Louis Jean

Professional name of Jean-Louis Berthault (1907-1997), a French clothes and costume designer. he designed the famous sleeveless evening dress worn by Rita Hayworth in the key scene in the film Gilda (1946). He was renowned in particular for clothing the femmes fatales of cinema, like Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford, and Marlene Dietrich. He worked for 17 years at Columbia as head of costume design, before moving to Universal. His career started with fashion. Originally a designer at Drecoll, he was hired by the Hattie Carnegie House, and some of the most famous women of the time among his clients, including Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. He was introduced around Hollywood by one of them, Mrs. Cohn, the wife of the Columbia president. In 1954 he made Judy Garland’s costumes in A Star Is Born and was nominated for an Oscar. From 1961 he designed his personal line of prêt-à-porter and devoted himself to his personal atelier, continuing to collaborate with the world of cinema as a freelancer. Marilyn Monroe wore one of his sequin-studded creations when she sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy at Madison Square Gardens. Nancy Reagan was wearing one of his dresses when her husband was sworn in as President.