Paul William Compitus (born 9 April 1966 in

Surrey, England Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

) is a

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fash ...

designer and educator noted for his sexy, avant-garde, surreal and often futuristic style.

Life and career

Compitus is a British fashion designer who worked for many of the most famous design houses. Although he primarily designed menswear, he ran his own womenswear line, Paul Compitus Fashions, until 1999. As a university lecturer he mentored and taught young designers in both the UK and in the United States. Although his work was photographed for many magazines and seen on several celebrities, he is best known for the pants worn in one of

David LaChapelle David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion, photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His pho ...

's "surgery story" photographs as well as for designing costumes for the

Stephen Petronio Stephen Petronio (born March 20, 1956) is an American choreographer, dancer, and the artistic director of New York City-based Stephen Petronio Company. Stephen Petronio was born in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in nearby Nutley and graduated in ...

Dance Company.
, ''New York Times description of Paul Compitus costumes for Stephen Petronio'', 1997. Compitus attended

Kingston University , mottoeng = "Through Learning We Progress" , established = – gained University Status – Kingston Technical Institute , type = Public , endowment = £2.3 m (2015) , ...

in England, where he received his bachelor's degree in Fashion Design in 1988. He was the first non-Japanese designer to work for the Japanese fashion house

Matsuda Matsuda (written: lit. "pine ricefield") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese badminton athlete *Eiji Matsuda (1894–1978), Mexican botanist *Fujio Matsuda (1924–2020), president of the University of Hawa ...

in 1988-1989. He moved to the United States in 1989. Compitus has designed for major brands such as

Eckō Unltd. Yakira, L.L.C. (trade name: Ecko Unltd.) is an American urban fashion company founded by Marc Ecko in 1993. The company makes apparel and accessories under brands including the men's Ecko Unltd. line and the Ecko Red line for girls and women. ...

, Rugby by

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his c ...

Charivari Charivari (, , , alternatively spelled shivaree or chivaree and also called a skimmington) was a European and North American folk custom in which a mock parade was staged through a community accompanied by a discordant mock serenade. Since the cro ...

Nautica Nautica is an American apparel brand of Authentic Brands Group featuring primarily men's, women's, children's apparel and accessories, as well as home, watches, and fragrance. Nautica was founded in 1983 by clothing designer David Chu and a par ...

Rocawear Rocawear (Stylized Roc-A-Wear) is an American Clothing Brand founded in 1999 by Roc-A-Fella Records Co-Founders Damon Dash and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. The brand has had annual sales of $700 million. Rocawear expanded through licensing to sell affo ...

as well as Whispering Smith. He was a lecturer at

Kingston University , mottoeng = "Through Learning We Progress" , established = – gained University Status – Kingston Technical Institute , type = Public , endowment = £2.3 m (2015) , ...

, where he mentored several winners of the

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, ...

Young Designers Competition. He also taught at the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) and focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. It ...

in New York City.

Magazine references

"Russell's Letter" - One World (1997), Fashion Spectrum, Trend People (Italian, 1997), Neo (2005, Spanish), Detour (1997), Harper's Bazar En Espanol, The Face Magazine (June 1997), Interview (April 1997), Surface (1997), Soma, Sweater, Sportswear International, Blackbook (Autumn 1997), Raygun (November 1997), Urb, Details (1998), Paper (1997), Creme & Sugar (No.3)

External links

Newsweek interview with Paul Compitus {{DEFAULTSORT:Compitus, Paul 1966 births Living people English fashion designers