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Serge Lepage was born in 1936. He learned his trade at the school of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, the ancestor of the current Institut Français de la Mode (IFM). In 1954, when he was only 18, Lepage founded his own company and became an independent stylist. His talent was quickly recognized, and in 1967, he obtained the prestigious label of Parisian haute couture, sponsored by the houses of Nina Ricci and Molyneux, and set up shop on rue Cambon.

In 1976, Guido Sassoli, then the new owner of the house of Schiaparelli, decided to relaunch the haute couture business in order to support the revival of perfumes. To do this, he chose to partner with Serge Lepage. This collaboration marked a new era for Schiaparelli, under the name Schiaparelli-Lepage, a partnership comparable to that of Lanvin and Antonio Canovas del Castillo between 1950 and 1963 when the house had become Lanvin Castillo.

The spring of 1977 saw the launch of the first haute couture collection under the direction of Serge Lepage. Entitled “Collection Botticelli”, it received a favorable reception from critics, laying the foundations for a successful renaissance for the house. It was for this collection that the house made a spectacular publicity stunt. Schiaparelli-Lepage unveiled a dress embroidered with 512 real diamonds, worth an estimated 10 million francs, making it the most expensive dress in the world at the time. Presented in the courtyard of the Ritz, the dress was escorted by police officers and transported in an armoured truck, recalling the memorable image of Françoise Hardy wearing a gold Paco Rabanne dress, also escorted by police 9 years earlier in 1968.

The following collection for autumn-winter 1977-78, named “Collection Byzance”, was a sumptuous homage to Theodora of Byzantium, who became Lepage’s muse for that season. The collection was presented on giant staircases on Place Vendôme in front of the house’s workshops. He would receive for this collection “l’aiguille d’or” a side award of the golden die intended to reward the most creative collection.

Serge Lepage’s last collection for Schiaparelli was presented in January 1979. Shortly thereafter, Lepage’s contract with the house ended, eager to regain more freedom and creative independence. The couture activity was once again put on hold with his departure. He reopened his own house on rue Duphot with a new team. However, financial and management difficulties due to his desire for independence from investors led him in 1982 to sell his furniture to finance the creation of his dresses. He then presented his collection at the Grand Trianon in Versailles.

In 1984, he moved to 29, rue François ler, in the eighth arrondissement of Paris.

One of the last mentions of the house of Serge Lepage is in an article in the French newspaper Libération published in 1995 which dealt with the crisis of the couture of the 90s. It would seem that the house closed around 1994-1995.

But today, Serge Lepage and his contribution to haute couture are largely forgotten, and even his personal fate remains uncertain.

Written by PL_Vgnt