Charles Worth
About
founded by
Charles Frederick Worth
belongs to
Mounir Moufarrige
about
Gaston retired in 1922 and Jean-Philippe shortly thereafter. The new Directors were Gastons's sons Jacques and Jean-Charles.
In 1936 the House of Worth showed its first collection at 120 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, under the direction of a fourth generation of Worths, Jacques and Roger.
The house was finally taken over by the house of Paquin in 1953.
Now the house of Worth survives only with two perfumes, Je Reviens and Dans la Nuit.
The perfume Je Reviens was originally given to favoured customers by Worth himself, from 1858 onwards. It was commercially launched by his grandson Jean-Philippe Worth in 1932. The name was based on a letter sent by Napolean to Josephine, saying "Je reviens en trois jours, ne te laves pas" meaning "I will return in 3 days, do not wash till then."
Worth is remembered for having set the standard for elegance in women's gowns for a period of nearly 100 years.
Mounir Moufarrige has taken a financial share of Worth perfume group, which has an annual revenue of $ 65 million. A new fragrance is due out in Spring 2003.
He decided to bring out a Lingerie collection for Worth, of the couture corsets included in the line. The line is designed by Giovanni Bedin, 28, who worked at Karl Lagerfeld and Thierry Mugler. The Lingerie line is at present on show at the Paris Salon de Lingerie.
The Look
Worth used beautiful and luxurious fabrics for his dresses, and he trimmed them with rich decoration, such as fringe, lace, braid, and tassels made of pearls. His many important contributions to design included an ankle-length walking skirt, shockingly short for its time, and the princess gown, a waist-less dress that hung simple and straight in the front while draping in full pleats in the back.