In 1919, he attended Harrow School where he met Evelyn Waugh, Francis Cyril Rose, and Cecil Beaton, with whom he formed a longstanding friendship.

The utilities magnate Samuel Insull, a friend of the family, found him a position in the architectural design department where he acquired the mathematical skills that later enabled him to create his gowns.

[8] In 1928, James left Chicago for Long Island with 70 cents, a Pierce Arrow, and a number of hats as his only possessions.

He later opened a millinery shop above a garage in Murray Hill, Queens, New York, beginning his first dress designs.

James created a modern interpretation of the white wedding dress, with a raised neckline and divided train.

That same year, he created a one-of-a-kind white satin quilted jacket described by Salvador Dalí as "the first soft sculpture" and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum collections.

James is best known for his sculpted ball gowns made of lavish fabrics and to exacting tailoring standards, but is also remembered for his capes and coats, often trimmed with fur and embroidery.

After he left, James dropped the line and returned to licensing special designs to American departments, which would produce and distribute them.

[17] The Chicago History Museum exhibited "Charles James: Genius Deconstructed" between October 2011 and April 2012.

[9] In July 2014, longtime friend R. Couri Hay shared sketches by James, along with stories and anecdotes about the late designer with New York Magazine.

Two years of legal battle followed between the heirs and the Luvanis company, which had already registered the brand in an array of jurisdictions worldwide.

[22] In September 2018, they revealed a new visual identity for Charles James, and put up for sale all the brand's rights, which had been consolidated in the previous years.