He was the half American Englishmen who became Americas first couturier. The only designer who’s patterns are officially recognised as works of art, Charles James came to the US at a time when American designers were giving their ideas for free, while their European counterparts were protecting their intellectual rights through licensing. The man behind the Wrap Dress, the sports bra, the puffer jacket, Dior’s New Look of the 1940s and the first fake fur prototype, Charles James was a man who left a far-reaching legacy. Latterly a luxury hotel-hopping International hobo, he hung out with Warhol yet is little known to those outside the world of fashion. Well known philanthropist, author and collector Michèle Gerber Klein talks about her book ‘Charles James: Portrait of an Unreasonable Man‘ and her passion for fashion.

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