Christian Francis Roth (born February 12, 1969) is an American fashion designer who is known for designing witty, creative, and well-constructed womenswear. The Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded Roth the Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent in 1990 at the age of 21. Roth’s work was seen frequently throughout the 1990s in publications such as Vogue, Elle, W, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Town & Country, New York Magazine, The New York Times, WWD and many others. Several of Roth’s designs are part of the permanent collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, with work appearing in eight exhibitions from 1993 - 2022.
Christian Francis Roth was born in New York City and became an apprentice to designer Koos Van Den Akker in the summer of 1986 at age 17. Van Den Akker, known for his intricate collage work, was equal parts craftsman and designer, and his approach was that Roth should learn by doing. After a year of being taught basic cutting, sewing and pressing techniques, Roth was allowed to make scarves, and ultimately garments, to be sold in Van Den Akker’s Madison Avenue store.
Roth continued working for Van Den Akker and began taking night classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology (1986 - 1987) and Parsons School of Design (1987 - 1988). In 1988, Van Den Akker would give Roth a room in his studio to begin designing his own collection. One year later, Roth branched out on his own and opened his first design studio on the edge of New York’s garment district.
Roth’s debut collection (Fall 1988) featured tailored wool jackets appliquéd with graphic pop art motifs such as dance step patterns, clothespins, and barking dogs. The collection was picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue and put on display in the windows. In following collections, Roth would continue to evolve his whimsical aesthetic. A wool flannel jacket featured leather appliqué “M&M’s” packaging with covered button “candies” decorating the jacket. Roth’s “Mannequin Dress” mimicked the classic design studio dress form. His now iconic crayon inspired dresses and jackets transformed a raglan sleeve into a child’s writing instrument while using the body as a canvas for colorful inset “scribbles”. Later collections featured intricately seamed abstract suits and dresses inspired by Matisse’s decoupages, colorblocking inspired by Amish quilts, and a nostalgic tribute to the American hobo featuring vivid inset patches. Roth’s visual storytelling and clever use of trompe l’oeil earned him the nickname “Schiaparelli of the ‘90s”.
Though Roth’s designs were witty, the attention to detail was thoughtfully executed and the quality of construction reflected the techniques that he learned at Van Den Akker’s atelier. Roth staged his first formal show for the Fall 1990 collection, his fifth season. By this time, his designs were already being carried by Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Barneys and Neiman Marcus.
Due to lack of financing, Roth closed his signature line in 1997. Over the next several years, he would go on to design for Nordstrom, Tommy Bahama and others. From 2008 – 2013 Roth designed a contemporary women’s collection under the “Francis by Christian Francis Roth” label. Rich in fresh color and offbeat charm, “Francis” followed the happy signature of Roth’s earlier work, but with a simpler approach and at a more accessible price point. During this period, Roth would also design collections for QVC under the “Twist by Christian Francis Roth” label. Roth continues to actively work in the fashion industry as a consultant.
