French house of haute couture. In 1920, Georges Doeuillet, who learned the profession working for the sisters Callot and trained his eye by writing articles on fashion, opened his own atelier in partnership with some English friends. He built his…

Line of high quality cosmetic products. The headquarters is in Place VendÂme, Paris. All the crèmes are still handmade, as the company’s founder, the dermatologist Pierre Darphin, began to do in 1958. After his death in 1991, the business passed…

Luna. American model and cover girl. Active in the 1960s and 1970s, she was one of the first Afro-American women to model and pose for the big fashion magazines. She was preceded, in January 1953, by Dolores Francine Rheney, who…

Morton (1906-1983). Irish tailor. He worked in Dublin and is remembered for having revolutionized the “English classic” by simply adding small details such as matching pale colors with tweed, or soft silken fabrics and jerseys to dry wool.

This brand, same as Levi’s, is a division of Levi Strauss & Co. Launched in the U.S. in 1986, it arrived in Europe in 1993, making its début in Sweden. It arrived in Italy only in 1995. It manufactures more…

French brand of children’s clothing. It is fresh, joyful, and inexpensive, both for day and night, for school and leisure time. In May 2000, a large unisex space for children between 3 months and 14 years was opened in Milan…

Men’s laced shoe. It is named after Lord Derby, the English aristocrat who launched it. The tongue is a single piece with the upper, exactly the opposite of the Oxford model. It exists in a smooth model, which is quite…

Pseudonym of Etienne Adrien (1885-1961). French illustrator. With the Liberty or Art Nouveau style fading away, the art world devastated by Cubism, and the decorative arts flying the flag of Art Deco, his style went against the trend, characterized by…

Madeleine (1920-1994). Scholar of fashion. She was the first curator of the Musée de la Mode et du Costume at the Louvre. A specialist in the history of costume, especially of the 19th and 20th centuries, she edited a series…

French manufacturer of stockings. Since 1989 it has been part of Sara Lee, the giant American manufacturer of tights. It was established in 1953 by Bernard Gilberstein, aimed at a middle-to-high market segment. There are three reasons for the success…