Andre Courreges
(1923 - )
Andre Courreges was born in 1923 in Pau, France. Before pursuing a career in fashion he studied engineering. From 1959 to 1961, Courreges worked with famous designer Cristobal Balenciaga before deciding to open a house of his own. One of his most well
known achievements was the introduction of the mini-skirt along with London designer Mary Quant in the 1960s.
Best known for his futuristic fashion, Courreges introduced flat white boots, metallic accents, and geometric cuts during the 1960s. British Vogue magazine declared 1964, "the year of Courreges". In his spring-summer collection of 1964, Courreges displayed a Space Age theme. His collection featured sleek helmet hats and white go-go boots. In 1969 he created history with the ribbed knitwear that became the springboard for leggins, a perfect compliment to the mini. Courreges efforts in fashion was not limited to the design of clothing alone, but also to the technological advancements in synthetic materials which he incorporated in his work. Perhaps his most famous contribution to fashion after the miniskirt itself was the “Courreges boot,” originally designed in 1963 and the entire 1964 spring collection. Courreges’s first official couture collection made its debut in 1965; two years later Prototype, the made-to-order custom line, was introduced.
Courreges sold his company in 1985 to the Japanese firm Itokin.
