Charles Worth facts for kids
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Charles Frederick Worth (born October 13, 1825, in Lincolnshire, England – died March 10, 1895, in Paris, France) was a very famous fashion designer from the 1800s. Many people call him the "Father of Haute Couture." Haute Couture means high-end, custom-made fashion. His amazing designs were all created in Paris. He even helped create the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. This group decides who can officially use the term haute couture.
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Worth's Fashion Career
Charles Frederick Worth made a huge impact on the fashion world in France. Before moving to Paris in 1846, he worked in several busy fabric shops in London. In Paris, he got a job with Gagelin and Opigez, who were well-known fabric sellers. While working there, he met and married Marie Vernet, who was a model for the company. Worth started making simple dresses for his wife. Soon, customers saw them and wanted copies of her dresses too!
Worth became a junior partner at the company. He really wanted his partners to start making dresses, but they weren't sure. So, Worth found a wealthy man from Sweden named Otto Bobergh. Otto was willing to invest money in the idea. In 1858, they opened their own dressmaking business called Worth and Bobergh.
Worth's Famous Customers
Worth quickly became popular with important people. The French Empress Eugénie became one of his first big customers. After that, many rich and famous women wanted his designs. He also dressed actresses like Sarah Bernhardt and singers like Nellie Melba. Many of his clients traveled from far away, even from places like New York and Boston, just to get a Worth dress.
New Ideas in Fashion
Worth changed fashion in many ways. He removed lots of extra ruffles and frills that were common then. Instead, he used rich fabrics to create simple, but very flattering, shapes. He was also the first designer to sew labels onto the clothes he made. This was a big deal at the time!
Worth gave his customers beautiful materials and clothes that fit perfectly. Before him, customers usually told the dressmaker what they wanted. But Worth changed this. Four times a year, he would show off his new designs at special fashion shows. This was the very beginning of the fashion shows we see today!
His customers would choose a design they liked from the show. Then, the dress would be made using fabrics they picked and tailored exactly to their body. Worth became so popular that he sometimes had to turn away customers. This only made him even more famous! He completely changed how dressmaking worked. He was the first of the couturiers, which means dressmakers who are seen as artists, not just people who sew.
The House of Worth Continues
Worth and Bobergh closed during the Franco-Prussian War. But in 1871, Worth reopened the business as the House of Worth, without Bobergh. Worth brought his sons, Gaston and Jean-Philippe, into the business. The fashion house continued to do very well even after Charles Frederick Worth passed away in 1895.
The amazing fashion company finally closed its doors in 1952. This was when Charles Frederick Worth's great-grandson, Jean-Charles, retired. In 1954, the House of Worth joined with another fashion house called Jeanne Paquin. Then, in 1956, it closed completely.
Worth Perfumes
Worth was one of the first fashion houses to create its own luxury perfumes. In 1924, Les Parfums Worth launched its first scent, Dans La Nuit. René Lalique, a world-famous glass-maker, designed the beautiful bottle. Between the two World Wars, the House of Worth made five different perfumes:
- Dans La Nuit (1924)
- Vers le Jours (1925)
- Sans Adieu (1929)
- Je Reviens (1932)
- Vers Toi (1934)
Je Reviens is still the most famous of Worth's perfumes. During WWII, soldiers often gave this perfume as a gift to their sweethearts. You can still find this perfume today at famous stores like Harrods in London. It comes in its classic blue bottle, which looks just like the original design.
The House of Worth Returns
The House of Worth has recently made a comeback! Dilesh Mehta (who works with perfumes) and Martin McCarthy (who works with fashion) brought together the rights to Worth's perfumes and clothing. This meant that, for the first time since the 1920s, the House of Worth was reunited and brought back to life.
The House of Worth officially reopened in January 2010. They launched a new couture collection designed by Giovanni Bedin. The spring/summer collection was shown in Paris. The winter collection was shown in Milan. Bedin's beautiful corsets and tutus, with soft clouds of tulle and old lace, remind people of Worth's original ideas. Famous customers today include Scarlett Johansson, Kylie Minogue, and Charlize Theron.
Ready-to-Wear Fashion
The amazing world of couture is just one part of the new House of Worth. They also offer Le Prêt-a-Porter, which means ready-to-wear clothing. Worth’s Je Reviens perfume has been relaunched. In 2011, the House of Worth also started offering lingerie and accessories, like special jewelry and custom-made gloves.
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Princess Elizabeth of Austria in a gown by Worth, 1865
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Images for kids
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Charles Frederick Worth at age 30, already building his reputation
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Marie Vernet Worth met her husband while they both worked at Gagelin
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Empress Eugénie wearing a gown designed by Worth
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"I told you it was a dress from Worth's. I know the look" – an 1875 cartoon
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The House of Worth at 7 rue de la Paix became a meeting point for high society
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Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt dressed as "electric light" by Worth for a fancy-dress ball in 1883
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Silk ensemble, 1862-1865
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Wedding dress for wealthy American Clara Mathews, 1880
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Court dress designed for the Imperial Russian Court, about 1888
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See also
In Spanish: Charles Frederick Worth para niños
