Christian Lacroix is a French fashion designer known for his extravagant and colorful designs that are flattering to women's figures. He studied art history and museum studies before working for fashion houses like Hermes and Jean Patou. Lacroix launched his own haute couture house with Jean-Jacques Picart and their designs won awards, increasing Lacroix's respect in the fashion industry. Today Lacroix has over 1000 points of sale globally and produces ready-to-wear clothing lines in addition to his seasonal haute couture collections.