ERIK MORTENSEN – HAUTE COUTURE in Copenhagen.
“I AM BLACK VELVET”
ERIK MORTENSEN – HAUTE COUTURE
Erik Mortensen at a Fashion Show, Foto Mik Eskestad.
Erik Mortensen is the closest Denmark comes to the world of fashion in Paris
. At age 16, he moved from a small town in the countryside to Copenhagen to become an apprentice with Holger Blom, the best-known Danish fashion designer of the 1930s and 1940s
. By the time he was 22, he was on his way to Paris, where he ambitiously went after a position at the atelier of Pierre Balmain.
His dream came true, and his haute couture fairytale began in 1947, when the young Erik Mortensen became a student at Balmain. In 1951 he became Balmain’s first assistant, and in 1982 he took over the role of head designer after Balmain’s death.
SOPHISTICATED AND PASSIONATE
Erik Mortensen 2003.-Photo: Pernille Klemp
Three Le Dé d’Or:
Erik Mortensens Three Gold Timble.
Erik Mortensen’s sophisticated and passionate approach to design is evident in his many collections
. During his time as head designer at Pierre Balmain, Erik Mortensen was not only popular with his customers, but recognized by his colleagues in the industry
intraurethral therapy and the use of vacuum devices.failure in individuals who experience minor erectile generic viagra online.
. He won the prestigious Le Dé d’Or, often called the fashion industry’s Oscar, three times.
THEMES OF THE EXHIBITION
The exhibition is built up around several themes that offer insight into Erik Mortensen’s unique design talent, the legacy of Balmain, his design process, his joy in materials and his sublime craftsmanship, his fascination with the colour black and the play of transparent textiles against bare skin.
There are also areas in the exhibit devoted to Mortensen’s fashion shows and the stories of his private customers, among them celebrities and royal families.
Colourfull Erik Mortensen, foto Henning Høholt
ABOUT ERIK MORTENSEN
Colourful outfit by Erik Mortensen
Erik Mortensen was born 26 April 1926 in Frederikshavn, Denmark.
He moved to Copenhagen when he was 16 years old, where he became an apprentice to the fashion designer Holger Blom.
When Pierre Balmain died in 1982, Erik Mortensen took on the role of head designer and carried on Balmain’s legacy while also creating his own style.
He designed a total of 17 collections as the head designer at Balmain.
Erik Mortensen left Pierre Balmain in 1990 and was hired as the head designer for Jean-Louis Scherrer in 1992
. He designed four collections for the house from 1992-95.
Erik Mortensen died on 23 June 1998 in Paris.
See a photo serial from our visit at the Danish Design Museum some days ago:
Evening outfits by Erik Mortensen, foto Henning Høholt
Black Velvet by Erik Mortensen, Foto Henning Høholt.
See a selection of Erik Mortensen’s sketches:
-
- Red Scetch by Erik Mortensen
-
- Scetch by Erik Mortensen
-
- Black scetch by Erik Mortensen