Porter,Thea (1927-2000)
Thea Porter (1927)
She is an English designer born in Damascus, Syria, but she completed her studies at London University. At the beginning of the 1950s she returned to the Middle East where she started trading in textiles and carpets. She then moved the business to London at the end of the decade. She startd creating her own dresses from 1964. The Arabic and Middle Eastern influence is clearly visible in her designs and is accentuated by the use of exotic and fine fabrics. She often used chiffon, crêpe de chine, silk brocades, and embroidered velvets in particular for her sophisticated evening dresses.
Her elegant caftans became instantly popular. In 1968 she opened a boutique in New York and in 1974 another shop in Paris. In the 1970s she was one of the promoters of the gypsy style, consisting of flounced dresses and oriental colors, low and very low-waisted pants, and teamed with fabric or suede tops decorated with strips of fur or rich silk and chiffon scarves. In the 1980s her clothes gained international recognition, especially from fans of the hipster fashion.
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