Charles Frederick Worth
Charles Frederick Worth has been popularly known as the “father of haute couture” by many scholars because of how popular his work was among the upper classes of France. Worth was born in England in 1825. He first worked in a drapery house in London. In 1846, Worth moved to Paris, France and began his work at the store, Gagelin-Opigez et Cie, which specialized in dress-making, accessories, and fabrics. Worth began his career in the dress-making department. While working at Gagelin-Opigez et Cie, Worth married another employee of the store named Marie Vernet, who was working as a model for the store. In 1857, Worth left Gagelin-Opigez et Cie and started a fashion house, Worth and Bobergh, with Otto Gustave Bobergh, and with his wife working in the business as well.
Worth and Bobergh designed their business to reflect the operations at Gagelin-Opigez et Cie, by creating an emporium atmosphere that had made to measure dresses, already made dresses, accessories like shawls, and fabrics. This attracted the upper classes to Worth and Bobergh.
Eventually, Worth and Bobergh were noticed by Eugénie de Montijo (1826-1920), the wife of Napoleon III (1808-1873). Eugénie held high status in the fashion world, and was known as a crucial fashion icon because of her love for designer clothing. Eugénie also is accredited to have set the style for the imperial French court. Due to Princess Eugénie’s love for Worth and Bobergh designs, she created a trend for many other ladies of the French court to take their business to Worth and Bobergh.
In 1859, Worth also collaborated with Princess Metternich (1836-1921), who was married to the Austrian Ambassador to France, Richard von Metternich (1856-1895). Marie Worth first introduced the designs of Worth and Bobergh to Princess Metternich by setting up an appointment for a viewing of the designs. Marie Worth showed designs and dresses to the princess who instantly became interested in the designs. Princess Metternich is quoted wearing a Worth dress to court at Tuileries Palace, “I wore my Worth dress, and can say… that I have never seen a more beautiful gown… it was made of white tulle strewn with tiny silver discs and trimmed with crimson hearted daisies… Hardly has the Empress entered the throne room… then she immediately noticed my dress, recognizing at a glance that a master hand had been at work.” (Metternich, 1922).
The client list of Worth and Bobergh consisted of an extensive client list that included Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837-1898), Queen Louise of Norway (1851-1926).
Worth was considered revolutionary in the fact that he was a man who created womens evening gowns and was in the business of dress making. Worth was called “man milliner” because he turned dressmaking into a field of his own.
House of Worth
After the Franco Prussian War (1870-1871), Bobergh retired. Worth opened up his own business called Maision Worth, House of Worth. Worth began to receive business from other European royals and aristocrats, as well as from the United States. The women of America during this time were known as the new rich, and they absolutely loved the idea of French fashion in comparison to American fashion because the French fashion scene was greatly glamorized in America. There is evidence of the American obsession with Worth’s french designs because of their large presence in American museums. There are many dresses designed by Worth in American museums today. One of the largest collections of Worth’s designs is currently housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles Frederick Worth and Marie Worth had two sons, Gaston Worth and Jean-Philippe Worth, who each ended up working at The House of Worth. Both the designs of Charles Frederick Worth and Jean-Pilippe Worth (1856-1926) have created popular fashion trends. Worth is important when it comes to a new silhouette that was emerging as a trend in 1878. The trend was drawing less attention to the previous accentuated buttocks and created a simpler silhouette that exhibits slimmer and cleaner lines. The trend has been named the princess line, which was also present and popular during the Middle Ages. Along with creating popular trends in the haute couture world, Worth also is known for creating the basis for the haute couture system, such as the atmosphere and ready made designs.
Worth was known as the eccentric artist type, he had a trademark of a velvet hat paired with a dressing gown. Worth was also known for having an “outrageous” persona, and many fashion scholars today believe that his personality is the reason for his extreme popularity. Fashion scholars think that Worth created a sort of character, one who was artsy and extremely outgoing, to show the typical stereotype of an artist. His outgoing and eccentric personality is reflected in his designs.
In the 1880s, Maison Worth was at its most popular, and in 1883, there were elements of bright colors and extreme silhouettes.
At the end of the 1890s, Worth began his retirement, and turned his business over to his two sons who were working at the fashion house, Gaston (1853-1924) and Jean-Philippe Worth. Gaston managed Maison Worth, while Jean-Philippe designed for his father’s business. From about 1889 to 1895, scholars are unsure which of the gowns from House of Worth were designed by Charles Frederick Worth or by Jean-Philippe. However, after 1889 designs began to change, thus suggesting Jean-Philippe’s influence in the fashion house, such as his use of popular trends and color schemes. In the beginning 1900s, House of Worth was still attracting star costumers and was still considered relevant in the world of haute couture. As years passed, the clients of The House of Worth began to age themselves, and the fashion house was catering to older women. In 1895, Charles Frederick Worth passed away, leaving his fashion house business in the hands of his two sons who carried on his legacy for years to come.
The House of Worth had many celebrity clients, including Australian opera singer, Nellie Melba (1861-1931). Nellie Melba has been quoted saying, “Jean himself was a greater designer than his father had ever been” (Cole).