Date: 1889 - 1958

Biography: Lucien Lelong is no longer as well-known as some of his contemporaries—such as Gabrielle Chanel and Jean Patou—but he was a highly influential and respected arbiter of taste for three decades. Lelong’s role as a couturier was similar to that of today’s creative director: although he did not actually design, he oversaw and approved every product with the Lelong name, including perfumes, jewelry, and accessories. He also helped to launch the careers of several exceptionally talented designers, including Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, and Hubert de Givenchy. Lelong was born in 1889 to parents who owned a small, elite couture house. Their son took over the family business after serving in the First World War. Lucien Lelong was young, bright, and full of new ideas, and his work was soon featured in leading French fashion magazines. By 1925, he employed nearly 3,000 people—double that of most other prominent couturiers. That same year, Lelong introduced his concept of “kinetic” clothing. Designed with the needs of the modern woman in mind, the clothes featured soft fabrics and pleating that allowed for ease of movement. They established Lelong as a leader in sportswear. In 1927, Lelong married Natalie Paley, an exiled Russian princess. A modishly thin, stunning beauty, Princess Paley was Lelong’s leading model and ambassador throughout their ten-year marriage. Lelong saw considerable success in the 1920s, but the 1930s are regarded as his heyday. His clothing moved in a more classical direction, and his embrace of supple, bias-cut fabrics furthered his principles of kinetic design in an elegant new way. Lelong’s success lay not just in his impeccable taste, however, but also in his abilities as a businessman. In 1937, the couturier was elected President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. When war was declared two years later, it was Lelong’s unwavering leadership skills that kept the haute couture industry alive in Paris. Although Lelong resigned from his post in 1945, he was named an honorary chairman for life. Beset by health problems, Lelong closed his house in 1948 and retired to Biarritz, where he remained until his death ten years later.