Born: Paris, France, 1909
Died: London, England, 1966
Son of Henry Creed of Paris – who claimed to be the first tailor to introduce tweeds into women’s suits – Charles Creed was one of the movers and shakers of British fashion in the 1940s. ‘He was pre-destined to design exquisite clothes,’ said Vogue in 1946. ‘Like any artist he seeks perfection, in his case it is tailored perfection.’
Educated in France, England and Germany, Creed joined his father’s business – established by his ancestors in 1710 – before settling in London. At 17 years old, he travelled to Vienna to study tailoring and design. In 1941 he produced utility designs and, after the Second World War, opened his own London house. He married Patricia Cunningham, a fashion editor at Vogue, in 1948.
Charles Creed was in possession of one of the finest collections of lead soldiers and porcelains of the Napoleonic era. In his autobiography, Maid to Measure (1961), he claims to have invented the concept of boutiques in 1939 and concludes, I have grown older and grey and rather bald in the pursuit of my profession and the opposite sex – and I still cannot think of a better way to spend one’s time.’
