This rather magnificent heart is by the designer Christian Lacroix. It is made of gilt metal with semi-precious stone and glass beads and was made in France.
Christian Marie Marc Lacroix was born in Arles in Southern France on 16 May 1951, he was an only child. In 1969 Christian moved to Montpelier to study art history at the university and in 1971 he enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris. It was studying for his dissertation on dress in 18th century French paintings that cemented his final career direction. Between 1985 and 1987 he worked as a fashion designer for Jean Patou in Paris drawing on historical influences for his designs. In 1988 he launched a ready-to-wear collection and in 1989 began designing jewellery and other fashion accessories. Though an imaginative designer, Lacroix was not a businessman and between 1987 and 2005 when his Haute Couture business was bought out there were losses of more than €44 million.
In 2005 Christian Lacroix launched his XCLX company. He has created the interior décor for the French TGV high-speed train and in 2013 designed the uniforms for Chinese Eastern airlines.
During his career Lacroix has designed costumes for theatrical productions both in France and abroad. He twice won the Molière Award, France’s national theatre prize for Best Costume Designer. And, in 2009 at the National Museum of Singapore there was an exhibition entitled ‘Christian Lacroix The Costumier’, there were 80 costumes and 60 sketches on display showing the flamboyance and extravagance of Lacroix’s design philosophy and style.
Three of the costume sketches from the National Museum of Singapore Exhibition 2009
Today you can buy various Christian Lacroix designed branded merchandise ranging from bedlinen to handbags and other home furnishings.
Happy Valentines