Madame Virot (1826-1911) was a French

fashion designer 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 ...

'' milliner''. Alongside

Caroline Reboux Caroline Reboux (circa 1840–1927) was a Parisian milliner and French fashion designer. She opened her first boutique at 23 rue de la paix in Paris in 1865, which she continued to operate throughout her life. Reboux opened other shops in P ...

, she was one of the two most famous hat designers in Paris during the second half of the 19th-century. She was the student of Madame Laure and Madame Alexandrine. She was one of the favorite designers of the empress of France,

Eugénie de Montijo ''Doña'' María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (), was Empress of the French from her marriage to Emperor Napo ...

. The empress, who was a major fashion icon of the time, had favorite designers who attended different parts of her wardrobe. In the 1860s, the evening gowns of the empress was designed by Charles Frederick Worth, the morning dresses was made by Madame Laferrière, and the outerwear by Mademoiselle Félicie; Félix Escalier was the hairdresser of the empress, while her the task to design her hats was shared between Madame Virot and Madame Lebel.Granström, Alvar, Kvinnor och krinoliner: en mode- och sedeskildring från krinolinmodets tid, Carlsson, Stockholm, 1990 The fashions of the empress were copied all over the world, and benefitted the careers of her favorite designers. Because of the patronage of the empress, Madame Virot was able to establish her own studio at the Rue de la Paix nr 12 at Champs-Élysées in Paris in 1860. She was known for her innovative and extravagant taste, and became a role model for other milliners. By the 1880s, she had become a millionaire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Virot, Madame French fashion designers French women fashion designers French milliners 19th-century French businesswomen 19th-century French businesspeople People of the Second French Empire 1826 births 1911 deaths