JACQUELINE DE RIBES: THE ART OF STYLE In their book Observations (1959), Truman Capote and Richard Avedon herald Jacqueline de Ribes as one of ten “swans” of impeccable elegance. According to Capote, a swan’s stylish perfection might be enhanced by genetic gifts and wealth, but it is predicated on the ability to adhere to “some aesthetic system of thought, a code transposed into a self-portrait.” De Ribes was only in her mid-twenties when Avedon photographed her. By then, she had already established the exacting parameters of her inimitable personal aesthetic: a relaxed confidence combined with a precocious sophistication, at once noble and mysterious, amplified by an aura of exoticism. This sampling of her wardrobe and designs, accompanied by images of her life, suggests the stylistic strategies that became evident during her childhood and were refined by her early exposure to dressmakers and fitters. Her innate and self-taught talents developed as a client of haute couture, when she was given privileged access to the ateliers and supported in her first true expressions as a designer. #JacquelinedeRibes Exhibition objects courtesy of the Countess de Ribes unless otherwise noted (STAIRWELL IMAGE CREDITS) Vicomtesse Jacqueline de Ribes New York, December 14, 1955 Photograph by Richard Avedon (American, 1923-2004) © The Richard Avedon Foundation Vicomtesse Jacqueline De Ribes, dress by Yves Saint-Laurent Paris, July 31, 1962 Photograph by Richard Avedon (American, 1923-2004) © The Richard Avedon Foundation (QUOTES FROM JACQUELINE DE RIBES ON SOUTH WEST WALL BY ELEVATOR) “Style is what makes you different; it’s your own stamp, a message about yourself.” “When I was a small child, there were two women I admired. One was a friend of my mother’s who was an ambassadress. The other was Coco Chanel. It seems I always wanted to be a designer.”

“I totally disagree with Christian Dior, who once said that one could never look sexy and be elegant at the same time. It is just more difficult, that’s all.” “Elegance. It’s an attitude. A frame of mind. An intuition, a refusal, a rigor, a research, a knowledge. The attitude of elegance is also a way of behaving.” “You must remember that you’re never going to be sexy for everyone. You are sexy for someone and for someone else you are not. Being totally nude is not sexy. The art of being sexy is to suggest. To let people have fantasy.”

1

“I never throw things out because they are old. I wear my favorite clothes until they are indecent.”

“My mirror, my only truthful advisor.” EMBLEMATIC LOOKS Photographs of the Countess as a young mother in the 1950s and later, in the 1960s, working behind the scenes of a ballet or a television show, present her in crisply tailored clothes, perfectly accessorized. Yet even in those times, when rules and designer dictates were more rigidly applied, she often substituted a turtleneck for a suit’s original silk blouse, or high boots for the period’s ubiquitous court-heeled pump. “Very early on, before it was generally done, I liked to mix my ensembles,” she says. In examples from the 1960s to the early 1990s, her daytime dressing conforms to her philosophy: “I am not a lady who lunches. My suits have to move. My clothes have to be comfortable. I have to be able to work.” This predilection for recombinations of designer pieces and high/low juxtapositions—common today—was a way for de Ribes to disrupt convention and the template of runway looks. In her approach, the Countess not only seeks to resolve the pragmatic requirements of dress with the standards of the day but also invariably asserts her own principles of individuality and style. Image credits: Private collection; Courtesy of Vogue; © Conde Nast; © Pierre Boulat/Cosmos; M Gerard Delorme, Paris; Horst P. Horst/Vogue; © Conde Nast; Skrebneski Photo © 1983; Louis de Gontaut Biron from private collection; Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Photo by Marina Cicogna; © Jack Nisberg/Roger-Viollet; © Shahrokh Hatami. All rights reserved. Image courtesy SFAE.com; Photo © Giovanni Coruzzi/Bridgeman Images; Photo by Will Weissberg; Point de Vue 1965/All rights reserved; Jack Nisberg/Vogue; © The heirs of André Ostier; Photo by Roxanne Lowit; Photo by © Sonia Moskowitz

Pierre Balmain (French, 1914–1982) Ensemble, autumn/winter 1962–63 haute couture Suit of beige wool herringbone tweed; cape of beige wool herringbone tweed trimmed with lynx fur Roberto Cavalli (Italian, b. 1940) Turtleneck, 1995 Black, brown, and cream printed silk- cashmere knit “The Pierre Balmain ensemble still reflects the postwar femininity of the elegant woman who likes fur even with the tweed. The outfit has nothing really sporty about it, but it has a kind of Hollywood glamour which had reached Paris by that time.” Jacqueline de Ribes De Ribes is well known as an early advocate of mixing up her couture runway looks. For example, she was emphatic in rejecting

2

the styling of a traditional loden cloth coat with another earlier garment, a culotte suit by Christian Dior. “Impossible!” she declared when she saw the conventional coordination done by her staff, later explaining that she ultimately “wore it [the culotte suit] with a Portuguese peasant’s cape.” This ensemble from the mid-1960s, however, is something of an exception to her approach to styling. Only the incorporation of her own sweater, stockings, and other accessories personalize the effect of an outfit essentially worn as the designer, Balmain, intended.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Coat, autumn/winter 1969–70 haute couture Polychrome printed wool flannel

Banana Republic (American, founded 1978) Sweater, ca. 1983 Orange cashmere knit “The printed tailored coat is the essence of YSL’s daytime message, which introduced a masculine/feminine silhouette that evolved into the evening look with ‘the smoking.’” Jacqueline de Ribes

Innovation and invention in fashion appeal to the Countess. When Yves Saint Laurent introduced the first printed winter coat, she was one of the few who acquired it. However, a survey of photographs of her over time reveals that she rarely buys the item of the moment. Even as she participates in fashion and is aware of trends, de Ribes seeks out the unusual and, often, the less understood designs of the season.

Revillon Frères (French, founded 1723) Fernando Sanchez (American, b. Belgium, 1934–2006) Reversible coat, ca. 1973 Taupe suede and black broadtail trimmed with dark brown mink fur Richard Grand (French, founded 1976) Sweater, ca. 1976 Ivory cashmere knit Saint Laurent Rive Gauche (French, established 1966) Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Skirt, autumn/winter 1969 Polychrome printed wool crepe Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Boots and handbag, ca. 1975; 1972 Boots of black suede; handbag of brown suede and mink with silver metal studs

3

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Belt, 1980 Dark brown braided leather with buckle of silver metal and black onyx

Indian Scarf, 1977 Cream and brown printed silk crepe

“In the 1970s, there was a new freedom. The African skirt, Indian scarf, and handcrafted belt convey a little hippie, ethnic ambience. The fur is worn with the inexpensive, sueded side out, with the fur on the inside as the lining. It was the beginning of not wearing fur conventionally.” Jacqueline de Ribes Fernando Sanchez radicalized the luxury fur business when he used unlined pelts in designs that could be worn inside out. Not only does this reflect the Countess’s own predisposition for items that have transformational possibilities, it also anticipates her interest in the power of deconstruction as an aesthetic approach. While this ensemble is a layering of diverse design houses, each piece is selected to contribute to a unified whole.

Norma Kamali (American, b. 1945) Sleeping bag coat, autumn/winter 1983–84 Purple-red silk-synthetic quilted plain weave with down filling Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Dress, autumn/winter 1988–89 Pink wool knit Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Hat, 2015 Original design: 1973 Brown sable Saint Laurent (French, founded 1961) Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Scarf, 1975 Polychrome printed silk crepe georgette

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) Handbag, 1970 Black crocodile “The 1980s: the revolution of comfort. Everything had to be light, comfortable, easy. The Norma Kamali coat illustrates this comfort. It was called at the time “the sleeping bag coat” and is here worn over a dress that you slip over your body like a long sweater. On the other hand the decade is the beginning of the cult of luxurious accessories—here a sable hat; haute couture YSL silk, long scarf; haute couture Dior crocodile handbag.” Jacqueline de Ribes

4

Over the years, the Countess has retained certain examples of daywear, which have reappeared in her wardrobe as perennial favorites. Norma Kamali’s “sleeping bag” coat made a fashion item out of a functional object. The Countess, responding to its practicality, purchased it in a number of colors. In this example, she pairs it with a knit minidress of her own design, exploiting the contrast of length and silhouette but unifying the whole through her use of color. The ensemble suggests her early advocacy of mixing high street with haute couture. The coat, once given to a dandyish friend, was returned to her years later with the rueful note that, as a man, the color had not been terribly useful. HAUTE COUTURE In 1956, when de Ribes was first elected to the International Best- Dressed List, she had only a handful of couture garments. Her wardrobe largely comprised her own designs, realized by a dressmaker. Because she did not sketch, she asked the couturier Jean Dessès if he knew someone who could illustrate her ideas, not only for her own projects but also for toiles she was creating for Oleg Cassini. He suggested a young assistant, Valentino Garavani. Their designer-client relationship thus began even before the establishment of Valentino’s house. While de Ribes never associated herself exclusively with one maison de couture, the House of Dior was clearly among her favorites. Her loyalty there extended through the tenures of Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Marc Bohan. Even after the Countess followed Saint Laurent when he established his own business, she continued to maintain her relationship with Dior. These couturiers, who respected her as someone with an artist’s eye, facilitated her modifications and stylistic alterations. In some instances, they even supported the creation of her own designs. One example, a fringed evening gown, is an original by the Countess realized in Bohan’s Dior atelier. More than just a client of unerring taste, de Ribes was treated as a refined equal in the exclusive métier of haute couture. Image credits:

Skrebneski Photo © 1983; Roloff Beny Estate; Horst P. Horst/Vogue; © Conde Nast; Photo by Verroust; Photo Gisèle Freund/IMEC/Fonds MCC; Patrick Lichfield/Vogue; © Conde Nast; Photo © AGIP/Bridgeman Images; Photo by Dustin Pittman; © Mark Shaw/mptvimages.com; avec l’aimable autorisation de Jours de France; Ronny Jaques/Trunk Archive; © Shahrokh Hatami. All rights reserved. Image courtesy SFAE.com; Photo by Jonathan Becker

5

Bill Blass (American, 1922–2002) Coat, 1983 Black silk taffeta with down filling Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Blouse, trousers, and belt, autumn/winter 1985–86 Blouse of black silk chiffon embroidered with black sequins; trousers of black wool grain de poudre; belt of black silk velvet embroidered with jet beads

This informal evening ensemble dates from de Ribes’s autumn/winter 1985–86 collection and suggests the timeless appeal of her creations. The Countess has worn it with a favorite Bill Blass down coat. In preparation for the loan of the more than sixty-five ensembles in the exhibition, it was only the loss of the Blass coat during the exhibition’s run that concerned de Ribes: “You are taking my winter coat. It is my staple . . . so much chicer and much more useful than a fur!”

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1989–90 White silk satin, black silk-viscose velvet, and black wool grain de poudre

This short evening dress is among the Countess’s favorite designs. It marries her love of sensual drape with the rigor of tailored fit. The dichotomy of silk satin and fine, velvet-trimmed wool, with its allusion to the materials and restricted palette of masculine evening attire, merges the specialties of flou (draping, as in blouses and dresses) and tailleur (tailoring, as in suits). It is a design strategy that occurs as a leitmotif throughout her work.

6

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1989–90 Pink silk crepe and black silk velvet Replica diamond jewelry designed by Jacqueline de Ribes realized by Moans Couture

A de Ribes design generally has one point of emphatic focus. In this case, a deep neckline ends with a novel shirred channel, gathering the silhouette at the midriff and ending in a centered bow. The plunging décolleté and saturated color of the bodice create an ideal look for restaurant dressing, where the focus is on the face and shoulders. However, de Ribes rarely ignores the totality of an ensemble. The calf-length skirt is slit pragmatically to allow for movement, with the exposure of a length of leg a deliberate, if controlled, provocation.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Ensemble, autumn/winter 1968 haute couture Tunic of black fringed buckskin; blouse of black silk taffeta embroidered with black sequins; skirt of black silk jersey

The Countess has stated that she has never embraced the notion of the little black dress for herself. Nevertheless, all-black designs punctuate her wardrobe. In no instance, however, are these examples pared down to a simplified or basic template. This Saint Laurent ensemble was modified by de Ribes by substituting black sequined sleeves for the original gold ones. The textural play of the glittering sequins against the matte buckskin and silk jersey, and the layering of a slightly flared tunic over a narrow skirt, differentiates the ensemble from cookie-cutter banality.

7

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Dress, 2002 Original design: spring/summer 1966 haute couture Navy blue silk organza embroidered with navy blue sequins This Saint Laurent design was the first see- through dress shown in haute couture and garnered much press. It is presented in three versions: one with silver sequins, one with gold, and this selection by de Ribes in midnight blue. Of the three choices, de Ribes has chosen the least obvious and most subtle. On her first outing in the dress, at an opening night at the ballet, the Countess recounts that she carefully deployed a chinchilla wrap for modesty

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Dress, autumn/winter 1983–84 Black silk satin and black and blue silk organza This dress from the Countess’s first collection is among her favorite designs. It captures more than any other example her approach to design through draping. While some stylists, working from sketches, default to a two- dimensional approach that prioritizes “front” and “back,” de Ribes evolves her ideas on the body. The dress unspools at the shoulder into a long scarf, an element in the design that the wearer could drape in a variety of ways to personalize the effect.

8

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Dress, spring/summer 1969 haute couture White silk organza and crepe embroidered and fringed with pink-purple silk, sequins, beads, and pearls

This Saint Laurent summer evening dress has not been modified by de Ribes. However, her pairing of it with a motoring veil once worn by her grandmother suggests her visual acuity and memory for color. From the time she was a child, the Countess exercised a resourcefulness in styling her looks. As in most instances where she has collaged together periods and sources, the end effect is not easily dateable.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) House of Lesage (French, founded 1922) Evening jacket, 2002 Original design: spring/summer 1983 haute couture Black silk crepe embroidered with silver, gray, brown, black, blue, and opalescent paillettes; black and silver beads; and black and clear crystals Emanuel Ungaro (French, b. 1933) Trousers, autumn/winter 2002 Black silk crepe embroidered with black silk lace and beads A Saint Laurent design embellished with Lesage embroidered fish scales was shown on the runway as a body-hugging sheath dress. De Ribes reimagined it as a jacket, and the couture house accommodated her wish. While it is not exceptional to change a detail of a garment to suit the needs of a particular client, the radical transformation from cocktail dress into a jacket is something reserved for the rare individual whose taste is coincident with the couturier’s. She paired it with subtly

embroidered Ungaro trousers.

9

Emanuel Ungaro (French, b. 1933) Evening ensemble, spring/summer 1995 haute couture Tunic and trousers of black and ivory printed silk georgette embroidered with clear glass beads and clear and black crystals

This evening cocoon pajama ensemble by Ungaro is a favorite of the Countess’s. Her staff prepared it to be photographed with a necklace composed of elements that perfectly matched the jeweled embroidery. Immediately rejected by the Countess as overly coordinated, a second styling with a long lariat of old diamonds in simple eighteenth-century bezel mounts was wound around the mannequin to fill the neckline. This was also rejected by de Ribes: “Oh, no! This looks like a jeweler’s window.” The necklace was relaxed and left to hang loosely, underscoring the languorous luxury of the ensemble.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1989–90 Light gray silk crepe and satin

This asymmetrical gown is cut completely on the bias. Tailored elements of the collar and lapels morph into a dramatic fall of drapery at the skirt. As a designer, de Ribes often works by draping directly on the form and in the round, making such spiraling constructions possible.

10

EVENING WEAR

Beginning in the early 1950s, de Ribes emerged as a glamorous presence in the media. Her sleek good looks and ability to pull off even the most dramatic styles rivaled the effects of highly stylized professional models like Dovima, Lisa Fonssagrives, Sunny Harnett, and Suzy Parker. In a period that prized conventional femininity, de Ribes introduced a novel exoticism. Oleg Cassini said that her “aristocratic face . . . would have fit perfectly in ancient Egypt or a royal court in the seventeenth century.” Richard Avedon, who photographed many of the great beauties of the day, exclaimed, “She has a perfect nose. I feel sorry for the near-beauties with small noses.” Inspired by a bust of Nefertiti, de Ribes created her own mascara to emphasize the almond-shaped contours of her distinctive eyes when liquid eyeliners did not yet exist. While articles about her in the 1950s portray the life of an active Parisienne, the most influential images show de Ribes in evening dresses and formal gowns. As noted by Jayne Wrightsman, also on the International Best-Dressed List: “When everyone still cared about the way they dressed, everyone wanted to dress like her and look like her.” Of all the types of garments she has worn or designed, evening wear has inspired her most—the artistry of haute couture takes flight at night.

Guy Laroche (French, 1921–1989) Evening dress, spring/summer 1962 haute couture Pink and dark pink double-faced silk satin embroidered with clear and gold beads The Countess began to pursue discretely her professional interests in her twenties. Conscious, however, of the prevailing belief that it was unseemly for a woman of privilege to participate in anything other than philanthropic efforts, she published articles anonymously and even worked quietly and behind the scenes as a design assistant and a creative muse to Emilio Pucci and Oleg Cassini. Images of de Ribes wearing this dress by Guy Laroche have been widely published. It was restyled for Jacqueline Kennedy by Cassini, who saw the Countess in it and replaced the original looping train with a simple fly-panel.

11

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1983–84 Pink silk double-faced satin This sculptural one-shouldered gown is perhaps among the most recognizable designs from de Ribes’s inaugural collection, as it was worn by the Countess on the cover of Town & Country. The cover image captured de Ribes, cited by the publication as the most stylish woman in the world, obliquely and from the back. In positioning his camera from such an angle, photographer Victor Skrebneski documented not only the iconic profile of the designer but the dramatic glamour of the gown’s spiraling ruffle and unexpected bareness.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1985 Pink silk crepe The incorporation of pragmatic details into even the most formal composition is an unexpected aspect of a number of designs by de Ribes. In this crepe evening dress, she introduces pockets at the hipline. For her, elegance does not preclude comfort and utility. The modified gigot sleeves and draped surplice bodice of the gown recall designs from the fin de siècle but are contemporized by a sense of ease and suppleness.

12

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening dress, spring/summer 1967 haute couture Pink and gold silk crepe De Ribes has been much photographed in this rich pink and deep yellow silk crepe gown, which she first wore in Rome in 1967 to the opening night of Luchino Visconti’s film based on Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger. While planning a film of Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past, the director, who worked on other projects with de Ribes, suggested she play the part of the Duchesse de Guermantes. The film was never realized.

Revillon Frères (French, founded 1723) Fernando Sanchez (American, b. Belgium, 1934–2006) Coat, autumn/winter 1967–68 Black wool knit embroidered with polychrome wool, silver, and gold metal thread, trimmed with dark brown mink fur This Revillon coat is a unique piece by Fernando Sanchez. It was worn by the Countess as intended over evening dresses, but she was also not averse to playing with it more casually and was famously photographed in Switzerland wearing it for après-ski. Vogue noted admiringly that she often paired it with very short skirts or pants, in a fashion that would be endorsed by couturiers a year later.

13

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) Marc Bohan (French, b. 1926) Evening dress, spring/summer 1967 haute couture Pink, red, orange, yellow, and green silk chiffon embroidered with polychrome crystals

Only four women are known to have ordered this evening dress: the Countess de Ribes, H.S.H. Princess Grace of Monaco, the Mexican actress María Félix, and the philanthropist Joanne Toor Cummings. Each, completely individualistic in her beauty, brought a distinct personalization to the ensemble. The vividly striped silk chiffon, with only the shadowy outline of the wearer’s body visible, was as flattering to the statuesque as it was to the wand-thin.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening ensemble, autumn/winter 1968–69 haute couture Jumpsuit of pink-orange matte silk satin fringed with peacock feathers; boa of pink- orange rooster feathers The Countess was an early advocate of culottes, jumpsuits, and pants for women. This example by Saint Laurent is cut with such volume in the legs that it appears in repose as a conventional gown. Scarves, shawls, and boas are among de Ribes’s favored accessories, as they can transform the look of an ensemble and, properly draped, frame the face of the wearer.

14

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, spring/summer 1986 Purple, blue-green, green, and orange hand- painted silk organza

In this ethereal iteration of a toga, hand-painted silk organza is used both on the bias as well as on the straight grain. It is a design that is conceived directly in the draping on the model rather than by croquis, or sketch. This hands-on approach to the creation of a dress results in a number of asymmetrical resolutions. Like a potter with her wheel, de Ribes works in three dimensions and with the concept of the body in the round. A consequence of this is that a woman wearing a de Ribes design has no bad angles.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening ensemble, autumn/winter 1977–78 haute couture Tunic and trousers of blue silk damask; belt of quilted black silk crepe This Orientalist ensemble from Saint Laurent’s Opium collection is an unusual example of de Ribes subscribing completely to a designer’s original conception. Like many of her own designs, the ensemble falls fluidly over the body without disclosing its true outlines. As someone who has “the luck of a good figure” and who was once described as a living “fashion drawing,” she has been free to play with the proportions and volume of her clothes without diminishing her allure. Here, she favors a low-slung hip, and in styling these tunic pajamas, she underscored the importance of the placement of the cummerbund sash.

15

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening dress, spring/summer 1981 haute couture Blue silk charmeuse

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening dress, 2000 Original design: spring/summer 1981 haute couture Orange silk charmeuse

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening dress, 2000 Original design: spring/summer 1981 haute couture Blue-green silk charmeuse Before the closing of Yves Saint Laurent’s haute couture business, Pierre Bergé encouraged the Countess to place her last order with the house. Rather than acquiring a new model, she asked for reeditions of a favored design from her wardrobe that was over twenty years old. As she has said, “Elegance is never out of date.”

While most fashion is predicated on a cycle of innovation and obsolescence, the Countess has tended to select designs with a quality of timelessness. In this instance, the confidence to wear the same design in a range of colors trumps the impulse to acquire a clutch of novel but less useful pieces.

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Arsinoe evening dress, 2015 Original design: autumn/winter 1959–60 haute couture Red silk faille

Replica diamond jewelry designed by Jacqueline de Ribes realized by Moans Couture Since the beginning of this exhibition, which was conceived almost eight years ago, the Countess has suggested that the House of Dior replicate one of her favorite designs from the 1950s. The curator demurred, not because a copy was not possible, but because he had never seen a truly accurate reedition. The ateliers change, the period eye evolves, and any emulation of the past is generally informed by the aesthetic of the present. However, de Ribes, with her photographic memory and ability to recollect the smallest details of the gown she loved, insisted. The result has all the hallmarks of a vintage couture work. The only change: the original purple

faille has been reimagined in a favorite red.

16

Madame Grès (Alix Barton) (French, 1903–1993) Evening dress, spring/summer 1970 haute couture Red silk crepe Mme. Grès was known for her elaborately and finely pleated silk jersey gowns and surgically cut silk crepes, often inspired by classical dress. In this example, the designer has played with positive and negative areas of fabric, orchestrating a calibrated nudity. In her later designs, de Ribes would reflect similarly on this balance of geometries across the body via zones of triangulated and diamond-shaped exposure.

Valentino Garavani (Italian, b. 1932) Evening dress, spring/summer 2000 haute couture Red silk crepe On the runway, the full blouson of this red Valentino gown extended down to the knees. For the Countess, the designer adjusted the fullness upward to her taste. This strategic modification is one in a series of collaborations between the two that extends back to the early 1950s, when Valentino, as a gifted assistant to the couturier Jean Dessès, was recommended to de Ribes as someone who could sketch out her ideas. When he established his own house in 1960, the Countess became one of his loyal clients.

17

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1990–91 Purple matte silk satin

Among the Countess’s favorite designs, this evening gown reflects several signature details of her work: the use of tailored construction softened by dressmaking techniques, an unrestricting but body-conscious fit, and a neckline and collar that introduce a dramatic framing of the neck and head.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening gown, spring/summer 1988 Blue-green basket-weave silk gazar Replica diamond jewelry designed by Jacqueline de Ribes realized by Moans Couture

Silk gazar was a favorite material of the great Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga. The fabric has a crisp, almost starched hand and holds sculptural volumes with an airy lightness. De Ribes exploits these characteristics and torques the material around the body. The knotted twist at the shoulder is placed atypically on the right, as most of her other designs have the covered shoulder on the left. Like many of her works, the woman wearing the dress would be interesting seen from every perspective.

18

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1987–88 Purple-red iridescent silk taffeta and purple-red silk-viscose velvet De Ribes is knowledgeable in costume history and has done extensive research, particularly when creating her fancy-dress costumes. However, many of her designs, while evocative of historical precedent, originate from an intuitive rather than studied approach. This skirt’s dramatically gathered back cascade recalls the bustle gowns of the 1870s, down to the silk taffeta and the iridescent color. But with its slender, body-conscious line and bare halter bodice, it is unequivocally situated in the present.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening gown, autumn/winter 1987–88 Black silk-viscose velvet and orange silk duchesse satin

This gown was created with the thought of the Countess in the role as the Duchesse de Guermantes, had Luchino Visconti’s project for a film based on Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past been realized. While it conveys the majestic authority of a Belle Epoque aristocrat, it has none of the constraining elements of a fin de siècle costume. Even the sleeves are open loops that allow for the freedom of the arms.

19

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1986–87 Blue silk moiré and black silk-viscose velvet Asymmetry is a characteristic of many of the Countess’s most spectacular designs, and she is not above elaborate constructions to create an effect. In this instance, wired loops sustain the buoyancy of the spiraling left- shoulder drape.

(FRAMED PERIODICALS) “Vicomtesse de Ribes,” August 1, 1953 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by Horst P. Horst (American, b. Germany, 1906–1999)

“Vicomtesse de Ribes,” June 1965 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Illustrations by Claudio Bravo (Chilean, 1936–2011)

“The Lyrical Line of Jacqueline de Ribes,” October 1983 Town & Country (American, established 1901) Photography by Victor Skrebneski (American, b. 1929)

“Parisienne,” January 1956 Holiday (French, founded U.S., 1946) Photography by Ronny Jaques (British, 1910–2008) “Beauty Bulletin: The New Hair Action,” January 15, 1967 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by William Klein (American, b. 1928) “De Ribes Style: Allure and Tradition,” May 1984 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by Horst P. Horst (American, b. Germany, 1906–1999) “Vicomtesse de Ribes,” August 1, 1953 Harper’s Bazaar (American, founded 1867) Photography Richard Avedon (American, 1923–2004)

20

“Notes from the Slopes,” November 1, 1969 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by Alexis Waldeck (Czech, b. 1943)

“De Ribes Style: Allure and Tradition,” May 1984 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by Horst P. Horst (American, b. Germany, 1906–1999)

“Beautés en Vue,” December 1956/January 1957 Vogue Paris (French, founded 1920) Photography by Henry Clarke (American, 1918–1996) “Great European Beauties,” August 1973 Harper’s Bazaar (American, founded 1867) Photography by Ronny Jaques (British, 1910–2008)

“De Ribes Style: Allure and Tradition,” May 1984 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by Horst P. Horst (American, b. Germany, 1906–1999)

“The Fashion Personality of a Great Beauty,” December 1959 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by Antony Armstrong-Jones (British, b. 1930) “Great European Beauties,” August 1973 Harper’s Bazaar (American, founded 1867) Photography by Ronny Jaques (British, 1910–2008)

“Jacqueline de Ribes: Elégance, Allure et Style,” September 1986 L’Officiel (French, founded 1921) Photography by Frank Horvat (French, b. Croatia, 1928)

“Profile of Paris,” September 1960 Harper’s Bazaar (American, founded 1867) Photography by Richard Avedon (American, 1923–2004) “Allure, the Quintessential Vicomtesse,” September 1982 Interview (American, founded 1969) Photography by Cris Alexander (American, 1920–2012) “Designing Women: Regal Air,” September 1989 Harper’s Bazaar (American, founded 1867) Photography by Richard Ballarian (American, b. 1928) “The Creation of the Goddess,” September 1961 Harper’s Bazaar (American, founded 1867) Photography by Richard Avedon (American, 1923–2004) “Allure, the Quintessential Vicomtesse,” September 1982 Interview (American, founded 1969) Photography by Antony Armstrong-Jones (British, b. 1930)

21

“Narcissism,” November 7, 1994 The New Yorker (American, founded 1925) Photography by Richard Avedon (American, 1923–2004) “Jacqueline de Ribes Vient d’Etre Désignée par 200 Experts…” January 1962 Paris Match (French, founded 1949) Photography by Yurek “Ribes Gauche,” June 1983 Tatler (British, founded 1901) Photography by Pamela Hanson (American, b. London, 1954) “Les Enfants Terribles,” May 1999 Vogue Paris (French, founded 1920) Photography by Jean-Baptiste Mondino (French, b. 1949) “Cendrillon,” December 1963 L’Officiel (French, founded 1921) Illustrations by Raymundo de Larrain (French, b. Chile, 1935–1988) Cover image, October 1983 Town & Country (American, established 1901) Photography by Victor Skrebneski (American, b. 1929) “The Last Queen of Paris,” September 2010 Vanity Fair (American, established 1983) Photography by Roloff Beny (Canadian, 1924–1984 (VIDEO CONTENT) Interviews with Jacqueline de Ribes: Videofashion News 1985–1991 Producer: Christopher Noey Editor: Dia Felix Consultant: Patricia Canino Video Footage courtesy Videofashion News ©2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art Jacqueline de Ribes: The Designer at Work Producer: Christopher Noey Editor: Dia Felix Consultant: Patricia Canino Video Footage courtesy of Jacqueline de Ribes, filmed by Jacques Scandelari. ©1989 Jacqueline de Ribes ©2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

22

BLACK AND WHITE FOR NIGHT Each de Ribes collection reveals her love of, and exceptional facility with, color. However, it is her designs in black, white, or black and white that best highlight her love of textural play, structural flourishes, and clarified silhouettes. Her evening wear, predicated on luxury and an unexpected ease, represents her imagination in its fullest expression, motivated by the fantasy and romance found after dark. In interviews about her collections spanning the seasons and years, the Countess is seen wearing essentially the same ensemble: a knit cashmere dress, relaxed and blouson at the waist and snug over the hips. That a designer focused on the oncoming season would repeat a favorite look year after year speaks to de Ribes’s logic of dressing. If you are comfortable, if you look good, there is no requirement to change for the sake of change. By insisting on an enduring appeal, her works transcend the cycles of fashion and trend. As she says, “In every era, no matter what the fashion, and however extreme, you can always find examples of elegance.” Even her works from the 1980s, a period of fashion easily identified and caricatured, transcend their period proportions and are appealing to this day. Image credits:

Guy Marineau/WWD; courtesy of Condé Nast; Photo Jean-Luce Huré

Valentino Garavani (Italian, b. 1932) Dress, spring/summer 1970 haute couture Ivory silk organza embroidered with white and ivory silk, sequins, and seed beads Valentino’s style is often characterized by exquisite decorative flourishes and details, while de Ribes often cleaves to simpler, less embellished designs. The lavish embroideries in his 1970 collection are tempered by their monochromatic tonalities, resulting here in a dress that represents the sensibilities of both designer and client. Valentino’s virtuosity with lightweight silks, especially chiffons and organzas, is seen in this garment’s body- skimming torso fitted with fine tucks. The Countess accents the simple lines of the dress with a large rose at the neck, as the designer had done on the runway, here carefully tinted to match.

23

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Realized by House of Dior (French, founded 1947) Evening ensemble, spring/summer 1969 haute couture Ivory silk crepe fringed with ivory silk This ensemble was created for the White Ball given in London by the Prince and Princess Loewenstein. Conceived by the Countess, it was realized in Dior’s couture atelier and is an unusual instance of a design house supporting a client’s vision. More than a decade before de Ribes established her own business, certain signatures of her design aesthetic are already apparent: the disciplined tailoring of the hip- length bodice; the fluidity and playfulness of the fringe skirt, which suggests the potential of exposure more than it actually reveals; and the dramatic flourish of a matching shawl.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, spring/summer 1990 White pleated silk crepe

A feature of de Ribes’s work is the juxtaposition of a structured technique—here the pleating more often seen in a man’s cummerbund, applied on the diagonal—with the feminine details of a plunging décolleté, a center-front opening to the knee, and a body-defining silhouette. Jeweled buttons, especially as accents on a placket or shoulder strap, are also a signature of the Countess’s. In all her works, sensual disclosure of the body eludes vulgarity through the designs’ balanced and disciplined construction

24

Jean Paul Gaultier (French, b. 1952) Collier de la Reine evening dress, spring/ summer 1999 haute couture Brown silk crepe with plastron and cuffs of ivory metal

In 1999, Jean Paul Gaultier dedicated his spring/summer couture collection to “La Divine Jacqueline.” As a couturier, the designer—popularly known as French ready-to-wear’s provocative enfant terrible revealed a mastery of the yin-yang that is flou (draping) and tailleur (tailoring). In this couture collection, Gaultier not only refined his recurrent populist French tropes of striped mariner’s sweaters and pom-pomed berets, he also cited the haute Parisian elegance of the Countess de Ribes. The references are not direct but rather conceptual and focus on her practice of appearing in fluid, sinuous silhouettes punctuated by accessories with dramatic flair.

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) Marc Bohan (French, b. 1926) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1979–80 haute couture White silk double-faced satin

One of the prerogatives of the clients of couture is the possibility of small adjustments and customizations to a design: the lengthening or shortening of a hemline or the addition or removal of sleeves, for example. With this gown, however, the change was not structural but decorative. The Countess asked for a bowknot originally at the left waist to be removed and for a second bowknot at the shoulder to be enlarged. Marc Bohan, amused, asked the Countess, “Is it mine?” when he saw the change. Her teasing reply: “Officially.”

25

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, spring/summer 1985 Ivory silk charmeuse

A masterpiece of construction, this evening dress exploits the fluid drape of luxurious silk charmeuse. While expressing the shapely outlines of the body, the voluminous back drapery “cut-in-one” with the crisscrossing front bodice alludes to classical volumes. The final effect is sensual but with a vestal-like purity.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, spring/summer 1986 White cotton guipure lace and black silk-viscose velvet

This evening gown in fresh white cotton guipure was worn by de Ribes to a number of formal summer events, including an opening reception at the Musée Jacquemart-André for Malcolm Forbes’s exhibition “Fabergé: orfèvre à la Cour des Tsars” and a Tribute to France gala in Nashville where the Countess served on the honorary committee with several ambassadors to France and Washington, D.C. The gown is a simple sheath, accented at the high front neckline with a black velvet band that outlines a surprising plunging back that ends with a bow accent. A de Ribes gown is generally as interesting from the back as it is from the front.

26

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, spring/summer 1988 White cotton guipure and black coin-dotted silk gazar

Cotton guipure lace and silk gazar are among de Ribes’s favorite materials. The luxuriously sculptured relief of the lace against the sheen of glazed gazar is one of her signature plays of textures, as is the juxtaposition of cotton against silk. Here, the dramatic poufs at the hips recall eighteenth-century robes à la polonaise and 1870s bustles but with the airy volumes shifted from the back to the front. As with all de Ribes gowns, even the most dramatic elements never cross the line to the theatrical.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, spring/summer 1986 Black and white silk chiffon

The incorporation of a panel originating in the body of a gown, extending down to the hem, and continuing up in a drape to the back shoulders recalls the construction of her 1962 Guy Laroche couture model. In this instance, however, black chiffon forms a tightly draped strapless bodice and open-front overskirt that extends to transform into a sheer, cape-like cover. Here, de Ribes has taken an idea from its original regal formality to a relaxed and ethereal sensuality. A favorite accessory of the Countess, a flower from Legeron or Lemarié— providers of artificial blooms to the haute couture—accents the neck

27

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening ensemble, spring/summer 1988 Dress of black-and-white dotted silk faille; bolero of ivory silk gazar embroidered with paillettes

The Countess established her own house in the 1980s, the heady period of Christian Lacroix’s pouf designs, with their exuberant excesses of ornament and exaggerated silhouettes. While embracing the creative freedom that the moment encouraged, de Ribes never crossed the line to caricature or frivolity. For all its buoyant playfulness, this evening dress controls the volumes and embellishments.

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening ensemble, autumn/winter 1986–87 Dress of black silk-viscose velvet and black silk-viscose lace lined with nude silk-synthetic net; collar of black bird of paradise feathers The pairing of velvet and lace, while not uncommon in evening wear, is rarely executed with such allure. Exposed triangular and diamond-shaped zones are veiled with figured lace to anchor and control the voided areas. However, because of lace’s airy openwork, it is a material with an inherent elasticity. De Ribes exploits its tensile qualities to stretch and cleave to the form. In this example, among the Countess’s favorites, the body is conceived cubistically, without side seams.

28

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1988–89 Black silk-viscose velvet and black silk and metallic Chantilly lace The seductive appeal of lace is that it reveals as much, if not more, than it veils. Here, its introduction softens the graphic architecture of the velvet gown. Bias rouleau straps tied in bow knots, while structural, add a further feminizing accent to a design of Grés-like rigor.

Emanuel Ungaro (French, b. 1933) Evening ensemble, autumn/winter 1998–99 haute couture Jacket of black silk crepe and lace; trousers of black silk tulle embroidered with black silk

Among the Countess’s favorite ensembles, this Ungaro design, with its carefully controlled exposure, is similar to earlier evening dresses by de Ribes that also exploit the seductiveness of lace. Ungaro, known for the sensual femininity of his work, was one of three couturiers to support her debut as a fellow designer with their presence. The other two were Saint Laurent and Valentino.

29

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Evening dress, autumn/winter 1983–84 Black silk velvet and black silk satin Several de Ribes designs reconsider the materials and vocabulary of a man’s tuxedo suit. The play of shiny against matte, the monochromatic chic of all black, and the merging of feminine details within the conventions of menswear are reinvented by de Ribes as gowns, suits, and jumpsuits.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening gown, autumn/winter 1980–81 haute couture Red silk faille taffeta This gown was created for Nelson Seabra’s famous 1981 Red Ball at Le Pré Catelan in Paris. While its design has not changed from the original sample, its proportions have been amplified at the Countess’s instruction. Not only did she request that the sleeves be made fuller, she also asked that the train be made longer to befit the dramatic requirements of a great ball.

30

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936–2008) Evening ensemble, spring/summer 1983 Coat of black silk tulle; dress of black silk velvet with crystal straps Courtesy of Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, Paris Even after she launched her own collection, de Ribes continued to collect the work of other designers. She especially favored the house of Saint Laurent. Considered throughout his career as the creative heart of haute couture, Saint Laurent encouraged the Countess’s dream of starting her own business, but with the caveat that to do so was to enter a world of creative anguish. This ensemble, with its romantic flourish of silk tulle over the spare column of silk velvet, embodies an aesthetic shared by both. It creates a poetic, entrance-making effect while revealing a cool, classical glamour beneath.

Armani Privé (Italian, established 2005) Giorgio Armani (Italian, b. 1934) Skirt, spring/summer 2005 Black silk lace and black silk satin Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Bodysuit and belt, 2005; 1984 Bodysuit in black silk velvet and tulle; belt in black silk satin Replica diamond jewelry designed by Jacqueline de Ribes realized by Moans Couture Armani Privé if she might order only a portion of a full evening dress from the collection’s first season. She paired the resulting detached skirt with a bodysuit of her own design and a belt from one of her earliest collections. The contour belt rests snugly on the hips rather than at the waist, creating the illusion of a hip yoke on the transparent Armani skirt.

31

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY From the time she was a child, de Ribes was enamored of dress-up and costume. An early photograph shows her with her younger sister on the beach dressed like hula dancers, wearing floral leis and grass skirts that the Countess had improvised from shredded potato sacks. At thirteen she wrapped herself in a bedsheet like an ancient Greek goddess. Later, as a guest on a country weekend, she was tasked with creating a costume without spending more than five francs in order to amuse her hosts. De Ribes decided to repurpose her bedroom curtains to form a convincing Van Eyck–style high-waisted robe. She then purchased scraps of fur in the village but could afford only enough to run across the front of her neckline. Her wimple, shaped out of hangers, covered the back of her shoulders and hid the shortage.

This do-it-yourself approach extends as a leitmotif throughout de Ribes’s life. In the ensembles presented here, created as fancy dress but not full masquerade costume, the Countess mixed haute couture, designer ready-to-wear, and inexpensive “fast fashion.” Upon seeing one of her fashion “collages,” a friend exclaimed, “You are a fashion DJ: sampling and mixing!” What makes these stylings especially interesting is that they are fantasies anchored in specific personae to create the unpredictable story of a revisited past. Whether pirate queen or western belle, these layered visual coordinations are based on specific narratives and identities.

Western Belle ensemble

Probably French Hat, ca. 1910 Gray wool felt with band of purple silk velvet and belt buckle of gilt silver metal

Caché, Inc. (American, founded 1975) Jacket, 1999 Blue cotton twill

Emanuel Ungaro (French, b. 1933) Choker, spring/summer 1997 haute couture Pink silk organdy and synthetic tulle embroidered with pink silk thread and beaded with pink and iridescent synthetic crystals; gemstone tassels

Express, Inc. (American, founded 1980) Blouses, 2000 Ivory polyester lace

Probably French Bodysuit, ca. 1980 Red synthetic stretch velvet

Ralph Lauren (American, founded 1967) Skirt, 2000 Polychrome cotton twill, wool tapestry, and silk velvet patchwork embroidered with polychrome wool and silk thread

32

Gypsy-de-Luxe ensemble

Roberto Cavalli (Italian, b. 1940) Turtleneck, cardigan, and waistcoat, 1981–82 Turtleneck and cardigan of polychrome printed silk knit and polychrome printed silk crepe with gold metallic pigment; waiscoat of orange jackal leather and fur with metal chain

Emanuel Ungaro (French, b. 1933) Skirt and belt, autumn/winter 1981–82; spring/summer 2000 haute couture Skirt of polychrome printed silk crepe and chiffon; belt of gilt metal, silvered metal, and enamel with semiprecious stones

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Headpiece, early 20th century Brown braided-leather belts with serpent bracelet of polychrome enameled gold metal and red crystals Tibetan Handbag, 19th century

Brown leather, silver metal, and red cabochon stone

Lady Corsaire ensemble French Top hat with accessories, ca. 1900; 2015; 1937 Hat of black beaver; band of green silk tulle; Comte de Beaumont’s grand officer decoration from l’ordre imperial du dragon d’Annam of silver and enamel Roberto Cavalli (Italian, b. 1940) Topcoat, turtleneck, and boots, 1996; 1999;ca. 1998 Topcoat of polychrome printed green silk crepe; turtleneck of cream, brown, and black leopard–print silk knit; boots of black silk velvet with tassels of black silk Ralph Lauren (American, founded 1967) Blouse and waistcoat, 2000; 1997 Blouse of ivory silk crepe and lace; waistcoast of black silk velvet embroidered with black seed beads

Spanish (Ibiza) Waistcoat, 1975 Black silk damask with fringe of black silk John Galliano (British, b. Gibraltar, 1960) Trousers, 1995 Black silk satin and chiffon embroidered with ribbons of black silk velvet

33

Fortuny (Italian, founded 1919) Reticule, ca. 2000 Black silk velvet with fringe of black silk French (Saint-Tropez) Necklace, 2003 Black jet French Walking stick, 1900 Wood, gold metal, and bloodstone

(QUOTES ON SOUTH EAST WALL OUTSIDE APFEL GALLERY)

“Glamorous people bring something to others. They are seductive, attractive—and it has nothing to do with frivolity. Glamour sticks to people. An object is not glamorous, but places where people go are glamorous. That’s why New York is the glamour capital of the world.” “The thought of a ball awakens the joyful part of our imagination. The ball holds out the prospect of something mysterious that may perhaps change your life.” “Clothes, like good architecture, have to correspond to a rhythm of life. You can’t be elegant without being graceful, and you can’t be graceful if you’re not at ease.” (THE CARL & IRIS BARREL APFEL GALLERY) THE MASKED BALL “Balls were not for one’s amusement, they were for being ravishing,” the Countess has noted. Grand masquerade balls entailed a seriousness of purpose shared by all the guests, culminating in a form of collective performance art. Her uncle Etienne de Beaumont was among the preeminent hosts of twentieth-century Paris, though de Ribes was too young to attend all but one of his balls, “100 Years of Elegance: 1800–1900,” where she met the socialite and aesthete Charles de Beistegui, who invited her to his legendary masquerade ball in Venice. She did not commission a couturier to create her costume for this event, as was common practice, but instead designed her own and enlisted two Italian princesses to accompany her in identical white gowns. The success of her strategy of standing out in the sea of richly appareled celebrities is reflected in photographs of the evening, which show the three mysterious beauties front and center.

Of all the pieces on view, the three costumes composed of cannibalized couture gowns, inexpensive fabrics from a textile jobber, and embroideries of both the finest and the most prosaic quality are the clearest representation of de Ribes’s love of the creative process. Each is cleverly conceived to conform to the theme of the ball but with a deliberately unpredictable and witty approach. Like her fashion collages, her masquerade costumes are a conflation of high and low and, for all their fancifulness, are rooted in historical knowledge, technical rigor, and conceptual sophistication.

34

Image credits:

© Jack Nisberg / Roger-Viollet; © The heirs of André Ostier; Jean-Claude Deutsch/Paris Match via Getty Images; M Gerard Delorme, Paris; Alexandre Borissevitch Serebriakov © 2015 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris; © Condé Nast Archive/Corbis; Cecil Beaton/Vogue; Louis de Gontaut Biron from private collection; Patrick Lichfield/Vogue; © Conde Nast Music credit: Frédéric Chopin (Polish, 1810–1849) “Waltz Op. 64 No. 2,” from Les Sylphides Performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra, 1991 Courtesy of Sony Classical By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

(FRAMED ART ON WEST WALL) “Le Bal de Venise,” September 15, 1951 Paris Match (French, founded 1949) Photography by Willy Rizzo (Italian, 1928–2013)

“18th-Century Venice Recreated for a Great Ball,” October 15, 1951 Vogue (American, founded 1892) Photography by Robert Doisneau (French, 1912–1994)

Raymundo de Larrain (French, b. Chile 1935–1988) “La Folle de Chaillot” costume du Bal My Fair Lady, 1965 Dress of purple silk velvet and purple, green, and black silk tulle and lace, embroidered with silk velvet pom-poms, chenille thread, paillettes, beads, crystals, and silver metal chain; wig of purple and gray nylon, and egret and bird of paradise feathers; mitts of pale purple leather; fan of plastic, wood, and black silk lace embroidered with red, purple, blue, and white sequins; reticule of purple silk satin embroidered with sequins Raymundo de Larrain was a gifted designer and scenographer. For two years in the early 1960s, the Countess managed his ballet company and was involved in every level of its administration and creative production. This costume, which she wore to a 1965 My Fair Lady–themed ball, originates with de Larrain but, as with all projects involving de Ribes, is very much a collaboration. The shredded fabric recalls costumes in de Larrain’s production of Cinderella, which was among the ballets for which the company was most famous. As the

Countess has noted, “I did deconstruction before the Japanese.” The costume is for the character of the Madwoman of Chaillot, from the play of the same name by Jean Giraudoux, who clings to an eroded gown of past extravagance. Rather than don the pre–WWI era styles set by Cecil Beaton for My Fair Lady, the Countess has worked against the predictable and found a character appropriate for the theme but unlikely to be cited by anyone else.

35

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Costume du Bal Oriental, 1969 Coat of pink silk chiffon and polychrome silk ikat brocaded with gold metal thread and passementerie of gold silk and metal thread, gold metal flowers, and clear crystals; trimmed with brown sable fur; waistcoat of pink silk satin with overlay of white silk tulle embroidered with silver metal thread, silver sequins, and clear crystals and passementerie of gold silk and metal with clear crystals; trousers of white silk and gold metallic organza fil-coupé and white silk net; hat of polychrome silk and metallic jacquard and matching pink and polychrome silk ikat brocaded with gold metal thread, trimmed with brown mink fur, crystals, beads, pearls, and gold silk tassels; turban of pink silk chiffon; fan of gilt metal and pink ostrich and heron feathers encrusted with pink, red, and clear stones and crystals; Gripoix jewelry of glass and gilt metal Capobianco Bottier (French, founded 1930) Slippers, 1969 Pink, gold, and silver silk and metal brocade

Among the most ambitious design projects undertaken by the Countess is the costume she created for and wore to Alexis de Redé’s Bal Oriental. From the outset, when she first learned the ball’s theme, de Ribes was determined to avoid the obvious: “I knew there would be a lot of bare tummies with jewels, so I decided that I would wear fur!” The result was described in Vogue as “a Napoleon III version of Turquerie.” In fact, the Countess based her design on an old etching. She then cannibalized several examples of her archival couture, including an embroidered tulle Dior gown, a Guy Laroche evening coat, and a Jean Dessès dress. In addition, yards of Bianchini-Férier silk accented with sable from a vintage cape given to her by the Marquis de Cuevas contributed to the final, stunning effect. She notes, “There’s not a button of my costume that I did not design myself. Imagine how a Victorian would picture a Mongol princess. That’s my costume.”

36

Jacqueline de Ribes (French, b. 1929) Costume du côté de Ferrières (Bal Proust), 1971 Gown and matching handbag of apricot silk crepe back satin, silk organza, and silk satin, embroidered with silver and gold sequins, crystals, and fresh water pearls; wrap of apricot silk chiffon; gloves of white leather; wig of black synthetic tulle with apricot egret feathers; choker and necklace of white synthetic pearls and gemstones Christian Dior Soulier (French, founded 1953) Shoes, 1971 Apricot silk satin and leather Replica diamond jewelry designed by Jacqueline de Ribes realized by Moans Couture For the gown she wore to the Bal Proust on December 2, 1971, the Countess recut a Valentino toga gown of heavy, pink silk crepe with silver and gold seed bead–embroidered scallops. The event, hosted by the Baron and Baronne Guy de

Rothschild at their Chateau de Ferrières, Paris, stipulated a dress code of white tie for men, with the women instructed to dress as characters from Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past. Years before, the Italian director Luchino Visconti had suggested that de Ribes play Oriane, the Duchesse de Guermantes—a character from the novel; her aristocratic beauty, therefore, fit perfectly with the ball’s theme. While the cannibalized Valentino is based on a style typical of the last years of the Belle Epoque and is faithful to the period even in its details, such as a loop to lift the train while the wearer dances, the languid drape of the crepe over silk organza suggests the sleek lines of the early 1970s. Blending historical details with contemporary aesthetics, the gown presents a compelling reimagining of the past. (ENCASED ALBUMS) Alexandre Borissovitch Sérébriakoff (French, b. Russia 1907–1994) Catherine Sérébriakoff (French, b. Russia 1913–2014) Album du Bal Oriental, 1969 Watercolor and ink on paper, bound in red silk velvet embroidered with gold metal thread; inlay of emeralds and rubies In the months after the Bal Oriental, a number of the guests, as a thank you to their host, Baron Alexis de Redé, commissioned portraits of themselves and the baron to be bound as an album. While the album does not begin to include images of all four hundred guests, those that are included—all of which are by Alexandre Sérébriakoff— comprise a sampling of the various couturiers’ imaginative interpretations of the ball’s theme for their clients. The Countess figured prominently at the event, with the artist positioning her center front in a portrait of the assembled group. Unlike the rest of the extraordinarily attired guests, she is notable for wearing an ensemble completely of her own making and design.

37

Bal Oriental scrapbook, ca. 1969 Ink on paper; textile swatches The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library, The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Illustrations by: Alexandre de Paris (Louis Alexandre Raimon); Pierre Balmain; Marc Bohan for Dior; Pierre Cardin; Maria and Rosy Carita for Carita, Paris; Jules-François Crahay for Lanvin; Ektor (Hektor von Hoffmeister); Hubert de Givenchy; Yves Saint Laurent; Jacques Pinturier; Philippe Venet; Eli Zabaleta On December 5, 1969, Baron Alexis de Redé hosted four hundred guests at the Hôtel Lambert, Île Saint-Louis, Paris, for one of the most visually extravagant costume balls of the century. Like the couturier Paul Poiret, who threw a Scheherazade-inspired ball fifty years earlier christened La mille et deuxième nuit, de Redé used a theme of exotic fantasy for his Bal Oriental. Planning for the party began in March of that year, with invitations sent eight months in advance of the event. Jean-François Daigre, the designer of the event and its scenography, was also involved in pairing the various guests with appropriate couturiers for their costumes. This sheaf of drawings, photocopies, and swatches from the Costume Institute’s archives includes depictions of the party’s host dressed by Pierre Cardin as a Mughal prince and a number of other social luminaries in richly brocaded attire. A life-size pair of papier-mâché elephants in the courtyard greeted the guests. Entering the Hôtel Lambert’s Hercules gallery, partygoers found themselves surrounded by giant Chinese automata playing the lute, smelling flowers, smoking, and holding bowls filled with live goldfish.

38