The first love of Jean Louis Scherrer was never fashion. From an early age, he was fascinated by dance, and he worked hard to make a career for himself in that competitive field. The economy of movement and glamour that he found in dance allowed him to feel free of the constraints of life, and gave him a great understanding of the human form. After an accident in 1936 robbed him of the chance to pursue his beloved career in dance, Scherrer turned to art, and this in turn brought him into the world of fashion and design when he trained at the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris.

Jean Louis Scherrer’s immense talent for design, which came from his thorough understanding of the idealized proportions of the human form, and the way in which movement could define shape gave him a greater insight into what created good fashion than many of his contemporaries, and he quickly moved through a number of design studios before he ended up at Dior in 1955 where he worked with the legendary Yves St Laurent for several years.

The house of Scherrer was set up in 1963, and immediately attracted the attention of the media thanks to the many unconventional aspects of its approach to fashion and its promotion. Collections were unveiled in locations such as wine cellars, and Scherrer gained a reputation for the inspired that has led to many imitators in recent years.

In the same way as his approach was left field, Scherrer’s designs often went against the convention of the day, and his love of elegance and movement led to him producing a range of longer flowing gowns in the early 1970s that were seized upon by the wives of wealthy Arabs as a way of enjoying high fashion without compromising their modesty in any way. He was also the favorite designer of a number of well known celebrities of the day including Bianca Jagger. His reputation for innovation and elegance made his couture lines highly sought after, while the introduction of a ready to wear line that did not compromise his ideals in 1971 brought his creations to the high street.

Recent designers at Scherrer, who have worked on the label since the founder left in 1999, have included such names as Stephane Rolland, who is still the head of the couture department, and Ritu Beri, the inventive Indian born designer.

Throughout the history of the company, perfume has been a central pillar of success, allowing people to wear a little bit of the glamour each day. Popular lines like Scherrer, Scherrer2, and Evere for women were early successes, while the more recent Nuits Indiennes, and Immense for men and women, which were developed after the departure of Jean Louis Scherrer himself have also been very popular with many people all over the world.

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