Jacqueline de Ribes

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Jacqueline, dowager

In 1939, when she was 10, de Ribes's parents sent her and her siblings to Hendaye with a nanny during World War II. They lived in the concierge's cottage, as the main house was requisitioned by the Gestapo. Worried that the American army would land on the beaches of Hendaye and endanger their children, de Ribes's parents moved them again to the château of the Count and Countess Solages in central France. They shared the château with occupying German soldiers, and were liberated by American soldiers in 1942. After the war, Jacqueline returned to school at the convent of Les Oiseaux in Verneuil.^[2]

Life in fashion and society

In the 1950s and 1960s, before she began designing her own collections, de Ribes employed couture dressmakers to create custom garments for her. In the '70s she began modifying these gowns to create elaborate costumes for fancy-dress balls. In 1955 she employed Oleg Cassini to make her custom gowns based on muslin patterns de Ribes cut on the floor of her attic. She employed a young and then unknown Valentino to create the sketches that accompanied them.

For twelve years de Ribes created ready-to-wear collections, using marketing techniques to attract famous and elegant international clients such as Joan Collins, Raquel Welch, Barbara Walters, Baroness von Thyssen, Cher, Danielle Steel, Olympia de Rothschild, and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild.^[8]

Her first fashion show was held in the home of Yves Saint Laurent. Her creations have been positively received, with fashion journalists Hebe Dorsey of the International Herald Tribune^[9] and John Fairchild of Women's Wear Daily singing her praises.^[10] De Ribes's collection performed well commercially, and she signed an exclusive three-year contract with Saks Fifth Avenue after her first collection debuted. By 1985, her line was grossing $3 million annually.

In 1986, Japanese cosmetics conglomerate Kanebo acquired a minority stake in the company. De Ribes was unhappy with requests to change the proportions and designs of her collections for Japanese markets.

After being hospitalized for debilitating back pain, de Ribes underwent

In 1958, she produced the first play performed at the new Recamier Theatre, When five years will be passed by Federico García Lorca, with Laurent Terzieff^[12] and Pascale de Boysson^[13] and a Raimundo de Larrain^[14] scenery.^[15]

After the

De Ribes chaired the Association of Friends of Foreign Orsay Museum[18] during the Monet exhibition in Tokyo^[19] in 1996. She supports several museums and foundations in France. She accepted, at the 2007 Biennale, the chairmanship of Venetian Heritage.

Humanitarian and charitable activities

Jacqueline de Ribes has supported humanitarian causes throughout the world.^[20][21] De Ribes won the prestigious Women of Achievement Award ^[when?] in 1980, alongside Bette Davis, Iris Love, Ann Getty, Dame Sheila Sherlock and Jessie M. Rattley, among others.^{[citation needed]}

Ecology

De Ribes is a pioneer in the field of nature conservation and ecology. As early as 1974 in the Balearic Islands, she advocated for the respect of the natural beauty and for the survival of the species in the area. She also orchestrated an international campaign to safeguard the Mediterranean

• Appeared the first time on the
  International Best Dressed List in 1956.^[22][23]
• She was named to the
  International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1962.^[24]
• In 1983, she was voted the "Most Stylish Woman in the World" by Town and Country.^[25]
• As a designer, she received the Rodeo Drive Award in 1985.^[26]
• In 1999, French designer
  Jean-Paul Gaultier dedicated his collection to Jacqueline de Ribes.^{[citation needed}
  ]

• 1960s in fashion
• Diana Vreeland
• Oscar de la Renta
• Diane von Furstenberg

References

Notes