Catherine de Károlyi facts for kids

Catherine de Károlyi (born Catherine or Katalin Pólya) was a famous French fashion designer. She was born on September 1, 1919, in Budapest, Hungary. She passed away on October 30, 2006, in Paris, France.

Early Life and Move to Paris

Catherine de Károlyi was originally from Hungary. After World War II, many changes happened in her home country. In 1948, she moved to Paris, France, as a refugee.

In Paris, she began to learn about the fashion world. She started by working as a model. This helped her understand the industry from the inside.

Starting Her Fashion Career

Catherine de Károlyi soon created her own fashion label. Her talent and unique style quickly got noticed. She caught the eye of famous designers like Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain.

She also became friends with important people in the arts, like André Malraux. Her elegant style and ideas were very inspiring.

Working with Hermès

Catherine de Károlyi was hired by the well-known fashion house Hermès. This was a big step in her career. At Hermès, she created many iconic designs.

One of her most famous creations was a special belt. She noticed that the letter "H" is symmetrical. She used this idea to design a belt buckle that looked like an "H". This belt became very popular.

Her sophisticated and aristocratic style greatly influenced Hermès collections. She continued to inspire their designs until the 1980s.

Family Life

Catherine de Károlyi was married twice. Her second husband was a filmmaker named Raymond Assayas, also known as Jacques Rémy.

She had three sons. One of her sons is Olivier Assayas, who is a well-known filmmaker today. Another son is Michka Assayas, a journalist and writer.