1996 Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Orange Satin and Aubergine Suit

This Christian Lacroix haute couture ensemble comprises a cropped jacket and an ankle-length skirt, brought together from two runway looks. The jacket design was shown on supermodel Carla Bruni in the Spring 1996 Haute Couture collection.

The jacket is made from vibrant peach-orange silk satin, expertly padded to hold its sculpted shape. Its dropped hem curves around the body from a cropped length at the front, flaring over the deep aubergine velvet skirt. It is a wonderful combination of colour and texture. Panels of magenta and black lace have been appliquéd by hand. The magenta lace is detailed with swirling chartreuse and pale pink embroidery. The black lace rewards a closer look: tonal black embroidery, sequins and beadwork are combined with metallic blue and red embroidery, blue and red beads, and heart-shaped sequins in both colours. The silk sections of the sleeves are cropped, giving way to black lace panels embellished with sequins and beadwork where they meet the silk. A single large tonal hook-and-eye clasp fastens the jacket. A separate bead-embellished black lace panel closes the front, attaching to both sides with fabric-covered snap closures and hook-and-eye clasps. The jacket is lined in tonal orange silk.

The skirt is made from buttery soft silk velvet in deep aubergine purple. Cut high at the waist, it falls in a column to the ankle, with four gentle pleats at the front waistband. It is fully lined in tonal purple satin and fastens at the back with a concealed black zip and hook-and-eye clasp.

Both pieces retain their original yellow Christian Lacroix Paris haute couture labels and have been expertly preserved in archival vintage condition, with no flaws to note. As couture made pieces, they have no size or composition labels. Neither fabric has stretch, so please check our measurements carefully as this ensemble will suit a UK 8 or US 2-4 with a small waist.

Notes on Designer: Christian Lacroix established his eponymous Paris couture house in 1987 after a celebrated period designing haute couture for Jean Patou. His arrival made an immediate impact, with his exuberant use of colour, pattern, historical references and elaborate decoration offering a striking alternative to the more restrained fashion of the period. Ready-to-wear followed in 1988, translating the energy of his couture into more wearable pieces.

Although the original fashion house ceased producing couture in 2009, Lacroix’s influence remains considerable. His fearless approach to colour, theatrical proportion and historical reference helped define the exuberance of late twentieth-century fashion, and his work is now represented in major museum collections and increasingly sought after by collectors worldwide.

MEASUREMENTS JACKET

BUST - 36 in. (91 cm)

WAIST - 29 in. (74 cm)

LENGTH - 17 in. (43 cm)

LENGTH BACK - 24 in. (61 cm)

SHOULDERS - 17 in. (43 cm)

MEASUREMENTS SKIRT

WAIST - 25 in. (64 cm)

HIP - 40 in. (102 cm)

LENGTH - 42 in. (107 cm)