Speranza
Charles James (b. Sandhurst, 18 July 1906 - d. September 23, 1978 in New York City) is
a fashion designer known as America's first couturier.
He is considered a
master of cutting and is known for his highly structured
aesthetic.
His father was a British
officer and his mother a Chicago patrician'.
In 1919 Charles James attended Harrow
School, where he met Evelyn Waugh, Francis Rose and, most importantly Cecil
Beaton, with whom he formed a longstanding friendship.
He was expelled from
Harrow for a sexual escapade.
At the age of nineteen in 1926, Charles James
opens his first hat shop in Chicago, using the name of a schoolfriend, Charles
Boucherdon.
In 1928 he left Chicago for Long Island with 70 cents, a Pierce
Arrow and a number of hats as his only possessions.
He later opened a hat shop
above a garage in Murray Hill, New York, beginning his
first dress designs.
James showed one of his most successful
collections in Paris in 1947.
In the 1950s he spent most of his time in New
York.
James looked upon his dresses as works of art, as did many of his
customers.
Year after year he reworked original designs, ignoring the sacrosanct
schedule of seasons.
The components of the precisely constructed designs were
interchangeable so that James had a never-ending fund of ideas on which to draw.
He is most famous for his sculpted ball gowns made of lavish fabrics and to
exacting tailoring standards, but is also remembered for his capes and coats,
often trimmed with fur and embroidery, his spiral zipped dresses, and his white
satin quilted jackets.
After the birth of his son, Charles James Jr. in 1956,
he also produced a children's collection.
He designed the interior and
several pieces of furniture for the Houston home of John and Dominique de
Menil.
After returning to New York City from Paris, Scaasi worked for James
for two years.[2] James retired in 1958.
He died alone, of bronchial
pneumonia, at the Chelsea Hotel in New York.
References
Jump up ^
"Closet Encounters", Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, May 3, 2010
Jump up ^
Anne Bissonnette, Curator for The Kent State University Museum Scaasi An
American Icon retrieved June 29, 2006
External links[edit]
Charles James
at Chicago History Museum Costume Collection
Charles James (designer) at the
Fashion Model Directory
[hide]
v
t
e
Grands
couturiers
MembersAdeline André
Anne Valérie Hash
Carlota
Alfaro
Chanel
Christian Dior
Dominique Sirop
Franck
Sorbier
Givenchy
Jean Paul Gaultier
Maurizio Galante
Stéphane
Rolland
Invited membersAdam Jones
Alexis Mabille
Atelier
Gustavo Lins
Bouchra Jarrar
Christophe Josse
Josephus
Thimister
Lefranc, Ferrant
Rabih Kayrouz
Foreign membersGiorgio
Armani
Elie Saab
Valentino
Persondata
NameJames,
Charles
Alternative names
Short descriptionBritish fashion
designer
Date of birth18 July 1906
Place of birth
Date of
deathSeptember 23, 1978
Place of death
Retrieved from
"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_James_(designer)&oldid=527925432"
Categories:
1906 births
1978 deaths
British fashion
designers
People educated at Harrow School
Saturday, January 25, 2014
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