Andre Courreges was born in France in 1923. After studying civil engineering, he moved to Paris to work in fashion... eventually landing at Balenciaga. In 1961, Courreges opened his own "Maison de Couture". He was influenced by modern architechture, technology and new fabrics. He launched his "Space Age" collection in 1964. The look included boots and goggles. He built dresses rather than designed them. Enter Prada's Fall/Winter 2011 collection... the influence of Courreges is very clear even in today's modern world! He is attributed to introducing the mini skirt to France and second-skin tights... tres importante contribution en effet!