Guy Laroche

The Laroche History

Guy Laroche, the son of hotel owner, was born on the 16th July 1921 in the Atlantic port city of La Rochelle in France. His first thoughts on a career was to train to become a doctor, however after a friend of his mother’s took him to a fashion show, he became interested in design.

He was once quoted as saying he was “Dazzled by the clothes, I began to sketch myself.”

Deciding against medicine, Guy started his career in 1949 as a Milliner and trained under the world leading fashion designer, Jean Desses in Paris. Eventually Guy would become Jean’s assistant.

In 1955 Guy made a trip to the United States to study production and marketing techniques for new ready-to-wear clothing in the New York City garment district.

During the 1956 to 1957 period Guy Laroche founded his own high-fashion atelier at 37 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Paris, showing his first solo collection in Paris. The collection reintroduced bold and vibrant colours such as oranges, topaz and pink, although traditional colour combinations did remain a consistent staple in his designs. The featured pleated coats, cowl collars and short dresses also included plunging neck and back lines. His first collection was a success and well received.

The Laroche Style

Guy was known as being a humble and gracious man, something quite different from the haughtiness of many designers in Paris. Although his designs were haute-couture they were also practical for women, extending his creativity to be one of the first designers to create separates for women in America.

The aim of the eponymous couture label was clear in Guy’s mind, he wanted to liberate women’s bodies away from the New Look and move them towards wearing a comfortable and understated elegance which was both “refined and discreet”.

In 1961 Guy decided to open a larger boutique, a town house at 29 Avenue Montaigne, the heart of Paris’ high fashion district. This is where he introduced a new ready-to-wear line. Not content with designing just women’s clothing lines, in 1966 he began to design and launch a line of ready to wear mens clothing as well as the first in a line of very successful perfumes and fragrances alongside opening the Guy Laroche Monsieur boutique.

All of Laroche’s women’s clothing lines had a universal appeal to women of all ages.

Perfumes and Fragrances

It was in 1966 that Laroche expanded and launched his first women’s fragrance, named, Fidji after the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. The nose behind this perfume was Josephine Carapano and featured notes of hyacinth, ylang-ylang, sandalwood and vetiver amongst other notes. The perfume bottle was designed by Serge Mansau, a French artist and sculptor. Fidji was followed by the fragrances Eau Folle, Drakkar, Drakkar Noir for men and then Clandestine for women.

Film Stars

In 2005 Hilary Swank walked the red carpet at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles for the 77th Academy Awards. Not only did Hilary pick up an award for Best Actress in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, she also made several ‘Best Dressed’ lists wearing a Guy Laroche dress, designed by Herve Leger Leroux. The midnight-blue backless gown was made with twenty seven yards of silk jersey which with its high neck, long sleeves and cut out back detail made the dress one of the best Oscar looks in history.

Accreditations and Accolades

In 1972 Guy was awarded the ‘Oscar for Sportswear’ for his men’s clothing line.

By the late 1980’s Guy owned 250 boutiques across the globe, including New York, Dallas and Houston. He had received two Golden Thimble awards, for excellence in Fashion Creation. The Golden Thimble is an annual award which is chosen and voted on by the Ozark Piecemakers Quilt Guild. The award recognises a member of the Guild who has given extraordinary service to the Guild during the last fiscal year. He was also presented with awards given by the International Fashion Press for the best Paris collection of the season.

In 1987 Guy was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour, this is the highest decoration a French National can receive in France. The honour was presented by the Government of France.

The Death of Guy Laroche

Sadly, Guy Laroche died on the 7th February 1989, aged just 67 years old after a long battle with intestinal cancer. He was surrounded by his family and close friends at his home in a Right Bank neighbourhood in Paris.

Website: www.guylaroche.com Founder: Guy Laroche Founded: 1956 Headquarters: Paris, France