Jeanne Paquin

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Jeanne Paquin
Madame Paquin
Born
Jeanne Marie Charlotte Beckers

1869
Saint-Denis, France
Died1936
Paris, France
Occupation(s)Couturière, fashion designer
LabelMaison Paquin (House of Paquin)
SpouseIsidore Rene Jacob dit Paquin

Jeanne Paquin (French pronunciation: [ʒan pakɛ̃]) (1869–1936) was a French fashion designer, known for her modern and innovative designs. She was the first major female couturier and one of the pioneers of the modern fashion business.[1]

Biography

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Caricature of Jeanne Paquin by Sem, 1910

Jeanne Marie Charlotte Beckers was born in 1869, at the gates of Paris, at St. Denis.[2]. Her father was a physician.[1] Her mother was born on a farm in the Berry. Mother of five by two husbands-the first was a doctor and Mme Paquin's father-she brought up the children herself. Her family consisted of six, for to her own offspring was added a young cousin, adopted principally because there was no one else to adopt her.[2][3]

Sent out to work as a young teenager, Jeanne trained as a dressmaker at Rouff (a Paris couture house established in 1884 and located on Boulevard Haussmann[4][5]). She quickly rose through to ranks becoming première, in charge of the atelier.[1]

In 1891, Jeanne Marie Charlotte Beckers married Isidore René Jacob, who was also known as Paquin. Isidore owned Paquin Lalanne et cie, a couture house which had grown out of a menswear shop in the 1840s. The couple renamed the company Paquin and set about building the business.[1]

In 1900, Jeanne was instrumental in organizing the Universal Exhibition and she was elected president of the Fashion Section.[6][7] Her designs were featured prominently at the Exhibition[7] and Jeanne created a mannequin of herself for display.[1]

Isidore Paquin died in 1907 at the age of 45, leaving Jeanne a widow at 38. Over 2,000 people attended Isidore's funeral. After Isidore's death, Jeanne dressed mostly in black and white.[1]

Probably Jeanne would have undermined even her robust health, were it not for her mother, who watcheed over her, solicitous for her comfort and happiness, as if she were still a small child. Freshlooking, with blue eyes, the mother resided with her daughter, in her flat in the Rue de Presbourg, near the Arc de Triomphe, overlooking a pleasant garden.[2]

During World War I, Jeanne served as president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture.[8] She was the first woman to serve as president of an employers syndicate in France.[9]

Awards and honours

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In 1913, Jeanne accepted France's prestigious Legion d’Honneur in recognition of her economic contributions to the country – the first woman designer to receive the honor.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Polan, Brenda; Tredre, Roger (1 October 2009). The Great Fashion Designers. Berg. p. 17. ISBN 9780857851741. Jeanne%20Paquin.
  2. ^ a b c Dawbarn, Charles (1915). Makers of New France. Milld & Boon, limited. Retrieved 14 August 2025. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ CHARLES., DAWBARN (2015). MAKERS OF NEW FRANCE (CLASSIC REPRINT). [S.l.]: FORGOTTEN BOOKS. ISBN 978-1330761991. OCLC 982520407.
  4. ^ Lipovetsky, Gilles (2002). Empire de L'éphémère. Princeton University Press. p. 57. ISBN 9780691102627.
  5. ^ Fukai, Akiko (2002). Fashion: The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute: S History from the 18th to the 20th Century. p. 719. ISBN 9783822812068.
  6. ^ "Fashion Drawing and Illustration in the 20th Century". Victoria and Albert Museum. Victoria and Albert Museum. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  7. ^ a b F, José Blanco; Hunt-Hurst, Patricia Kay; Lee, Heather Vaughan; Doering, Mary (23 November 2015). Clothing and Fashion: American Fashion from Head to Toe. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781610693103.
  8. ^ Calahan, April (3 November 2015). Fashion Plates: 150 Years of Style. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300212266.
  9. ^ Véronique Pouillard, "Managing Fashion Creativity: The History of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne During the Interwar Period," Economic History Research(2015)
  10. ^ "Jeanne Paquin". FIDM Museum Blog. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
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