Vintage Chanel, Versace and John Galliano have all been popular choices on the red carpet in recent years – but what about Christian Lacroix? It’s the question everyone was asking after Rihanna shut down the Fashion Awards red carpet in London this week, wearing a teal minidress from the designer’s autumn/winter 2002 couture collection, paired with a matching hat of Brobdingnagian proportions.
If you’ve been paying attention, though, you’ll know that the Lacroix renaissance has been bubbling under the surface for a while now. Jennifer Lawrence wore a black off-the-shoulder gown from autumn/winter 2006 couture at the premiere of Bread & Roses in Los Angeles last month, while Brie Larson wore a strapless orange fishtail gown, adorned with a giant bow, from autumn/winter 2004 at the Producers Guild Awards in January. The trend can be traced even further back to 2022, when Kirsten Dunst wore a deep-pink tulle confection from autumn/winter 2002 to the Oscars, while Adut Akech opted for an emerald-green ruffled gown from autumn/winter 2003 (wearing it back to front, no less) at the Met Gala.
In many ways, Lacroix is the perfect choice for the red carpet, with his opulent – and often highly decorated – gowns offering romance and drama in equal measure. “Lacroix has a certain way of weaving colour and volume, and he does it in a way that feels joyful and exhilarating,” Cherie Balch, founder of Shrimpton Couture and the vintage dealer behind the dresses worn by Lawrence, Larson and Akech, tells Vogue. “He mashes historical references into his work, but at the same time it’s all this high fantasy that you have never seen before. That is what creates a moment on a carpet that you don’t forget.”
Yet, Lacroix’s enormous impact on fashion is often overlooked. “French couture owes him a lot,” reflects Rita Watnick, the owner of LA-based vintage boutique Lily et Cie, who sourced Dunst’s Oscars dress. The designer was a huge influence on John Galliano, for example: “His grand confections for Dior are Lacroix-[inspired]. Even his ready-to-wear is informed by Lacroix’s masterful mix of patterns, embellishments, the extraordinary and the mundane.”
So why have we seen so little of Lacroix on the red carpet to date? A lack of supply. “It’s not due to a lack of interest – Lacroix couture is incredibly rare and difficult to track down,” says Jefferson Ihenacho, founder of One of a Kind Archive, who sourced the hand-embellished butterfly corset from spring/summer 1996 worn by Mona Patel at the Fashion Awards on Monday. “Getting access to his archives is nearly impossible, and they rarely loan pieces. On top of that, many original couture clients hold onto their garments, leaving very few available on the market.”
Still, that’s not to say there aren’t Lacroix gowns out there waiting to have their moment. Ihenacho, for one, would love to see the designer’s ethereal embellished looks from spring/summer 1998 on the red carpet, while Balch has her eye on the theatrical yellow and pink gown from spring/summer 2008. Then there’s Lacroix’s designs for Patou from the 1980s, including a bridal gown from spring/summer 1986, which Watnick hopes will get its time to shine.
With awards season fast approaching, expect to see more of the French designer on the red carpet in the coming months. After all, is there anything better than being able to say – in the immortal words of Ab Fab’s Eddie Monsoon – “It’s Lacroix, sweetie!”
