| 81st | Top fashion designers |
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| Born | October 13, 1825 Bourne, Lincolnshire*, England |
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| Died | March 10, 1895 (aged 69) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Labels | House of Worth |
| Known for | creating Haute Couture |
| Children | Gaston, Jean-Philippe |
| Parents | William Worth |
Charles Frederick Worth (13 October 1825 – 10 March 1895[1]), widely considered the Father of Haute Couture, was an English-born fashion designer of the 19th century.
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Born in Bourne, Lincolnshire*, England, Worth made his mark in the French fashion industry. He worked at several prosperous London drapery shops before moving to Paris in 1846. He was hired by Gagelin and Opigez, well-known Parisian drapers. While working in their shop, he married one of the firm's models, Marie Vernet. Marie would model shawls and bonnets for prospective customers. Worth made a few simple dresses for his wife and customers started to ask for copies of the dresses as well.
Worth, by now a junior partner in the firm, urged his partners to expand into dressmaking, but they hesitated to risk their reputation in a business as low-class as dressmaking. Worth found a wealthy Swede, Otto Bobergh, who was willing to bankroll the venture and opened the dressmaking establishment of Worth and Bobergh in 1858. Worth was soon patronized by the French Empress Eugénie, and after that by many titled, rich, and otherwise notable women. Cora Pearl, the famous demimondaine, and Pauline von Metternich, an Austrian princess and musical patron, were Worth devotees, the infamous beauty Virginia Oldoini, Countess di Castiglione was often dressed by him. He also dressed actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt and singers such as Nellie Melba. Many of his customers travelled to Paris from other countries, coming from as far away as New York and Boston. Much of his work is associated with the movement to redefine the female fashionable shape, removing excessive ruffles and frills and using rich fabrics in simple but flattering outlines.He is credited as the first designer to put labels onto the clothing he manufactured. [2] Worth gave his customers luxurious materials and meticulous fit. Rather than let the customer dictate the design, as had previously been dressmaking practice, four times a year he displayed model dresses at fashion shows. His patronesses would pick a model, which would then be sewn in fabrics of their choice and tailored to their figure. Worth was sufficiently fashionable that he had to turn away customers. This only added to his éclat. He completely revolutionized the business of dressmaking. He was the first of the couturiers, dressmakers considered artists rather than mere artisans.
Worth and Bobergh shut down during the Franco-Prussian War and re-opened in 1871, without Bobergh, as the House of Worth. Worth took his sons, Gaston (founder of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture) and Jean-Philippe, into his business and the couture house continued to flourish after his death in 1895.
The life and work of Charles Worth has been celebrated with the opening of the Charles Worth Gallery at the Heritage Centre at Bourne, in Lincolnshire, his birthplace.
Mrs Brenda Jones, chairman of Bourne Civic Society that administers the centre, and her husband Jim, decided to create the exhibition with one of his famous dresses as the centrepiece. The perfect solution would have been to purchase an original dress but they are virtually unobtainable and all surviving examples are scattered around museums in Europe and America. But photographs do exist and she recruited seamstresses to copy one of the costumes in minute detail, the materials, the sewing and the means of display, and the gallery was given a civic opening in April 2006.
The dress that has been copied, using material from the period and specially bought from London, is a style known as Visite and made from off white silk with braid and bead trimming, originally designed by Worth in 1885 and bearing the label of his salon at No 7 Rue de la Paix in Paris. This is the centrepiece of the display with two additional dresses, together with other costumes and accessories loaned by members and friends including an original jacket bought from the House of Worth in Paris. Framed photographs and documents illustrating Worth’s life and career adorn the walls and a computer in the foyer has been specially programmed to play a continual pictorial record of his dress designs.
The ladies responsible for the project, namely Lesley Wade, Clare Hart and Debbie Hallam, have now completed a second replica Worth creation for the gallery, this time a magnificent reception dress in red velvet and silk that has enhanced the exhibition even further. The original of this dress was fashioned circa 1883 and was graced with his exclusive label "Worth 7, Rue de la Paix". he was the one who created women wear couture gown
Court Presentation Dress by Charles Worth (see image in Gallery)
This magnificent presentation dress, c.1895, is from the House of Charles Frederick Worth. The House of Worth was in many ways a new departure, marking a shift from the old fashioned dressmaker to something much closer to the modern couturier or fashion designer.
The dress was designed specifically for presentation at court, worn by a Debutante. It is made from heavy pure silk satin, hand embroidered with metallic beads, sequins and diamante in a sumptuous floral design. It is trimmed with hand made lace and like all presentation dresses has a richly worked long train. Trains, which had always formed an important part of court dress, extended from three feet to eight feet by 1870 and even longer by the end of the century. Trains were fastened at this period from the waist and were often made of costly and ornate materials.
Presentation at court was an important milestone in the life of a young woman, marking her emergence into the adult world and providing her with a passport to the most exclusive social circles – and the chance of getting a rich husband. It is thought that Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, was the first queen to have young ladies presented to her at drawing rooms as an acknowledgement of their ‘coming out’ in society. From 1837 these young girls were known as debutantes.
This tradition drew to a close in the 1950s.
 Dress designed by Charles Frederick Worth for Elisabeth of Austria painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. [1] |
 From collection of St Edmundsbury Borough Council Moyse's Hall Museum Bury St Edmunds. [2] |
 From collection of St Edmundsbury Borough Council Moyse's Hall Museum Bury St Edmunds. |
CHARLES FREDERICK WORTH (1825-1895), the famous dressmaker, was born at Bourne, Lincolnshire, in. 1825. His father, a country solicitor, having lost his money in speculation, Charles was sent to London as an apprentice to Swan & Edgar, drapers. Thence, in 1846, he went to Paris, without capital or friends, and after twelve years in a wholesale silk house he began business as a dressmaker in partnership with a Swede named Dobergh. His originality and skill in design won the patronage of the empress Eugenie, and, through her, of fashionable Paris. After the Franco-German War, during which he turned his house into a military hospital, his partner retired, and Worth continued the business, which employed 1200 hands, with his two sons John and Gaston - both naturalized Frenchmen. For more than thirty years he set the taste and ordained the fashions of Paris, and extended his sway over all the civilized and much of the uncivilized world. He died on the 10th of March 1895.
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[[File:|thumb|right|180px|Worth wearing the formal robe of a French society]]
Charles Frederick Worth (Bourne, Lincolnshire, 13 October 1825 – Paris, 10 March 1895),[1] widely considered the Father of Haute couture, was an English fashion designer of the 19th century, whose works were produced in Paris.[2][3] The Parisien Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture was his conception. It has the legal authority to decide who may use the term haute couture.
Contents |
Worth made his mark in the French fashion industry. He worked at several prosperous London drapery shops before moving to Paris in 1846. He was hired by Gagelin and Opigez, well-known Parisian drapers. While working in their shop, he married one of the firm's models, Marie Vernet. Worth made a few simple dresses for his wife and customers started to ask for copies of the dresses as well.
Worth, by now a junior partner in the firm, urged his partners to expand into dressmaking, but they hesitated. Worth found a wealthy Swede, Otto Bobergh, who was willing to bankroll the venture and opened the dressmaking establishment of Worth and Bobergh in 1858. Worth was soon patronized by the French Empress Eugénie, and after that by many titled, rich, and otherwise notable women. He also dressed actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt and singers such as Nellie Melba. Many of his customers travelled to Paris from other countries, coming from as far away as New York and Boston.
He removed excessive ruffles and frills and used rich fabrics in simple, but flattering, outlines.He is credited as the first designer to put labels onto the clothing he manufactured.[4] Worth gave his customers luxurious materials and exact fit. Rather than let the customer dictate the design, as had previously been dressmaking practice, four times a year he displayed model dresses at fashion shows. This was the start of the fashion show as we know it.
His patronesses would pick a model, which would then be sewn in fabrics of their choice and tailored to their figure. Worth was sufficiently fashionable that he had to turn away customers. This only added to his fame. He completely revolutionized the business of dressmaking. He was the first of the couturiers, dressmakers considered artists rather than mere artisans.
Worth and Bobergh shut down during the Franco-Prussian War and re-opened in 1871, without Bobergh, as the House of Worth. Worth took his sons, Gaston and Jean-Philippe, into his business and the couture house continued to flourish after his death in 1895.
The great fashion dynasty finally came to an end in 1952 when Charles Frederick Worth's great-grandson, Jean-Charles (1881–1962), retired from the family business. In 1954, the House merged with Paquin. Then in 1956 was closed.
Worth was one of the first couture houses to give its name to a luxury perfume. In 1924 Les Parfums Worth launched the first fragrance, Dans La Nuit and Rene Lalique, the world renowned glass-maker, designed the bottle. Between the wars, the House produced five perfumes: Dans La Nuit (1924) Vers le Jours (1925) Sans Adieu (1929) Je Reviens (1932) Vers Toi (1934)
Je Reviens remains the most famous of Worth's perfumes. The perfume became a favoured gift from solder to their sweethearts during WWII. The top London store Harrods offers the perfume in its classic blue ridged bottle, which dates back to the perfume’s original launch.
The House of Worth has re-emerged. Dilesh Mehta (perfumes) and Martin McCarthy (fashion) recently combined their intellectual properties for Worth perfume and apparel. This meant, for the first time since the 1920s, the House is reunited and restored.
The House of Worth resumed in January 2010 with a revival couture collection by Giovanni Bedin. The Spring/Summer collection was unveiled in Paris at Les Salons France-Amêriques and the winter collection in Milan. Bedin's exquisite corsets and tutus with clouds of tulle and antique lace echo Worth's ideas. Customers include Scarlett Johansson, Kylie Minogue and Charlize Theron pledging their loyalty.
The spectacle of couture is just one aspect of the restored House of Worth. Complementing this is a presentation of Le Prêt-a-Porter (ready-to-wear). Worth’s Je Reviens perfume will be relaunched, followed in 2011 by the House of Worth’s lingerie and accessories, such as couture jewelry and made to measure gloves.
   | Mid-Late Victorian Fashion History - Victorian Fashion History for Women from 1860 to 1900 |
| | 1911 Encylopedia article - Charles Frederick Worth - LoveToKnow 1911 |
| | Interactive timeline of couture houses and couturier biographies - V&A - The Golden Age of Couture - Exhibition |
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