrance, and a pair of men’s pants that have a label. The pants look to be much more recent that the jacket I found.

Courrèges Homme aftershave. Image courtesy of Profumomania

Courrèges Homme label from pants. Available for purchase on eBay. Image courtesy of Mossvivace.

The labels from Courrèges’s womenswear are much different. They have a different monogram, it’s more stylized and the letters are placed next to each other. See the label below, courtesy of Fuzzy Lizzie via the Vintage Fashion Guild

Some womenswear contains no monogram at all, like the dress I found.

Regardless of gender, Courrèges liked to use industrial hardware in his designs. He used metal zippers, vinyl appliqué, and other non-traditional materials. Instead of hiding zippers and seams, Courrèges liked to make him a focal point in a garment. The jacket has a metal zipper with a circular pull tab – a detail so iconic of the designer.

The jacket also has metal snaps at the collar, side pockets, and waistline. These details enhance the overall silhouette by keeping the fabric streamlined to the body. The metal also adds interest to the plain jacket. You can see a similar approach to using hardware as a design element in Courrèges’s womenswear. This pink jersey dress zips up the left side had has snaps to secure the belt and other embellishments.

Dress André Courrèges by Image courtesy of Shrimpton Couture.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to discover much regarding the history of Courrèges Homme. A women’s line is still available online, but there is no mention about the menswear division. (Sorry, guys!) However, I found it really interesting to compare details between his garments for men and women.

If you have an information on Courrèges Homme, please share in the comments! I’d love to learn more.

GHTime Code(s): nc nc

Tags: 1970s fashion, André Courrèges, couture, french designers, futuristic fashion, industrial materials, Menswear: Courrèges Homme, metallic zippers, mod fashion, Paris fashion, space aged fashion
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April 25th, 2011

How to Speak Fashion: Part I

Looking through fashion periodicals and books is exhilarating. Finding that perfect accessory or dress is a magic moment. You see it, you read the text. You have to have it. Now, you are on a mission to make it yours. After a little internet research, you make a phone call. Maybe you call a friend to tell them about your newly coveted item. Perhaps you are researching something for a major presentation. Or you could just be calling Neiman Marcus to place an order. But the inevitable moment happens. Your elation turns to panic. How do you pronounce the designer???? Fumbling, your confidence goes down.

“Do I sound like a complete idiot???”; you think to yourself.

Guess what! You are not alone. I came across a book that had a pronunciation guide and wondered:

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE??? YOU COULD HAVE SAVED ME FROM A MILLION EMBARRASSING MOMENTS!!!!“

The next few posts will be dedicated on how to pronounce those beautiful, and tricky, French designer names. Also included are brief snippets about the designers/design houses to help you feel polished and confident when talking about your latest fashion obsession.

Albouy (al-boo-EE):

Gerard Albouy (1912 1985) often known by the name Ouy, was a French milliner . Between 1938 and 1964 he operated a Parisian hat shop called Albouy that was known for its decorative baroque-style hats.

: Albouy design by Pierre Simon, 1945

: Albouy sketch by Pierre Simon, 1945

Albouy, 1949.

Balenciaga (bal-len-see-AH-ga):

Fashion house, established by Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972). Balenciaga was Spanish, and opened up several ateliers in Madrid, San Sebastian, and the Basque region (c.1919) before moving on to Paris in 1937. The move was prompted by the Spanish Civil War. Balenciaga created immaculately constructed clothing that was as feminine as it was avant-guard.

: Cristobal Balenciaga

Balenciaga, 1941.

Balenciaga. Illustration by Guy Demachy, 1948.

: Balenciaga flamenco inspired evening dress, 1951.

Currently, there is a Balenciaga retrospective at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. A must see! Click here for details: Balenciaga and Spain

Nicolas Ghesquière (guess-key-AIR) is the current designer for Balenciaga. He has been the lead designer since 1997. Ghesquière enjoys referencing the legacy of the house by visiting the archives frequently.

: Nicholas Ghesquiere

: Original 1967 Balenciaga Design (left) and Ghesquiere’s Contemporary Rendition (right)

Balmain (bahl-MAN):

Fashion house created by Pierre Balmain (1914-1982). Balmain trained with couturiers (coo-tour-e-yay) Molyneux and Lelong before going solo in 1945. During WWII, Balmain was noted for his long, bell-shaped skirts. He continued to make elegant evening clothes.

: Balmain at WorkEvening Dress, detail, by Pierre Balmain. 1946.

: Evening Dress by Pierre Balmain. 1957

: Dress Detail, 1957

Christophe Decarnin (1964) was the chief designer for Balmain until this this month. Decarnin announced his departure from Balmain on April 6, 2011. Stay tuned to hear who is next . . .

Christophe Decarnin

: Balmain illustration by Rene Gruau, 1946.

Bruyere (bru-YEHR):

Established by Marie-Louise Bruyere in 1928. Bruyere worked at Callot Soeurs (Kah-low SOOR) and Lanvin (Lawn- VAN) before opening her own salon on the Place Vendome (plas van-DOM).

Bruyere created haute couture (oat koo-toor) collections until the 1950s, after which the label switched to ready-to-wear.

Bruyere, 1939.

Bruyere, 1945.

Bruyere. Illustration by Rene Gruau, 1945.

Bruyere. Illustration by André Delfau, 1947.

Callot Soeurs (Kah-low SOOR)

Couture house from 1895-1937, launched by 4 sisters. Hallmarks of garments produced by Callot Soeurs are lace, embroideries, and delicate handwork. The sisters were Japanese enthusiasts, and often incorporated oriental motifs and themes into their collections.

Callot Soeurs. Wedding Dress, 1916.

Comtess de Zogheb in Callot Soeurs, 1923.

Callot Soeurs, 1938.

Jean Desses (zhawn dess-SEZ)

Jean Desses (1906-1970) was Greek (real name was Jean Dimitre Verginie). He studied law before turning to fashion design in the 1930s. In 1936, he founded his own salon. Desses created gowns for European royalty and wealthy clients. He was fascinated with draping, and often made gowns that referenced classical Greek sculptures. He also favored an architectural silhouette for his garments.