Born: Pau, France, 1923
One of many designers of the 1960s who claims to have invented the mini, André Courrèges was mesmerized by space travel. In the years before the first man landed on the moon, Courrèges went crazy: silver trousers, moon boots, white plastic sunglasses – with slits echoing the shape of the eyelashes. The Courrèges look was clean, streamlined, and always looking to the future – white on white, silver on silver, sequins with moon boots, and space helmets accessorizing everything from shift dresses to trousersuits. Naturally, Andy Warhol was a fan.
Having originally trained as an air force pilot, Courrèges later enrolled at a training college for the clothing industry in Paris. _In 1947 he worked as a designer at Jeanne Laufrie, and in 1951 for Cristobal Balenciaga. Balenciaga became Courrèges’ mentor, making a loan available to enable him to set up a business with his partner Coqueline Barrière in 1961.
Courrèges showed his first mini in 1964, with Vogue declaring his version the shortest in Paris. Shortly afterwards, he announced that his designs were being plagiarized and suspended giving shows until 1967, but continued to design for private customers. In 1968 Courrèges built his own futuristic factory in Pau – a suitably semi-transparent structure with glass walls. Two collections were produced by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac in 1994. Still looking to the future, in 1997 André Courrèges launched his perfume 2020.
