French Fashion Houses – Everything You Need To Know

French clothing is well-known over the world. Paris is renowned as the "global fashion capital" because it serves as the center of the worldwide fashion business. Paris is home to numerous top designers, major fashion labels, and well-known international beauty firms. This article will teach you about some of the most well-known French fashion houses, as well as a brief but intriguing history of them and their impact on the French fashion business.

How the extravagant display of French fashion houses began

The French fashion industry has been around since the 17th century. Despite occasional lows, its reputation lives on. The lavish style of the French can be traced back to Louis XIV, the "Sun King," who reigned from 1643 to 1715. Louis had a grandiose sense of style and reveled in excess. The Palace of Versailles is an illustration of his refined taste. Louis was well-known for his magnificent clothing and was instrumental in introducing the textile trade to France. Soon after, France became the go-to destination for high-quality materials.

Throughout the 18th century, the major objective of dress was to show off one's wealth. Women's attire reflects one's position and place in society, and it was a visual representation of the adage "Women should be seen, not heard." As a result, spending money on frou-frou layers of silk, tulle, and velvet, as well as complex stitching and fine embellishments, became the norm for the wealthy. This insatiable desire for sumptuous attire propelled the French fashion business to the forefront of the global fashion industry.

Charles Frederick Worth, an Englishman, was the first to create a French fashion house in Paris, France, in the nineteenth century. He popularized haute couture, and the growth of haute couture reinforced France's love of fashion. The introduction of haute couture marked the beginning of fitting cloth to a particular client and the opening of the great courier houses.

A revolution in French fashion

Poiret, a designer in the early twentieth century, did something shocking: he rejected the corset and introduced the "freedom of movement" notion to women's fashion. He paved the way for subsequent French fashion firms. Not everyone agreed with his groundbreaking notion, particularly some of the time's rich celebrities.

However, when he produced the kimono cut jacket made of black wool in 1901, the public seemed to embrace the idea and his designs. Poiret founded his couture firm in 1903, and seven years later, he was recognized as "Le Magnifique" in France and "King of Fashion" in America. Poiret's naturalistic touch drew flowing shapes and folded materials like ocean ripples. Poiret was interested in finer nuances when it came to beauty. Women's bodies were not constrained for the first time, nor were they fetishized for men's gaze. Petticoats and corsets were no longer used, allowing women to breathe freely.

Elsa Schiaparelli, an Italian in Paris, was inspired by Poiret and embraced the corset's abandonment, adding her own spontaneous style. Despite her lack of formal design training, Schiaparelli was one of the first fashion designers to conceive the wrap dress in 1930, as well as the first to utilize zippers as an unique visible accent - beautiful, not simply functional.

Some French fashion houses and how they impacted the industry

Chanel

Coco Chanel, founded in Paris in the early twentieth century, was the most famous of the city's fashion firms at the time. The designer, who was born in Saumur, disliked unpleasant clothes such as corsets. Chanel saw promise in the "freedom of movement" trend and seized control of the newly liberated silhouette. Chanel designed styles that were looser, more comfortable, and free-flowing, which were immensely fashionable in the 1920s. Chanel changed the business by creating women's gowns out of jersey fabric; this was contentious because jersey was a fabric used for men's underwear, and women weren't meant to know that men wore underwear.

During WWII, however, many French fashion firms, including Chanel, were forced to lock their doors. The French fashion sector suffered as a result of this predicament. The USA aimed to strengthen its fashion industry and leveraged the lull in the French sector to direct media attention to American designers such as Claire McCardell.

Dior

After years of rationing and garment material shortages, French high fashion saw a high-fashion comeback, owing mostly to the work of Christian Dior and his brand. Because of the 'new look' he presented, Christian Dior became an icon in the French women's fashion industry.

Dior's new design changed the female physique, with a nipped-in waist and a long A-line skirt reaching mid-calf, creating an hourglass silhouette. People first criticized the appearance as well as the amount of fabric required to manufacture them. Dior, on the other hand, had the final say, saying, "Europe has had enough of bombs; now it wants to watch some fireworks." This statement contributed to the postwar optimism. Some women were dissatisfied with Dior's fashions due to the usage of corsets, but Dior's collection was a big success.

Givenchy

Givenchy recreated Chanel's LBD for a new audience with the help of Hepburn, incorporating sunglasses and the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Givenchy created his renowned "Sack silhouette" style in 1957, and his items changed the female silhouette. While elevating the hemlines, the design wrapped the female wearer, drowning her body and creating a mystery.

In the 1960s, the French fashion industry was once again confronted with a massive threat, possibly the greatest threat to French fashion. To maintain their position on the worldwide market, French design houses of the time needed to do something. This threat came as the popularity of youth fashion in "swinging London" grew. This style was led by British designer Mary Quant, who rejected classic Parisian designs in favor of more daring and usually sexier designs. These designs included exceedingly short miniskirts, which the younger generation admired as a symbol of sexual independence and freedom.

Saint Laurent

However, in the late 1960s, a young Yves Saint Laurent's work would help Paris reclaim its fashion crown. Yves Saint Laurent, dubbed a "boy wonder," debuted his "Trapeze" collection. In a departure from his master's established look, "boy wonder" introduced a look that does not embrace the body but depicts the changing mood.

Saint Laurent launched his Mondrian collection in 1965, inspired by Mondrian's paintings; they are now known as art themselves. He brought various men's jackets into the feminine wardrobe in 1966, dubbed "le smoking." He invented the classic tuxedo suit for women, as well as the elegant black jumpsuit. In addition, he was the first couturier to introduce ready-to-wear garments. Today, practically all of the original couture houses create ready-to-wear clothes, which generates more cash than the couture line, arguably contributing to the durability of high fashion.

However, as the Saint Laurent fashion house increased in popularity, competition arose. Four French juggernauts competed, including Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, and Marc Bohan of Christian Dior. Five Americans quickly joined in.

Seismic movements resonated off the runway during the Battle of Versailles. They compelled the French fashion business to see the American industry as a competitor while also recognizing the significance of commercial sportswear.

The competition between major French fashion firms ushered in the age of mega-shows. Pierre Cardin commissioned a rocket, Emanuel Ungaro commissioned a gypsy caravan drawn by a rhinoceros, and Yves Saint Laurent commissioned a full-length limousine during the Battle of Versailles. These were, to put it mildly, ridiculous design settings, but they set the bar for fashion runway extravagance. The Battle of Versailles helped to propel Chanel's supermarket, Louis Vuitton's glittering merry-go-round, and Dior's Galliano presentations to prominence.

Some other notable French fashion houses

After discussing Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent, and Givenchy, let me move on to other prominent fashion firms in France that you should be aware of.

Balenciaga

Balenciaga has been known for challenging stylistic and societal standards since its first boutique opened in 1917. Cristóbel Balenciaga headed in the opposite direction from Christian Dior, developing designs with inverted forms and the first high-fashion tunic and chemise dressings. Balenciaga's designs were a hit with the high-flying fashion crowd, who wanted to be both comfortable and stylish. Balenciaga continues to use this inventive look, releasing fresh and innovative designs that appear to capitalize on moments that people don't typically see.

Jacquemus

Jacquemus is a well-known French fashion brand. After his mother died unexpectedly, the founder, Simon Porte Jacquemus, was inspired to pursue his passion for design after learning that life might end in an instant. The brand was called after his mother's maiden name. He began by outfitting his pals in hand-sewn clothing. Jacquemus became a well-known designer brand 11 years later, putting out outstanding fashion week displays each season. The brand's primary unique selling proposition stems from its personable aspect, since Jacquemus welcomes you regardless of gender, sexuality, or region.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is one of the oldest fashion firms still in operation today. Unlike other fashion houses or businesses, Louis Vuitton did not enter the fashion world by producing clothing or footwear. Instead, the brand was founded in 1858, when the founder, Louis Vuitton, introduced his flat-topped trunks with Trianon fabric, making them lightweight and watertight. People utilized rounded-top trunks to encourage water runoffs prior to the debut of Vuitton's trunks. However, because of their rounded tops, they could not be piled on top of one another, making transportation problematic. Vuitton's trunks, on the other hand, were the solution to the dilemma.

Vuitton's work was often imitated and plagiarized, and he eventually tagged his products with a trademarked insignia. Louis Vuitton's son, Georges, took over decades later and moved into the fashion sector by manufacturing legendary bags. Today, the brand is a behemoth at the pinnacle of the global fashion market.

Celine

Celine, founded by Celine Vipiana in 1945, is noted for refining classics, particularly under the direction of past and current creative directors Phoebe Philo and Hedi Slimane. Philo's first Celine collection, which debuted in 2010, was hailed for its "minimal-meets-contemporary" or "cool minimalist design." Slimane's approach gave the company a fresh image without eliminating its French history. Slimane's approach, which emphasizes corporate chicness, and the addition of the word "Paris" to several of Celine's designs appealed to many young and modern ladies.

Lanvin, Balmain, Chloe, Hermes, Mugler, Isabel Marant, Sandro, and many more are additional fashion houses with French roots.

Final thoughts

In general, French design houses survived by being innovative and understanding changes in societal perceptions toward fashion. They thrived on being unique and being able to meet the demands and desires of their customers. In essence, no two fashion labels are alike. They each have their own history and manner of supplying what their clients want and need, causing them to spend. We've reached the end of a brief but intriguing history of some of France's most famous fashion brands.