Fernando Sanchez Spanish fashion designer Date of Birth: 09.08.1935 Country: USA

Biography of Fernando Sanchez

Fernando Sanchez was a Spanish fashion designer known for embodying the playful side of 1970s fashion. He gained fame through his provocative lingerie collections, which, although intended for elegant boudoirs, were often worn in public. Sanchez received several professional awards, including the Coty Fashion Award, and in 1981, he was honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Born on August 9, 1935, in a wealthy family in Antwerp, Belgium, Fernando Sanchez faced tragedy at a young age when his father passed away. As a teenager, he traveled to Paris with his mother to admire the creations of renowned couturier Jacques Fath. Inspired by Fath, Sanchez sent his portfolio to École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, a prestigious Parisian fashion school. He was accepted into the school in 1952, where he became classmates with the legendary Yves Saint Laurent.

While Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized women's daywear, Fernando Sanchez brought about radical changes in women's nighttime attire. In 1960, inspired by the film "West Side Story," Sanchez moved to New York City, just fifteen days after watching the movie.

In 1974, Sanchez founded his own company, where he applied dressmaking techniques to create women's slips and robes that blurred the boundaries between lingerie and outerwear. He referred to his creations as the "equivalent of high fashion," a sentiment echoed by the fashion world. His fashion shows enjoyed the same success and interest as those of more traditional designers, thanks to his beautiful and daring collections.

Famous model Iman once said that if she ever felt naked in public, it would be while wearing Sanchez's designs. His work was ahead of its time and foreshadowed the lingerie-as-outerwear trend that would become popular in the 1990s. Sanchez collaborated with prestigious fashion houses such as Nina Ricci and Christian Dior, where Yves Saint Laurent specifically hired him to create a lingerie collection. He also worked with the New York lingerie company Warner's and the firm Yalla Inc.

Sanchez found inspiration for his work through his travels in Europe and Africa, as well as his memories of a Spain that existed mainly in his dreams. As a child, he battled polio and always had a slim figure. He had a penchant for elegant black attire.

On June 28, 2006, Fernando Sanchez passed away in his Manhattan apartment due to cardiac arrest resulting from complications of leishmaniasis, an illness contracted from mosquito bites. Sanchez had contracted the disease two years prior during a trip to Morocco.