Charles Frederick Worth, the Englishman Who Created Parisian Haute Couture

Résumé

In 1845 a young English fabric salesman arrived in Paris, jobless and speaking almost no French. Just 12 years later Charles Worth was Europe's most famous – and expensive – dress designer. But he would have achieved little without his often-disregarded wife, Marie, the first fashion model and his chief salesperson. Together they founded a new industry, French haute couture. ©Electre 2025