The latest subject of AnOther's Pronunciation Guide, French-born André Courrèges was the courtier responsible for blending haute couture with youth culture...
It is inexplicable that a designer who altered the course of fashion is not more widely known. André Courrèges was the courtier responsible for blending haute couture with youth culture. He also introduced the mini skirt to France and both Courrèges and Welsh fashion designer Mary Quant lay claim to the invention of the garment. Pronounced on-dray koo-rej, the ou sound is pronounced like the English ou found in the word "you" and not like the ou in "courage". As is the French rule, the letter s at the end of the word is mute. Andre was the second most popular boy’s name in France from 1910 until the 1930s and means "man" and "warrior".
“Today’s women are archaic in appearance” said Courrèges, reflecting on the 1960s. “I want to help them coincide with their time.” And he did. Initially, Courrèges studied engineering before transferring his knowledge to fashion, where from 1950-1961 he worked as Cristóbal Balenciaga’s first assistant. “The first five years there I learnt something new every day,” he said of his experience. “The second five years were a waste”. And so in 1961, Courrèges began designing under his own name, innovatively using materials such as metal, PVC and plastic, which he manipulated into geometric shapes. The result was the famous "moon girl" look, which prompted British Vogue to declare 1964, “the year of Courrèges.” Introducing the spirit of the swinging sixties into couture, Courreges' work influenced his contemporaries including Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin as well as ready-to-wear manufacturers who hoped to sell the minimalist designs to the mass market. And despite going on to launch the lower priced Hyperbole line in the early 80s, 1985 saw Courrèges sell the loss-making couture side of the business to Japanese firm ITOKAN, only for it to be closed later that year – against the designer’s wishes.
Courrèges is an ancient French name, mainly found in the province of Champagne. It is believed to stem from the pre-Latin word "caravu", meaning "rocky place". Born in Pau in the French Pyrenees, Courrèges claimed that his father, who worked as a head butler in a wealthy home, disapproved of creative professions. "'You’ll be an engineer', he said. I did finish an engineers’ school and eventually found myself at the head of 50 people in engineering research,” recalled Courrèges. “I was the unhappiest man on earth.”
In honour of Evian’s 50th anniversary, Courrèges have designed a limited edition water bottle.
Text by Fiona Cook
