Loris Azzaro (9 February 1933 – 20 November 2003) was a French-Italian fashion designer. He rose to prominence in the 1960s with his flamboyant dresses and he went on to become well known for his perfumes.

Life and career

Loris Azzaro was born to Italian parents in

Tunis, Tunisia ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

on 9 February 1933. He spent his childhood and teenage years in Tunis. In 1957, Azzaro met his future wife Michelle Carsy, who became his muse and he designed accessories for her. Azzaro studied in

Toulouse, France Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

. He was teaching French and Italian in Tunis before he relocated to

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

in 1962. In 1965, Azzaro opened his first workshop, designing bags, belts, and embroidered tops. In 1967, Azzaro opened his boutique at 65

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré The Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré () is a street located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Relatively narrow and nondescript, especially in comparison to the nearby Avenue des Champs-Élysées, it is cited as being one of the most lux ...

. He presented his first couture collection at the

Grand Hôtel de París Grand Hôtel de París was a hotel located in the eastern part of the Puerta del Sol, central Madrid, Spain. After the first reforms occurred in 1860, a building was built which was originally called the "Fonde de Paris".Peter Besas, (2009), ''"Hi ...

. In 1968, Azzaro's Anneau dress worn by

Marisa Berenson Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson (born February 15, 1947) is an American actress and model. She appeared on the front covers of ''Vogue'' and ''Time'', and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as ...

was featured on the cover of ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'' magazine. Soon, actresses

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

Jane Birkin Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE (born 14 December 1946) is an English-French singer and actress. She attained international fame and notability for her decade-long musical and romantic partnership with Serge Gainsbourg. She also had a prolific career ...

, Sophia Loren, and

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in '' Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hamm ...

were wearing his designs.

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

wore Loris Azzaro dresses often as stage costumes in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She appeared on the cover of publications such as ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' and ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

'' wearing his dresses. Despite his popularity, Azzaro never designed haute couture clothing and was not a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. In the 1970s, Azzaro launched fragrance brands for men and women. He added menswear to his fashion repertoire in 1992. In 2002, Compagnie Frey bought the Azzaro fashion house to expand its luxury division. Azzaro died from cancer at the age of 70 on 20 November 2003. He was survived by his wife Michelle Azzaro, two children, Beatrice Azzaro and Catherine Azzaro, and three grandchildren. His daughter Beatrice Azzaro ran his company, Couture Loris Azzaro.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Azzaro, Loris 1933 births 2003 deaths People from Tunis French fashion designers