“For me, elegance is not going unnoticed but getting to the very soul of what you are.” –Christian LacroixDesigner Christian Lacroix's creations are the epitome of perfect spontaneous combinations of what he truly embodies. The inspiration for these comes from her roots in the south of France, her passion for the traditions and customs of Provence and her ongoing fascination with the history of clothing. Lacroix's artfully unexpected blends express a new form of luxury, at once playful, baroque and sophisticated. She weaves bright colors and exaggerated materials into creations that express a distinct fusion of different cultures. These cultures, and their distant or forgotten customs, form the basis of the reasoning behind Christian Lacroix's work.Christian Marie Marc Lacroix was born in 1951 in Arles, France. In early childhood Lacroix showed a talent for creativity and design by putting together small scrapbooks about theater and opera, making collages of his family portraits, and, of course, designing historical costumes. In 1969, after graduating from high school, he left Arles to study art history in Montpellier, and then enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1973. Furthermore, in this period he also attended courses at the École du Louvre to become a museum curator. It was during this period of his life that he met his future wife, Françoise Rosensthiel, whom he married in 1974. With his wife's encouragement, he soon turned to fashion design. In 1978 he became an assistant at Hermes, where he learned the technical aspects of the profession. After collaborating with the couturier of the Tokyo Imperial Court, he then joined Maison Patou in 1981. In 1986, he received the Golden Thimble award for......half of paper......ing I wrote in this document. While researching Christian Lacroix, I learned so many amazing things about this man and his life. He's accomplished so many groundbreaking things in such a short span of his life, basically in his peak ten years, and it's truly inspiring. When reviewing his work, I was amazed. The detail, color and love they put into these creations are amazing. I really think he's had a big impact on the industry and influenced it in a lot of ways. Her “pouf” skirts, “frou-frou” slips, and neckline that drew attention to the décolleté were considered traditional and baroque, yet curiously creative for this time period. Everyone in the industry was fascinated by him, especially here in America. He fully deserved the “Most Influential Foreign Designer” award, because this was the fabulously influential Christian Lacroix.