Philippe GUIBOURGÉ was a “ghost designer” known in the fashion industry as the creator of ready-to-wear designs for the Christian Dior and Coco Chanel fashion houses. He started his career at Jacques Fath in the 1950s, helping design the “Fath Universite” line, its first ready-to-wear collection. In 1960 he joined House of Dior as assistant to designer Marc BOHAN. The House of Christian Dior opened a new, lower-priced boutique called Miss Dior in 1967. Two years earlier Women’s Wear Daily reported: “There are plans ahead for the House of Dior to dress ‘Les Jeunes Filles’ in a special ground floor boutique.” Philippe GUIBOURGÉ designed the Miss Dior clothing, which initially comprised sixty-eight styles of dresses, coats, and suits, in addition to a full range of separates and accessories. These designs were well-priced, resolutely practical, and casual: not a single formal evening dress was to be found. GUIBOURGÉ became artistic director of Chanel in 1975, launching the house into ready-to-wear with a collection in the style and spirit of Coco Chanel’s tradition. In 1980 he shed part of his anonymity and some of his creations began to appear under his own label. In 1982 he left Chanel permanently to found his own fashion house. But in 1986 he died at an age of 54 years old.