Haute Couture is an art form, inseparable from fashion, that achieved some of its finest moments
during the years following World War II. During this period, Paris reaffirmed its position as the
Capital of Fashion and its reputation for producing the most luxurious and creative clothes money
could buy. Three names became synonymous with luxury, glamour and elegance during haute
couture’s most exclusive and fertile period – Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Jacques
Fath. Undisputed masters of mid 20th century haute couture, Cristóbal Balenciaga was the father
of Contemporary fashion, Christian Dior redefined post-war fashion in 1947 with his ‘New Look’
and Jacques Fath, now relatively unknown, was an innovator known for dressing “the chic young
Parisienne”. This lecture explores the life and creative output of three designers during the
period widely considered as the zenith of French haute couture.