The House of Lacroix’s Fresh, New Approach to Menswear

What happens to an iconic fashion brand when the creative mind behind that brand dies or is pushed aside for a fresher, more relevant point of view? The fashion community was rocked last year by the death of Alexander McQueen and the expulsion of John Galliano from the revered House of Dior. But those are not the only shake-ups the fashion world has had to endure.  Some years back Thierry Mugler left his signature brand for other creative endeavors, and a year after Gianfranco Ferré’s death Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi were brought in to direct the well-known fashion house. (After only a few seasons Aquilano and Rimondi were replaced.)

The House of Christian Lacroix has also recently experienced some reshuffling. For several decades, Christian Lacroix’s couture and women’s ready-to-wear collections were known for frothy, fantasy creations infused with cultural referencing.  However, the media has often failed to acknowledge Lacroix’s menswear aesthetic. “Our male demographic is quite broad. What we did on the women’s side was very theatrical and avant-garde, and when we decided to launch the men’s collection we wanted to be very classic, but current, with some of the expected Lacroix panache. We are a fashion company, so it is necessary that the brand maintains a youthful edge,” explains Nicholas Topiol, chief executive officer of Christian Lacroix.

With Christian Lacroix no longer at the helm, it is up to new creative director Sacha Walckhoff to breathe new life into the iconic brand that until recently was stuck in a financial and creative quagmire. Lacroix’s assistant for over 17 years, Walckhoff is well familiar with the Lacroix aesthetic. But, with the couture and women’s ready-to-wear lines dormant, the House of Lacroix, under Walckhoff’s aegis, is making a comeback through its menswear collection. “Sacha is the brain behind this men’s collection, and he has been growing it and evolving it in a more youthful and accessible way,” affirms Topiol.  “The DNA of Lacroix is about the mix and match, and the influences that existed before the company was started and what is going on in menswear now.”

In July, Christian Lacroix’s men’s collection was singularly presented for the first time on the runway.  Though most of the classic silhouettes in this collection have been seen before; most critics agree that the spring/summer 2012 collection was a youthful, elegant combination of functional suits, separates, and for that extra wow factor, denim jackets and cutoff jeans encrusted with Swarovski crystals.  “This collection is a mix of Savile Row, British prep, London in the 60s, and the South of France; a combination of the baroque, minimalist influences, and a reflection of how contemporary men want to dress,” details Topiol. “Christian Lacroix is a couture house, so we felt that even in the men’s collection there must be a link to the couture, which you will evidenced in our denim jackets embellished with Swarovski crystals.”

Though this collection strongly expresses Walckhoff’s point of view, influences from Christian Lacroix are evident throughout the collection. “The pattern on the jackets comes from the bullfighting cape. The pattern was offered to Christian Lacroix and he gave it to the company to make a red haute couture wedding dress in 2002, which was later worn by Madonna. We use that pattern across different Lacroix products, and you can see it applied to our pants, jeans and jackets,” explains de la Bourdonnaye.

With a new creative director at the helm and a new showroom in New York City, a revamped Christian Lacroix is focused on a wider global appeal while continuing to conjure up images of fashion as wearable art.

Christian Lacroix spring/summer 2012 menswear line will be in major stores and retailers in February and March 2012.

—William S. Gooch