TED LAPIDUS er5071016

Ted Lapdius, the fashion designer who did more than any other to connect military looks with la mode, has died on the French Riviera at the age of 79. Though he had been absent from the Parisian scene for the past two decades, Lapidus was once a highly influential designer, whose ability to meld street style with French couture once made him a revolutionary figure in the hothouse 1960s. Ironically, at a moment when the Woodstock generation devoted itself to Flowerpower and pacifism, Lapidus. injected military symbols into his collections. Elements like gold buttons, piping, epaulettes and four-button jackets were key parts of the Lapidus style, which won a huge European following when the designer began using mass production methods to make his prices accessible to the average consumer.