Charles Frederick Worth
Charles Frederick Worth ( born November 13, 1826 in Bourne, Lincolnshire, † March 10, 1895 in Paris) is considered the founder of haute couture.
Life
Worth graduated first in two prestigious London department stores an apprenticeship as a seller of substances before he emigrated to Paris in 1845. There he worked also first as a seller of materials in specialized silk fabric house " Gagelin " and married one of his colleagues, Marie Vernet. His wife was also the mannequin, which he performed as the first scarves and hats. Worth designed for his wife some simple dresses that particularly well brought the silks of the house to advantage and customers began for copies of these dresses to ask. On the first World's Fair in 1851, the Great Exhibition in London, Worth reached a gold medal with his creations. Four years later, at the Paris World Exhibition of 1855, he also showed a freely hanging from the shoulders coat and received the 1st prize. Worth, who was now caught up to Junior partner in the firm tried to persuade its partners to expand the scope of business is the production of clothes. However, His partners were reluctant to go into a business field (compared to the commodity trade ) so low in reputation was as the production of clothing. Worth found as a financier but a wealthy Sweden, Otto Bobergh who was willing to take over the financing of a fashion house. 1858 Worth opened his fashion house under the name " Worth et Bobergh " in the Rue de la Paix in Paris. His company had success very quickly. A created of Worth evening dress made of silver tulle, daisies, pink hearts and silver sequins, wearing the wife of the Austrian ambassador at a state ball, the Empress Eugénie and fell on Worth became the purveyor to the court. Followed by other famous names, such as Elisabeth " Sissi" of Austria. Many of his clients took a long trip to Paris in purchase to make her dresses from Worth.
Worth flattered its clients with luxury materials and careful cutting. While previously the customers pretending the design of their dresses, Worth presented four times a year model creations in fashion shows before. His customers then chose a model that was sewn in accordance with a fabric of their choice and their figure. 1870 Worth employed over 1,200 seamstresses, several hundred garments manufactured each week. Worth's reputation was so good that he could even reject customers. His models were so expensive that they were changed from very wealthy customers each in the latest fashion.
During the Franco-German War of 1870/71 joined the fashion house and served as a hospital. Bobergh resigned from the company when it was opened in 1871 again. Worth drew his two sons Gaston and Jean -Philippe with in the business, which further led the fashion house after Worths death. In 1956, the haute couture atelier in Paris was closed, the branch in London followed in the early 1970s.
Worth revolutionized with his production style of the dresses the fashion industry. He was the first fashion designer who was more than understood as an artist as a craftsman. In addition, his influence on fashion was generally very large. Early as 1867 Worth created a distribution program that foreign buyers allowed the acquisition of patterns. According to his artistic self- understanding in Worths models his name tag was sewn. His fashion was also "complete " when they left his studio; unlike other tailors and dressmakers was not foreseen that his clothes were frilly of a milliner with accessories. Worth modified include the feminine silhouette by offset waist and skirt hem and introduced the rear billowing skirt and bustle. He caused a sensation even when he shortened the skirt length of the Empress by 25 cm.
1962 dedicated the Brooklyn Museum in New York the fashion revolutionary Worth an exhibition.
« Au polo. Robe d'après -midi de Worth. » ( " The Polo. Nachmittagsrobe of Worth. " ) In La Gazette du bon ton, 1913
Robe of Worth Museum of Bury St Edmunds
Elisabeth " Sissi" of Austria with a dress by Worth. Portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1865