PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 25: Christian Lacroix, Dries Van Noten and a model acknowledge the audience during the Dries Van Noten Womenswear Spring/Summer 2020 show at Opera Bastille as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 25, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images)
成長時看時裝，記得的 Christian 名字，除了 Dior 還有就是 Lacroix，分別是 Lacroix 是仍然在生的傳奇。他結合民族風、高訂手工和華麗的風格，比 John Galliano 更為純粹，但也不及後者般商業化和潮流化，注定是高品味又愛浮誇人士的終極之選。譬如我們已故的品味才女林燕妮女士。
French fashion designer Christian Lacroix (C), with his models (clockwise L-R) Vanessa, Diane, Kadija, Stephanie, Marpessa and Marie Seznec wearing his brightly colored haute couture hats and blazers. A year after he founded his own fashion house, Christian Lacroix presented his first spring-summer 1988 collection, and was awarded the Golden Thimble, or Le De d'Or, for that year. (Photo by julio donoso/Sygma via Getty Images)
PARIS - JULY 3: Designer Christian Lacroix and model walking the runway during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2007 - 2008 in Paris, France on July3, 2007 at the Palais de Toyko. (Photo by Michelle Leung/WireImage)
某一次林燕妮在專欄寫，Joyce 的 sales 經理把兩件難以賣出的 Lacroix 晚裝（一黑一紅高腰百褶網紗裙）留給她，用一折賣給林氏，原因是「上身沒有吊帶，乳房下面便是前十分短下面十分長的幾十層硬紗，不夠高的穿不來，乳房不夠大或者太大的都穿不來」，有錢有身材又有品味的才能穿得起，自然只得極少數人能負擔和駕馭，最終Lacroix 本人寧願暫停品牌半退休，做自己喜藝的舞台服設計、藝術策展等工作。
PARIS - JANUARY 27: Christian Lacroix and models pose backstage during the Christian Lacroix fashion show during Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2009 on January 27, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michel Dufour/WireImage)
Christian Lacroix 的出生地法國Arles，是個有多個民族融居的小鎮，從小在各民族的服飾中耳濡目染，加上大學時代的畢業論文是《十七世紀繪畫中的服裝》，種種修煉令他後來把豪華的法國宮庭裝和各種充滿異國情調的民族細節融和，糅合出只此一家的華貴特色。
由於他最初以成博物館館長以及策展人為目標，後來只是在太太介紹之下，在做起時裝設計。1978年加入Hermès、及後轉往Jean Patou。從1987年起，色彩斑斕、瑰麗精緻、極盡奢華的天衣已令無數時裝人神往。
PARIS, FRANCE: Designer Christian Lacroix throws a flower on the catwalk with a model while acknowledging the audience 09 July 2002 during the autumn/winter 2002/2003 haute couture collections in Paris. AFP PHOTO PIERRE VERDY (Photo credit should read PIERRE VERDY/AFP/Getty Images)
2009年，連續虧損的Christian Lacroix宣布破產，昔日的高定時裝品牌轉而改走品牌授權的商業業務。筆者認為 Lacroix 的風格的確無人能及，但同時實在經不起時代挑戰——在 Dries Van Noten 的合作下，當然是一次成功的轉譯；早前有指香港 Anais Jourden 也會一季限定把 Lacroix 再演繹，令人興奮——畢竟 instagram時代，人們仍然需要誇張的衣服來引人注目，但那種一板一眼的富華堂皇就真的過時了。
PARIS - JANUARY 25: Christian Lacroix and the bride walk down the runway at the Christian Lacroix fashion show as part of Paris Fashion Week (Haute Couture) Spring/Summer 2005 on January 25, 2005 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michel Dufour/WireImage)
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Christopher Lai