Fragrance house

James Galanos

James Galanos established his own label, Galanos Originals, in Los Angeles in 1951; the business was incorporated in 1952. The label developed an American ready-to-wear approach made to haute-couture standards, emphasizing workmanship, fabric, cut, and finishing. Galanos studied at the Traphagen School of Fashion, worked with Hattie Carnegie and Jean Louis, and apprenticed with Paris couturier Robert Piguet. His work was associated with formalwear and evening dress, with clients including Nancy Reagan; her visibility as first lady brought Galanos wider public attention. He received Coty American Fashion Critics Awards in 1954 and 1956, the Coty Hall of Fame award in 1959, and the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985. In fragrance, Parfums Galanos’ Galanos received the Fragrance Foundation’s 1980 Fragrance of the Year award in the Women’s Prestige category. Galanos retired from fashion in 1998 and focused on photography. After his death in 2016, the James G. Galanos Foundation donated more than 700 ensembles and related archival materials to Drexel University, creating the James G. Galanos Archive.