Bonjour mes petits lapins!

 I will begin the series on fashion history with the “Father of Haute Couture” Charles Worth as he lay the ground for much of the modern fashion industry. Please continue reading for full text and photos. 

Born Charles Frederick Worth, October 13, 1825, in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England, Worth began his career as an apprentice draper for the Picadilly department store Swan & Edgar. He remained there for six years until moving to Paris at age twenty-one. In Paris Worth became an assistant draper for Maison Gagelin where he developed the concept of muslin dress samples. Customers could select dress styles from these and Worth would then choose the appropriate fabrics. He would become known for reaching out to manufactuers in Lyons to create the luxurious materials needed in the Paris couture houses as well as commissioning artists to customize faabrics and decorative pieces. Worth spent twelve years working for Gagelin, rising to the rank of premier commis, before leaving to establish his own house after gaining financial backing from Swed Otto Bobergh. 

During Worth’s time in Paris the city had once again become a cultural capital of Europe. In 1852 Napoleon III became emperor and shortly there after married the Countess of Teba, Eugénie de Montijo. Empress Eugénie’s style and beauty were notable factors in the glamour of the new court, and much to Worth’s good fortune Princess Pauline Clémentine de Metternich (another client and Viennese socialite painted by Degas) introduced the designer and the empress. Eugénie’s  patronage brought the label Worth-Bobergh worldwide fame and created one of the first fashion ‘brands’. Worth’s popularity grew so much that he began turning customers away, adding to his appeal, and the desire by woman to have their look ‘created’ by Worth. 

Empress Eugénie’s patronage of Worth also allowed him to become a dictator of fashion. It had previously been the practice of dressmakers to take orders from clients, however Worth began putting on viewings of his creations four times a year. Models were made of patronesses bodies and the dresses were then made to suit. 

The practice of the fashion show gave Worth, and other couturiers, control over the industry as they now had the power to frequently change fashion styles and trends. This would force fashion conscious woman to update their wardrobes often and generated wealth within the business. 

Worth closed his label Worth Bobergh at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War but returned in 1871 with the House of Worth. This was passed down to his sons Gaston-Lucien (1853–1924) and Jean-Philippe (1856–1926). In 1924 Gaston and Jean introduced the first Worth fragrance Dans la Nuit. The couture house survived until 1952 when his great-grandson Jean-Charles (1881–1962) closed the business, while fragrances licensed under the name Worth are still produced today. 

The Worth legacy in fashion was also continued through Gaston, who established and became the first president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. This organization originally intended to stop the counterfeiting of haute couture garments and established guidelines for what constituted as a house of couture. Standards included employing at least twenty people in the ateliers and producing at least fifty original designs per season. Gaston also organized the original show seasons, in January for Spring and July for Autumn.  

Photos: 1-7 Worth & Bobergh gown, 1865; 8. 1872 Ball Gown; 9. 1925 House of Worth evening dress in silk, glass, metallic threads (photos from Metropolitian Museum of Art); 10. Empress Eugenie in 1850; Edgar Degas 1865 potrait of Princess Pauline Clémentine de Metternich; 11. An 1888 Court Gown and Train; 12. Model wears ankle length beaded dress and leather gloves by Worth in 1923; 13. Exterior of the Worth salon; 14-16 1921 Worth Evening gowns; 17. The Untimely Shower, 1922 gown for the Cote d’Azure; 18. A former model, Worth’s wife and muse, Marie Vernet Worth in 1860. 

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum has a large collection of Worth gowns. See their website for more on the designer. Also see WorthParis.com

Au revoir until next week!