Born in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England in 1826, Worth soon discovered his ambition in life. He became an apprentice at Swan & Edgar, fabric merchants in London. He was also inspired by paintings at the National Gallery and other collections.
At 20, Worth went to Paris, the fashion capital of the world, in 1846 and worked for Gagelin, an emporium which sold fine textiles, shawls and garments. Here he met his wife, Marie Vernet, a model, and designed dresses for her. Some of these designs won prizes at the Great Exhibition in London, 1851, and the World Exhibition in Paris.
Worth Achieves Fame
In 1857 Worth formed a partnership with a wealthy Swede, Otto Bobergh, and they opened a fashion house. Soon his cutting-edge tailoring and French elegance captured the attention of the Empress Eugenie, who was considered very fashionable. She patronized the fashion house. His other clients included many royals, wealthy Europeans and Americans, actresses, such as Sarah Bernhardt, and even demimondaines such as Cora Pearl, a notorious but high-class courtesan.
The Empress Elizabeth of Austria wears a glittering dress by Worth in a portrait by Winterhalter.
Worth partly achieved his reputation by being very particular. He usually required letters of introduction for new clients and often turned women away if he thought that they were old or fat or he just disliked them!
He used luxurious fabrics, such as silk from Lyons, and exquisite trimmings. He is also credited with inventing the bustle, and designing clothes that gave women more attractive silhouettes than the crinolines. His dresses were longer at the front and included trains at the back
Worth Opens His Own Fashion House
Worth opened his own fashion house without Bobergh about ten years later. He became the first to put labels on his clothes and he was the first designers to hold collections each season with live models. Women who watched the shows would then choose which outfit they liked and have it made at the salon.
He formed the Chambre Syndicale de lat Haute Couture in 1868 to preserve this system of high-class dress-making.
Worth’s Sons Take Over
Worth died in 1895 and his sons, Gaston and Jean-Philippe, took control of the fashion house.
Worth Perfumes
Worth Perfumes began in 1924. The first fragrance was Dans le Nuit. The most famous is Je Reviens, ‘which encapsulates the romance and elegance of Paris in the 1930’s’, according to Worth Paris. Soldiers used to give this perfume to their girlfriends during the Second World War.
Sources
- Haute Couture: Where It All Began by Mari Davis
- Lehnert, Gertrud, Fashion: A Concise History, Laurence King Publishing, London, 1998
