Jeanne Adèle Bernard (1868-1962), known as Jenny Sacerdote and Madame Jenny, was a French couturier known for the "little grey suit". Her fashion brand was Jenny, and in 2018 a brand La Suite Jenny Sacerdote was established, paying tribute to her name.

Personal life

Jeanne Adèle Bernard was born in

Périgueux Périgueux (, ; oc, Peireguers or ) is a communes of France, commune in the Dordogne departments of France, department, in the administrative regions of France, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Périgueux i ...

in the

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...

in 1868. Her mother and grandmother worked in fashion, but she studied to become an academic before turning to fashion at the age of 39. She bought the chateau of Château-l'Évêque, the former summer palace of the

Bishop of Périgueux A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, in 1923. She married Emil Sacerdote in 1909 and they divorced in 1940. She died in

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

in 1962.

Career

Sacerdote opened her first shop at 1 rue de Castiglione in 1909. She developed the "Jenny neck", a

boat neck A boat neck, also called a bateau neck or Sabrina neckline, is a wide neckline that runs horizontally, front and back, almost to the shoulder points, across the collarbone. It is traditionally used in nautically inspired sweaters and knitwear, but ...

, in 1911 and the "little grey suit" in 1915. By 1915 her premises at 70,

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is lo ...

, included 22 workshops, a restaurant, and showrooms decorated by

Robert Mallet-Stevens Robert Mallet-Stevens (March 24, 1886 – February 8, 1945) was an influential French architect and designer. Early life Mallet-Stevens was born in Paris in a house called Maison-Laffitte (designed by François Mansart in the 17th century). H ...

. It was said that she invented the "

little black dress The little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel. It is intended to be long-lasting, versat ...

" before

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...

. Her fashion house closed in 1940. Sacerdote became a Chevalier of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

in 1926, for services to fashion. She was only the second woman to be granted this honour. Château-l'Evêque château 1

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sacerdote, Jenny 1868 births 1962 deaths French women fashion designers French fashion designers Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur

Personal life

Career

References

Further reading

External links