Designer of Glamorous Dresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age
A new book tells the story and revels in the lavish work of designer Jean Louis, who shaped some of the most memorable silhouettes in cinema.
The man behind the dress was French costume designer Jean Louis.
Born Jean Louis Berthault, he dropped his surname in true Hollywood fashion and went on to shape the screen personas of cinema’s greatest stars, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Monroe.
It features foreword by Novak, whom Louis dressed in Pal Joey (1957) and Bell, Book and Candle (1958) before they became lifelong friends.
The lavishly illustrated volume explores collaborations with Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Julie Andrews, Ann-Margret, Gina Lollobrigida and Claudia Cardinale, among others.
It also showcases hundreds of original sketches, photographs and rarely seen archival materials.
While Louis created countless memorable costumes for the screen, his legacy remains entwined with Monroe’s illusion gown. So form-fitting that it had to be sewn directly onto the actress before she stepped onstage at Madison Square Garden, the dress created the impression of nudity, scandalized audiences in 1962 and mchanged the language of celebrity spectacle.
Without it, it’s difficult to imagine Cher’s Bob Mackie-designed barely there look at the 1986 Oscars, or Bianca Censori’s near-nude appearances, or the current naked-dressing red carpet trend. Six decades later, the gown remains a cultural touchstone, selling for a record $4.8 million at auction in 2016.
The oft-married Louis, who died in 1997 at 89, deserves recognition as the designer of Monroe’s most famous dress, and as one of the principal architects of Hollywood glamour.
My Oscar Book:
By the time of his death, he was married to his fourth wife, former client Loretta Young, the Oscar-winning star of The Farmer’s Daughter.
