Louis Hippolyte Leroy (1763–1829) was a French

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

merchant who founded the House of Leroy, one of the foremost fashion houses of the early 19th century

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Paris. He is known as the favorite fashion trader and the official fashion designer of empress

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. He was very successful and also provided dresses for several other royal and Princely courts in Europe during the early 19th century.

Life

The son of a machinist of the Royal Opera, he was trained to be a hairdresser and employed at the Royal court of Versailles. In 1804, he provided the empress with her coronation costume, which founded his career as a successful fashion trader of the Parisian high society, eventually making himself a millionaire. During the First Empire, he was a favorite designer of gowns for

Empress Joséphine Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. ...

and the women of the Imperial court of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, while Madame Herbault made their hats and accessories. According to

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, Leroy did not actually design the costumes he sold; in fact, he bought the models from designers such as Louis-Philibert Debucourt,

Jean-Baptiste Isabey Jean-Baptiste Isabey (11 April 1767 – 18 April 1855) was a French Painting, painter born at Nancy, France, Nancy. He was a successful artist, both under the First French Empire, First Empire and to the diplomats of the Congress of Vienna. L ...

and Auguste Garneray, and simply sold them on to his costumers.Enrica Morini, Storia della moda XVIII-XX secolo, p. 59

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leroy, Louis Hippolyte French fashion designers 19th-century French businesspeople People of the First French Empire 1763 births 1829 deaths