Daniel Hechter (born 30 July 1938) is a French-Belgian

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashi ...

who is sometimes referred to as the inventor of

ready-to-wear Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothi ...

(prêt-à-porter). He is also known for being the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. from 1974 to 1978, having designed the club's famous home shirt.

Personal life

Daniel Hechter was born in Paris, France, in a family who owned a ready-to-wear company. As such, Hechter was brought up in an environment sympathetic to fashion. At the age of four, he was forced to flee from Paris with his mother and did not see his father, a prisoner of war, until he was seven. He married Marika Hechter; they have a daughter, Hechter then married Jennifer Chambon in 1980. He served in the French Army from 1958 to 1960.

Career

Hechter completed his secondary education and worked as a storekeeper to a

fashion house Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates ...

until 1949. By 1956,

Louis Féraud Louis Féraud (13 February 1921 – 28 December 1999) was a French fashion designer and artist. In 1950, Louis Féraud created his first "Maison de Couture" in Cannes and by 1955 had established a couture house in Paris on 88, Rue du Faubourg Sa ...

and Jacques Esterel were selling Hechter's designs, and he worked for designer Pierre d'Alby from 1958. Hechter founded the Daniel Hechter Company in 1962 with friend Armand Ornstein. Hechter opened a boutique in 1962, and became known for sporty casual wear. His stated goal was to offer wearable yet high-quality, creative fashion for a wide range of consumer groups. Over time he expanded his company, developing it into an international label that encompasses seven different collections.

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

helped bring his designs to a wider audience when she wore one of his outfits in '' La Parisienne''. In 1966 he worked with

Scott Paper Company The Scott Paper Company was the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of sanitary tissue products with operations in 22 countries. Its products were sold under a variety of well-known brand names, including ''Scott Tissue'', '' Cottonelle'', ...

to make a dress out of nonwoven paper achieving attention as an

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

work. He is one of the first designers to produce clothing ranges for skiing and tennis, in 1971. In 1989, he launched his first line of perfume. He entered politics and sat on the

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fran ...

regional council starting in 1992. In 1997, he retired to

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...

, Switzerland, and he was elected Vice President of the Etoile-Carouge soccer club. His novel ''Le Boss'' was published in 2000.

Football

Hechter was a financial contributor in the early years of the football team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and was president of the management committee from 15 June 1973 to 9 June 1974, and then president from 9 June 1974 to 6 January 1978. He also designed PSG new home colour, known as "Hechter shirt". He left the presidency of the PSG following the scandal of double ticketing the Parc des Princes. Hechter proclaims himself "founder" of the club. He designed the streetwear for the French football team in 1998.

References

External links

Official website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hechter, Daniel 1938 births Living people Artists from Paris Fashion accessory brands French fashion designers Belgian fashion designers French people of German descent Belgian people of German descent High fashion brands Paris Saint-Germain F.C. presidents French football chairmen and investors