Ted Lapidus dies at 79
Couturier Ted Lapidus, who died in Cannes at the end of 2008 aged 79, founded his fashion house in 1957 and went on to refocus the brand on perfumes and accessories. His sister Rose Torrente-Mett said in an interview with Agence France Presse (AFP) that "Ted was the first couturier of the new wave" whose clothes were worn by Brigitte Bardot, Marie Laforet and Alain Delon. Lapidus launched his first perfume products in collaboration with L'Oréal in the 1970s. He retired in 1982 and the company went through a more turbulent period with five owners within a relatively short period. The enterprise was acquired by Jacques Konckier in 1995.
Couturier Ted Lapidus, who died in Cannes at the end of 2008 aged 79, founded his fashion house in 1957 and went on to refocus the brand on perfumes and accessories. His sister Rose Torrente-Mett said in an interview with Agence France Presse (AFP) that "Ted was the first couturier of the new wave" whose clothes were worn by Brigitte Bardot, Marie Laforet and Alain Delon. Lapidus launched his first perfume products in collaboration with L'Oréal in the 1970s. He retired in 1982 and the company went through a more turbulent period with five owners within a relatively short period. The enterprise was acquired by Jacques Konckier in 1995.
Konckier already marketed Lapidus perfumes under licence and was president of the Bogart group. Lapidus moved out of fashion in 2000 and today the company achieves the bulk of its sales through the marketing of perfumes and accessories, reporting annual sales of some €10m and net earnings of about €3m.