Designer on Focus: Christian Lacroix

Born in Arles, France, Christian Marie Marc Lacroix is a sucessful French fashion designer. He began sketching historical costumes and fashions at a very young age. He studied history of art at the University of Montpellier and then enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris.

In 1987 he opened his own couture house. He began putting out ready-to-wear in 1988 drawing inspiration from diverse cultures. Critics commented that he did not seem to understand the type of clothing the working woman needed. In 1989, Lacroix launched jewelry, handbags, shoes, glasses, scarves and ties. In this same year, he opened boutiques within Paris, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse, London, Geneva and Japan.

Watch Cristian Lacroix creations at the Fall Fashion Week 2008: