1921-1999 Louis Féraud

[SomethingElse]

http://www.answers.com/topic/louis-feraud?cat=biz-fin

Louis Féraud (French designer, painter, and author)

Born: Arles, France, 13 February 1920.
Family: Married Zizi (Alice) Boivin, 1947 (divorced, 1963); married Mia Fonssagriéves, 1964 (divorced, 1972); children: Dominique (also known as Kiki).
Military Service: Served as lieutenant in the French Resistance.
Career: Opened first couture boutique in Cannes, 1955; moved to Paris, entered ready-to-wear, 1956; first menswear line launched, 1975; costumer designer for films and television; perfumes Justine, introduced, 1965, Corrida, 1975; Fantasque introduced (and later licensed to Avon Products), 1980, Fer (also licensed to Avon, but under the name Féraud pour Homme), 1982; Jour de Féraud/Vivage, introduced, 1984; sportswear line introduced, 1989; New York flagship store opened, 1990; accessories line introduced, 1992; retired, giving control of business to daughter Kiki and former wife Zizi, 1995; ready-to-wear division sold to Secon; remaining business units sold to Secon, 1999; Yvan Mispelaere hired as designer, 2000.
Exhibitions: Exhibition of paintings in Paris, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, and in Japan, 1989; Gallery Urban, New York, 1990.
Awards: Légion d'Honneur; Golden Thimble Award, 1984; Dé d'Or Award, 1978, 1984.
Died: 28 December 1999, in Paris.

Company Address: 88, Frabourg Saint-Honoré, 75008, Paris, France.
It has been said of Louis Féraud that he was a man who loves women. Indeed, he described himself as "Louis Féraud who adores women, Louis Féraud who admires women." This devotion no doubt inspired the former French Resistance lieutenant to pursue a career in the rarefied worlds of French haute couture and ready-to-wear.

Féraud designed for a seductive woman who lived in harmony with life and herself, a woman looking for comfort and freedom. He was fascinated by the different personalities of women and how this inspired him to create different moods and themes. For women, he said, "Fashion is an opportunity to be chic, to conspire between reality and desire."

Féraud created glamorous, luxurious clothes at ready-to-wear prices; he also designed for couture. Among his celebrity clients were Joan Collins, for whom he designed some of the clothes worn in the television series Dynasty and Madame Mitterand, wife of the former French President. His collections were divided between the prêt-á-porter Louis Féraud Paris collections and the less expensive Louis Féraud set.

A strong team backed up the Féraud business, originally led by Féraud himself and consisting of nearly a dozen international designers, color specialists, and stylists who worked together to form what he described as a weather forecast that predicts trends. In addition to the suits and dresses for Dynasty, Féraud designed for the television series Dallas, for film, and for starlets Brigitte Bardot, Paulette Goddard, Kim Novak, Catherine Deneuve, Mireille Mathieu, and Sabina Anzema. Yet when asked if given the chance to design clothes for women from another era, and which era that would be, Féraud declared: "Tomorrow. I am often seriously asked what fashion will be doing next year. I am like an art medium for these people, who has the ability to look into the future."

Féraud listed painting as being amongst his passions; it inspired him to develop color in his work. "Colors are fantasies of light," he claimed. "However, all colors are diffused in black, memories of the sun, the indispensable, and the perfect that is beauty." He selected specific color ranges each season, but declared himself unaffected by fashion trends. "The only thing that we must know in our business is what doesn't exist as yet." Color specs were developed within the design team, which also created new ideas for fabric trims.

When asked how, out of the French Resistance in World War II, he emerged one of the leading fashion designers of the world, Féraud replied: "Fashion does not separate people but holds them together. One can also describe fashion as the meeting place out of love."

In the mid-1990s Féraud turned the business over to his daughter, Dominique (known as Kiki), and his former wife, Zizi, who had remained his partner after their divorce. Kiki, like her father, was a designer, though the younger Féraud favored more detailed and ornate designs than the elder. In 1997 the Féraud ready-to-wear division was sold to Dutch textile group Secon. Three years later, in the fall of 1999, Secon acquired the remaining Féraud assets. Louie Féraud, designer, painter, and author, died in December 1999 at the age of 79.

Also see http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/Es-Fo/F-raud-Louis.html.

 

[SomethingElse]

1969 Flared coat in heavy black and white tweed of carded wool from Moreau. A-line, with a big Peter Pan collar, long white tab, and two low oval pockets with buttoned tabs. Underneath, a dress with patchwork skirt of different black and white tweeds and a pure white wool jersey top. White thigh boots and a matching visor cap.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

1970 Fly-closing long evening coat in heavy white satin of "Qiana" nylon.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

1967 Louis Feraud covers up the square, darted and saddle-stitched neckline of his shell-pink dress with a bib shaped bolero, closed over one shoulder and under the arm with a big button. The fabric is Champalex, a stretch gabardine of wool elasticised with "Lyrcra" elastometric fibre and treated with "Zepel" stain repeller. Fabric by Veron, Paris.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

1971 Notice the play of contrasting inlays for this beach outfit in black and white pure worsted jersey by Racine. The bolero top with pointed collar and topstitching, has a round cut-out in the back. The hip-hugging skirt, buttoning from the waist to just below the hips, opens into an airy slit. Black fantasy on the front and encircling the waist.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

1968 This fresh young coat in white worsted wool gabardine. It is edged in fireman-red all down the front and round the edge of its whirly skirt and the waist is cinched in curving leather, tied shoestring style. Matching red tights and above-the-knee boots.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

1970 This longer than midi midi sheath is very simple, very slightly flared, and very beautiful. Its impact derives solely from the stunning originality of Ducharne's caramel black and white print on pure worsted wool crepe. "Boyard" fur toque.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

1969 Young and fresh - in soft shades of blue and white, of pure Woolmark wool crepe from Dumas Maury. The sleeveless coat has large patch pockets opening on the side. Underneath, a short-sleeved dress with stand-up collar, fastened with tiny blue shoe buttons. Important: the entire ensemble is trimmed in soft blue. Blue tights and white gloves.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

c.1970s. This dress is from the French designer Louis Feraud and dates sometime after 1970 when he began his ready-to-wear line. The dress is a wool knit in sapphire blue and winter white. The bodice has a standing collar done in bands of white and blue that separate at the front and drape down the front of the bodice, not totally sure how they were suppose to be worn. Below the rounded neckline the center front laps over an open vee that is hidden when the right top edge is snapped to the left. This right side extends down the front of the dress as a pleat.at the waist the motif of alternating colors is used to accent the waistline with abstract silver metal designs. The skirt is sapphire blue and has a slight bit of fullness. The sleeves are long with again just a hint of fullness with a wide cuff. Lined with blue rayon.

woodlandfarmsantiques.com

 

[La bordélique]

Thanks for starting the thread SomethingElse!

The looks in post #2 & #8 are my favourites so far.
There's something about #8 that reminds me of Hussein Chalayan's plastic dresses. I think it has to do with the shape or the clean lines. The complete ensemble being trimmed in soft blue, worn with blue tights and white gloves... what a great combo!

 

[SomethingElse]

A Louis Feraud at Rembrandt futuristic dress, 1960s labelled and size 12, in cream, blue and black compartments, matching belt; and a simple cream wool dress with enamelled bulls-eye target buttons.

kerrytaylorauctions.com

 

[Girlfriend1]

thats it

 

[SomethingElse]

^ Oh not at all. There are lots more! Here are some more in black and white.

1960. Comfortable but straight, with a wide back, coat, out of mustard woollen from Gerondeau. Edged in front, on sides slits, and round the collar, with a matching woollen braid.

vads.ahds.ac.uk

 

[SomethingElse]

Late 1960s.

beverleybirks.com

 

[SomethingElse]

c. 1970. Midi-length Paris fashion by Louis Feraud includes a "pepper and salt' tweed suit with red piping and red wool trim, set off by a red wool ski cap and red plastic boots.

corbis.com

 

[SomethingElse]

c. 1970.

corbis.com