Charles Frederick Worth was born on October 13, 1825 in the market town of Bourne in Lincolnshire, England, and died 69 years later in Paris, France. Worth was a fashion designer who is considered to be the brains behind the concept of Parisian haute couture. Now haute couture is defined by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and in order accredit itself as a couture house, the fashion house must abide by a strict list of rules.

Worth is also known for setting a precedent for how to efficiently and effectively run a business in the fashion world. His elevated sense of style made him stand out as more than just a common dressmaker. He did not simply follow others leads when it came to fashion; he paved the way. He founded House of Worth in 1858, one of the most influential high fashion houses specializing in haute couture of the 19th and 20th centuries. House of Worth prevailed even after Worth’s death, but finally closed in 1956 after being sold to Paquin.

Worth did not have an easy childhood. His father has a serious gambling problem, so when all the family’s money was gone, at the age of 13, Worth began an apprenticeship with Swan & Edgar, a London department store that specialized in ladies’ dress fabrics. After a good seven years, he moved on to Lewis & Allenby, which was considered the most fashionable fabric business in town.

In 1845, at the age of 20, Worth realized that to move up, he needed to move on, so he packed his bags, left London and relocated to Paris. For a year, Worth practiced learning the language while working low income jobs, until he was hired by Gagelin’s, “an important emporium offering the finest fabrics as well as mantles and shawls”.

It was at Gagelin’s where Worth met Marie Vernet, a young woman who exhibited an intrinsic, irresistible sophistication and grace. He was a salesman, and her job was to model warps for interested customers. They fell in love and married soon after. Many say that it was Vernet who evoked this newfound creativity in Worth; she was his muse and his inspiration. He began designing dresses for her to wear while she was modeling for customers at Gagelin’s. Worth was the first designer who really stressed the importance of publicly displaying his dresses on live models. He wanted to advertise his clothing in a way that really presented his clothing for what is was. His first fashion shows consisted of models showing off his dresses to “clients as they supped tea and nibbled petits fours.”

Once Gagelin’s clients began noticing Vernet in Worth’s dresses, he came up with the innovative idea of opening a dress-making subdivision. He suggested to management that he open a small department where he used Gagelin’s fabrics to make dresses, but it was denied. After a year, management finally decided to let Worth display some of his dresses with Gagelin’s display at the Great Exhibition at London’s Crystal Palace. Afterwards, he began using Gagelin’s fabrics to make clothing for customers, so they no longer had to separately purchase fabric and bring it to their dressmaker. He not only provided customers with the fabric, but also the inspiration behind the clothing he produced.

Worth’s relationship with Vernet gave him this grand sense of confidence to think outside of the box and go places that no one has gone before. Because of her sheer elegance and her faith in his talent, seeing her in his creations gave Worth the assurance to promote new styles. The two were a power couple who paved their way in the fashion world in a manner that others could not help but admire. One of Worth’s first major innovations was changing the design of the common court dress, a dress worn by those in attendance at the royal Court. The train of a dress was commonly attached from the waistline, but in 1855, Worth debuted and won a medal for a dress of gold and bead-embroidered moiré with a train suspended from the shoulders at the Exposition Universelle. Even with his rise to fame, Gagelin’s refused to offer Worth a partnership, so in 1859, Worth and Vernet left in search of other options.

Worth eventually partnered up with Otto Bobergh, a wealthy Swede. Together, they opened Worth et Bobergh in 1858 at 7, rue de la Paix. Worth and Bobergh’s first success is famously known; Vernet was sent with Worth’s sketchbook to visit Princess de Metternich who was the wife of the Austrian ambassador to France. Due to the princess’s notoriety, she held a great influence over matters of fashion, and agreed to give Worth’s designs a chance. Immediately impressed, she placed an order for two of his dresses. She wore the first dress to court, where she gained the attention of her close friend, Empress Eugénie.

Instantaneously impressed, Empress Eugénie contacted Worth herself and ordered some of his dresses. Worth soon after became the Empress’s official court dress designer for herself, the members of her court, and other crowned heads, such as Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, the sister of Czar Alexander II; Margaret, Queen of Italy, Empress Elizabeth of Austria, and Countess Greffulhe. Because of this, Worth’s label displayed the royal crest. With all of these high-power women of royalty showing their fondness for Worth’s designs, it is no wonder the rest of society grew an interest in him as well. His relationships with these women seriously put him in the forefront of the fashion world. Marcelin, a journalist for La Vie Parisienne, claimed that royal and noble women who came to Worth “[awaited] their turn with all the stoicism of a valet in his antechamber.” He was well known and respected across Europe. Even Napoleon III expressed his appreciation for Worth’s work, after he concluded that Worth’s extravagant styles would not impede on the French silk-manufacturing industry.

In 1870, the Siege of Paris forced House of Worth to shut down. King William I of Prussia and his 3rd army led a march on Paris. From September 19, 1870 to January 28, 1871, the city of Paris was surrounded. But in 1871, House of Worth was opened once again, though Worth feared what would happen to the company without the support of the court. Bobergh acted on those fears, and sold his shares, so he could return to Sweden. But to his surprise, even without the business of the Princess of Metternich and Empress Eugénie, Worth’s company prospered. Worth made a name for himself, so people were not just coming to him solely because they admired his designs, but because they sought out dresses made by him; the people wanted clothes with his label. Worth gained such a high reputation because he made sure his clothes were up to a certain standard. He paid a lot of attention to excellence, so the quality of his dresses was really something to get excited about.

Another innovation of his was the replacement of the crinoline with the bustle. It was very common in Victorian fashion to have large, full skirts. The style of the time called for the skirts to continue growing and growing in size until it was necessary to create a structure, worn under the clothes, to obtain the sought-after shape. The crinoline or cage was a “collapsible contraption composed of a series of concentric mental circles, connected by fabric tapes; it allowed the skirt to bellow out without unwieldy multiple underskirts.” But the crinoline was mocked for its drawbacks and overall unrealistic qualities; it was easily lifted by even a small breeze, it got caught on things like furniture of carriage doors, and its large size made simple movements a challenge, especially in crowded rooms. In order to remedy these issues, Worth attempted to shift the style of silhouette. He decided to take the fullness away from the front of the skirt and move it around to the back. With this new design, that the shape of abdomen was more prominent, so Worth remedied that by camouflaging with elaborate tunics and draped overskirts. After some time passed and women adjusted to the new look, the crinoline disappeared completely and bustle was used instead.

Worth was the first to enforce the notion that clothing deserved to be designed and created with aesthetic perfection in mind, and to see that his clothes were up to par; he built his company on a foundation of technical excellence. He drastically influenced the switch in creative power from the client to the dressmaker. Before haute couture, there were dressmakers and milliners, designers who embellished, but the separation of the two soon faded out, and dressmakers gained authority.

Among the many things, Worth implemented in the world of high fashion was a top of the line, expeditious, enterprising manufacturing system. Worth’s company was known for receiving an order one day and delivering it the next. Worth wanted to ensure that his clients were never disappointed.

Worth was looked upon for what was à la mode. He was an authority on fashion, especially to the nouveaux riches, who were often naive when it came to high fashion and what to spend their money on. Worth enforced that the style of the time was opulence; he always opted for rich, luxurious fabrics; lavish trims, braids, and tassels made from pearls and other gems; and extensive embroidery with metallic thread.

In 1864, he introduced the princess gown, in honor of Princess Alexandra. It was considered one of the first bodycon dress, which is dress with no defined waistline that is closely fitted to the body. Neither a crinoline or a bustle would be worn with this dress.

Worth was the first to sign his work, meaning he introduced the fashion world to the idea of labels. I mentioned before that his label bore the royal crest, which really showcased that he was indeed a high fashion designer for the most important of people.

After Worth’s death in 1895, his sons took over the business. They faced serious rivalries from companies like Poiret and Chanel because they were intrigued and inspired by Worth’s introduction of “haute couture” and attempted to follow in his footsteps. House of Worth survived for another generation but was then bought by Paquin in 1954.