Above image: Photograph by Bert Stern, 1967. Courtesy of Staley-Wise Gallery.
If you’re anyone who appreciates a good mini skirt, you’ve got André Courrèges to thank. The French design legend, who died on January 8 at the age of 92, is credited (alongside fellow designer Mary Quant) with kicking off the kicky 1960s trend.
Courrèges’s death, following a 30-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, was confirmed by his company on Friday afternoon, Vogue reports. He passed away in his home in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
Courrèges was born in 1923 in the French city of Pau. After studying to be a civil engineer, he worked for a decade under Cristobal Balenciaga before forming his own label in 1961. Three years later, he quickly became a force in the French fashion world with a radical “space girl” look that included short, angular skirts in eye-popping colors, white patent-leather go-go boots, and futuristic accessories like goggles and helmets. In 1972, Courrèges had the honor of designing the uniforms of the Munich Olympic Games.
For obvious reasons, he was a hit with Andy Warhol and the fashion-forward Factory set, as well as icons like Brigitte Bardot, Jackie Kennedy, and Françoise Hardy.
“Courreges clothes are so beautiful, everyone should look the same, dressed in silver. Silver merges into everything, costumes should be worn during the day with lots of make-up,” Warhol reportedly said of his designs, according to AFP.
Despite his retirement from the fashion world in 1994, the Courrèges brand has lived on thanks to the namesake perfume.
Following the news of Courrèges’s death, French president François Hollande tweeted: “A revolutionary designer, using new materials and geometric shapes, André Courrèges leaves behind a footprint in the world of high fashion.”
See images of his wild designs below.