André Courrèges
Founder of the Courrèges fashion house
André Courrèges was a French designer who founded his Paris house in 1961 and defined the youthful, futuristic look of the 1960s with short skirts, trouser suits, white boots and clean geometric lines. Trained as an engineer and by Cristóbal Balenciaga, he brought structural precision to modern fashion.
| Role | Founder, Courrèges |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1961, Paris |
| Trained with | Cristóbal Balenciaga |
| Current owner of house | Artémis |
| Born | 1923, Pau |
| Died | 2016 |
Who was André Courrèges?
André Courrèges was a French fashion designer, born in Pau in 1923 and died in 2016. He founded the Courrèges house in 1961 with his wife Coqueline and became one of the leading names of 1960s Paris fashion. His work is associated with the Space Age aesthetic: white, geometric, functional clothes made for active young women.
Career
Courrèges studied civil engineering before turning to fashion. After the Second World War he moved to Paris and in the late 1940s joined the staff of Cristóbal Balenciaga, eventually becoming his first assistant. He spent around a decade with Balenciaga, learning rigorous cutting and construction.
He opened his own house in 1961. In 1964 and 1965 his collections, featuring short skirts, trouser suits, trapeze shapes and flat white boots, made him a sensation, and he is often credited, alongside Mary Quant, with popularising the miniskirt. When his designs were widely copied, he paused showing and tightened control of manufacturing, then in 1967 launched Couture Future, a ready-to-wear line sold through licensed boutiques.
Courrèges later sold stakes in the company, including one to L'Oréal in 1968. In 2011 the brand was sold to new owners, and it is now controlled by Artémis, the Pinault family holding company. After Nicolas Di Felice left in March 2026, Courrèges named Drew Henry as artistic director, with a debut planned for Paris Fashion Week in September 2026.
British Vogue declared 1964 the year of Courrèges. The house continued to grow in the following years: in 1972 it designed uniforms for staff at the Munich Olympic Games and operated around 125 boutiques worldwide, and in 1973 it added menswear.
Influence on the fashion business
Courrèges' career highlights several issues still relevant today:
- Copying of designs and the need to control manufacturing
- The shift from couture to ready-to-wear for younger customers
- Licensing and boutique networks as routes to scale
- The revival of heritage brands by new owners
Why it matters
André Courrèges brought an engineer's logic to fashion and helped define what modern, youthful clothing looked like in the 1960s. The ongoing revival of his house under Artémis shows how a strong archive and a clear visual identity can be reactivated decades later.
Frequently asked questions
Who was André Courrèges?
André Courrèges was a French designer who founded his Paris fashion house in 1961. He is known for 1960s Space Age fashion, including miniskirts, trouser suits and white boots.
Who designs Courrèges today?
Drew Henry was appointed artistic director of Courrèges in March 2026, succeeding Nicolas Di Felice. The house is controlled by Artémis, the Pinault family's holding company.