LAST FRIDAY, EMPLOYEES AT THE 22 YEAR OLD FASHION HOUSE CHRISTIAN LACROIX WERE INFORMED THAT THE WORKFORCE WOULD BE DRASTICALLY CUT FROM 124 TO 12, AND THE HOUSE WOULD CLOSE AT THE END OF JULY, EFFECTIVELY REDUCING IT TO A LICENSING OPERATION, UNLESS A BUYER COULD BE FOUND. AND WHAT MAY BE HIS LAST COUTURE COLLECTION WAS SHOWN YESTERDAY TO JUST OVER 280 SELECT GUESTS, WHICH HAD BEEN CUT DOWN FROM 900, AT THE ARTS DECORATIFS, PARIS. SUMPTUOUS SWAGS OF SILK CREPE AND TAFFETA, ORNATE PRECIOUS METAL BUTTONS AND ANTIQUE LACE WERE SHOWCASED IN 24 LOOKS ENTIRELY PRIVATELY FINANCED, WHICH THE DESIGNER DESCRIBED AS: "A COLLECTION WHICH IS FINISHED, BUT WHICH WAS NOT COMPLETED UNDER THE USUAL CONDITIONS. IT IS LIKE A SKETCH, A DRAWING FOR A PAINTING . . . THE CLASSIC REPERTORY OF THE HOUSE, WHAT IS LEFT, THE HARD DISK." THE MOOD WAS SOBER, BUT STAID, BADGES DECLARING "CHRISTIAN LACROIX FOREVER" WERE HANDED OUT AND A SIGN READING SIMILAR SENTIMENTS WAS HELD ACROSS THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE TEARS APLENTY AS THE DESIGNER TOOK HIS WALK WITH 'BRIDE' VLADE ROSLYAKOVA, AND THERE WERE NO RED CARNATIONS LAID UPON THE SEATS, READY TO TOSS IN THE FINALE AS HAD BEEN THE CUSTOM AT LACROIX'S COUTURE SHOWS SINCE HE STARTED IN 1987. THIS WAS A SHOW OF PRIDE AS MUCH AS IT WAS A FASHION SHOW, LACROIX WAS CLEARLY DETERMINED THAT IF HE GOES, IT WAS WITH A BANG RATHER THAN A WHIMPER.
Bad and sad notice.
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