(Editor’s Note: Following the news that STL has acquired the Christian Lacroix brand, we take a look back at the designer’s spring 1996 couture show. The show, presented in Paris on January 25, 1996, Digitized as part of Runway’s ongoing efforts to document the history of fashion shows.
Mona Patel set the internet on fire when she attended the 2024 British Fashion Awards wearing vintage Christian Lacroix. This is about the third time such an archive has been sighted in a short period of time, confirming a kind of LaCroix revival. Works by this designer are hard to come by, and this piece, which features a jeweled corset by Mr. Pearl, a frequent Lacroix collaborator, owes its rarity and the fact that Patel was immersed in the precious liquid metal. It was a valuable item because it looked as if it had been stolen. A kind of rosy silver), transformed into the dream girl of a metallurgist.
This look was worn on the runway by Honor Fraser, an English aristocratic model (a cousin of Stella Tennant) who looked as if Fragonard had painted her. LaCroix’s signature pouf was introduced (to the returning critics’ praise). In the hands of designers, these fluffy dough soufflés (a dish straight out of the 18th century) looked like a dream.
“Everything was geared toward the fable’s enchanting witch,” wrote Amy Spindler of the New York Times in her review of the show. Fantasy may have been in the air, but more than half of the collection reaches at or just below the knee, making these figures perfect for charity work or the cocktail circuit. But we couldn’t forget the grand entrance either. Floating chiffon panels added drama, and the brightly colored wrap was pulled back to reveal a stunning underdress. Journalists at the time noted the return of the designer’s signature pouf. It was used in many productions, including Fraser/Patel’s Dress and the Caged Bride. The latter headdress was embroidered by François Lesage, dear to Lacroix. The designer called Lesage “the grandfather of haute couture (to whom I am very grateful)”.