The House of Worth was in many ways a new departure, marking a shift from the old fashioned dressmaker to something much closer to the modern couturier or fashion designer.
In 1888, at the age of 17 or 18, while her father was serving as Minister to Portugal, she was presented to Queen Victoria wearing a gown designed by Charles Frederick Worth, the world's first couturier.
Bowles has a large personal collection of designer clothing, including pieces by John Galliano and Charles Frederick Worth.
The historic house was founded in 1858 by designer Charles Frederick Worth.
In the Titian Room, Titian's magnificent painting of Europa (1561–1562) hangs above a piece of pale green silk, which had been cut from one of Isabella Stewart Gardner's gowns designed by Charles Frederick Worth.
Charles Frederick Worth was the first to open a couture house at 7 rue de la Paix, and in 1885 created the label of his salon "Worth 7, Rue de la Paix".
Charles Darwin | Charles Dickens | Charles, Prince of Wales | Fort Worth, Texas | Ray Charles | Charles II of England | Charles I of England | Charles Lindbergh | Charles de Gaulle | Charles II | Charles | Charles I | Fort Worth | Prince Charles | Charles V | Frederick the Great | Charles Scribner's Sons | Frederick | Charles Aznavour | Charles University in Prague | Charles Stanley | Charles Bukowski | Charles Mingus | Charles Ives | Frederick II | Charles Bronson | Charles Babbage | Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor | Charles III of Spain | Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis |
It was operated in its last days by his widow, who presented her first well-regarded collection for the fashion house in 1955 and who worked with three of her husband's former associates: Catherine Brivet (who previously had worked for Paul Poiret, Jean Patou, Pierre Balmain, Coco Chanel, and Cristóbal Balenciaga), Pierrey Metthey, and Suzanne Renoult (a fabric expert who had worked for Lucien Lelong, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Gaston Worth).