Jeanne Paquin (1869–1936), born as Jeanne Marie Charlotte Beckers, was a French fashion designer, considered the “Queen of Haute Couture”.
She studied at Paris couture house Rouff and in 1891, after her marriage with Isidore René Jacob, known as Paquin, opened her Maison de Couture in Paris. Jeanne was in charge of design, while Isidore ran the business.
Initially, Jeanne favored the pastels, but later she moved on to stronger colors like black and red, transforming the black from a color of mourning to a fashionable color.
Jeanne Paquin was the first couturier to send models dressed in her apparel to public events such operas and horse races for publicity and she collaborated with illustrators, architects and the theatre.
In 1896 The House of Paquin opened a branch in London and became a limited company. The company later expanded with shops in Buenos Aires, Madrid and New York.
In 1900, Jeanne Paquin was elected president of the Fashion Section in the Universal Exhibition and in 1913 became the first woman designer awarded with the Legion d’ Honneur in recognition of her economic contributions to France.
During World War I, she served as president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture and became the first woman who served as president of an employer’s syndicate in France.
