Recreating French Couture

Described as the 'poet of French Couture', fashion designer and Haute Couturier, Ted Lapidus passed away aged 79 at the beginning of this week. I was quite taken aback in all honesty at the remarkably little coverage his passing received. His beautiful tailoring and fit were admired by many First Ladies in France, as well as celebrities such as Brigitte Bardot and The Beatles.

Born in Paris in 1929, Lapidus studied Medicine at the University of Paris, however his true passion lay elsewhere. Whilst studying during the day, he spent his spare time learning fashion design. This skill would prove useful, as he was unable to finish Medical School due to financial difficulties. By the end of the Second World War however, he was a part time designer in Paris. Lapidus then travelled to Tokyo to learn more about the technical industrial aspects of fashion. Indeed he was taken by the possibilities of mass production, later stating that “If you have the right work force, there’s no reason why this cannot be done in a factory just as well as in a fashion house”.

Lapidus joined Dior in 1949, however soon left to started his own House in 1951. He opened his first Ted Lapidus Haute Couture store in 1957, the same year he opened, Tedd, his first unisex boutique. Tedd aimed to provide ready-made clothing to the younger generation, with elegant pieces that were stylish yet affordable. Along with Yves Saint Laurent, he was actually one of the first designers to do boutiques.

He was officially admitted into La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 1963, despite causing rather a stir with his manufacturing decision at the time. He actually signed a deal with Belle Jardinière to have many of designs mass produced and sold within their department stores. He believed that high end design was not only for those few who could afford it, rather that it should be widely available, making fashion far more accessible.

In the 1960s and '70s, Lapidus would become famous for pioneering the look of military wear in the fashion world, as well as introducing sand coloured safari jackets. He most importantly was also the designer who made denim jeans acceptable in the stylings of Haute Couture.

Lapidus left a legacy of making fashion accessible to the wider public. Indeed French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, declared that the designer "democratised French elegance and classicism" and "made fashion accessible to men and women in the street".

Currently playing: How It Was Supposed To Be - Ryan Leslie

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