5 reasons to celebrate the return of Christian Lacroix

The world of fashion shook in early January when news broke that the brand Christian Lacroix had been acquired by the Spanish group Sociedad Textil Lonia (STL). Yes, years have passed since the designer's last show, yet the memory of his collections has never faded. On the contrary, even as Quiet Luxury enjoys its golden age, the news of a potential return of Christian Lacroix, the master of ornamentation, feels like a breath of fresh air for an entire category of fashion enthusiasts afflicted by "minimalist fatigue." So, without speculating on the concrete outcomes of such an acquisition, here are 5 reasons to shout "Hallelujah" at the thought of Lacroix's return.

1. Radiant Maximalism

Mixing colors, textures, draping, and patterns, Christian Lacroix never shied away from ornamental excess. On the contrary: the French master turned multicolored interplay into his masterpiece, managing to never become overwhelming. The key to this success lies in the delicacy of his vision, always striving for a perfect marriage of hues and materials. A true couturier of color, his love for ornamentation transcends fashion, venturing into the realms of interior design with wallpaper and home linens signed by Lacroix. After he ceased his activity as a designer, it was decorative craftsmanship that perpetuated his infinitely ornamental work, keeping the "Lacroix style" alive beyond couture. In 2023, as the Barbie movie unleashed a pink tidal wave in fashion, reminiscent of Valentino Pink by PierPaolo Piccioli, colorful maximalism once again became a staple of the fashion world and pop culture. It dealt a blow to the beige normcore that had defined the 2010s aesthetic. Today, the fashion world is ripe for welcoming back the vibrant avalanche of color that is Lacroix.

2. Fashion as a Spectacle

Influenced by studies in art history and later by his closeness to the world of theater, Christian Lacroix turned fashion into a dramatic playground. The story of a passionate romance between a couturier and the runway envisioned as a stage. Each look becomes, from head to toe, a spectacle that never fails to amaze. In 1996, during the golden age of his career, he explored his passion for theater and received a Molière Award for Best Costume Designer for Phèdre. Theater remained a constant in his career, and in a 2017 interview with Augustin Trapenard, he stated: "The theater is the real world for me: I don’t see myself as a couturier." The theatricality that defines his creations also draws from numerous historical inspirations: the French court of the 18th century, Spain, the Middle Ages—as seen in the FW88 show with a look reminiscent of Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter. While this theatricality was Lacroix's signature for two decades, how would it fare today? The answer likely lies in the positive reception of Valentino’s SS25 Couture collection, with dresses that are true carnivals of color and historical inspiration, suggesting a welcoming return for the spectacular Lacroix.

3. Grandiose Tailoring

While Lacroix's looks are a spectacle, their forms are sculptural: dramatic tailoring, corsets, crinolines... The volume is exaggerated without the show ever becoming a circus. Everything is precise and structured, allowing for extravagant, high-flying cuts. At Christian Lacroix’s final couture show in 2009, fashion was on the brink of a new revolution—ushering in the decade of Luxury Streetwear. It was the rise of Virgil Abloh and Demna's Balenciaga... Lacroix's tailoring seemed out of time, outdated. But every revolution follows the law of eternal return, and in 2019, as a herald for the end of the streetwear decade, Daniel Roseberry made his debut as artistic director at Schiaparelli, paving the way for the return of the corseted silhouette. Thus, if we like to imagine a comeback for Christian Lacroix—there is no doubt that the corsets that made him famous would once again be in vogue, as evidenced by Mona Patel's appearance at the British Fashion Awards wearing a vintage Christian Lacroix corset from the 1996 couture collection.

4. Baroque Jewelry

If Christian Lacroix's name still resonates more than a decade after his last collection, it is also thanks to the attention to jewelry and accessories that became his signature. The opulence of hats, necklaces, gloves, belts, never apologizing for too much ornamentation: a testament to Lacroix’s belief that "more is more beautiful." Jewelry is integral to the brand’s DNA, with the first collection launched in 1989, just one year after ready-to-wear. The line between accessories and clothing is blurred at Lacroix: embroidery, pearls, and crosses sewn directly onto dresses... The textile and jewelry become one, shaping the very definition of the Lacroix look, which spares no effort in its myriad of accessories.

5. Lacroix’s Joy

Finally, what we remember about Christian Lacroix is his joy, a smile that will never grow old. The audacity of creation that amazes, surprises and moves. And while fashion is a personal affair, Lacroix's joy is universal. So how can we fail to smile at the possibility of a return by this director of couture, in this dismal political and economic climate, where fashion is still endlessly questioning its role in society: to inspire, to dazzle, to delight?

So, while we wait to find out more about the hypothetical return of Christian Lacroix fashion, it's a good idea to delve back into the archives of the work of one of the greats of French fashion, and rediscover the richness of his creations. And above all, at the start of 2025, to see just how much Lacroix's style seems in tune with the times, in love with colour, grandeur and the spectacle that couture can be. And we hope one day to see the pieces of a designer for whom femininity is as much about extreme refinement as it is about exuberance.