ww.worldmedia.fr/fashion/catwalk/bio/CLAhome.htmlAround 1986, Christian Lacroix established his couture house in Paris, the first designer to do so since Yves Saint Laurent set up his 25 years before. Lacroix's first collection, shown on July 26, 1987, startled the fashion world out of its somnolence. The frothy crinolines, towering Louis XIV powdered wigs and color-infused gowns were greeted with wild applause as well as some clamorous dissension. Christian Lacroix was born in Arles in 1951. After studying art history in Montpellier he went to Paris to study museum curating at the Ecole du Louvre. Through his future wife, Franoise, he met and showed his portfolio of clothing and opera costume designs to Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent's partner, Pierre Berg. Building on these connections, he went to work for Herms in 1978 and then the Patou fashion house in 1981, where he began to develop his signature Baroque style. With financial backing from the Agache group, he opened his own house on Rue Faubourg St. Honor. He is most widely known for his dbutante poof dresses, flamboyant Andulusian-inspired capes and bullfighter jackets, Lacroix keeps his house afloat through a plethora of products and lines. But his true passion remains high fashion. Unlike most of his colleagues, who seem to have trimmed their sails, Lacroix will continue to hoist his pirate colors and send bevy after bevy of gloriously overdressed and often hilariously ostentatious beauties down the Haute Couture gangplanks every season. How does this apply to the play?Christian Lacroix was the one in the 1980s who brought back the poof skirts made famous by Madonna. I felt it could help if the actors who will not remember them would have a name and a brief bio about him so that they could research him and find out what they were like.Womens Liberation MovementThe reason I researched this is because I felt it important to know what Heidi would be thinking. It is evide...
