Christian Lacroix

Credited with reviving Haute Couture in the 1980s, Christian Lacroix  is known for his use of colorful and luxurious fabrics - velvet, taffeta, brocade - with ornate embellishments and innate attention to detail. Training at Hermes in Tokyo and taking over the Patou couture house in 1981, Lacroix caused quite a stir with his bright colors, brash accessories and the infamous pouf balloon skirt. Opening his own couture house in 1987, Lacroix has been compared to his couture forefathers, Dior and Saint Laurent. By 1988 he launched a ready-to-wear and in 1994 added a sportswear line called Bazar yet the heart of his work remains his lavish couture line.