Jacqueline de Ribes, Parisian Countess and Fashion Tastemaker, Dies at 96

Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, the Parisian grande dame, tastemaker and fashion designer, died on Tuesday in Switzerland. She was 96. Her death in a hospital was confirmed by Françoise Dumas, a friend and events organizer; Ms. de Ribes lived primarily in Paris and near Lausanne. Known as an icon of style, Ms.

de Ribes designed clothes for herself and a socially prominent clientele and was often photographed by major photographers including Irving Penn, Slim Aarons, Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon. Admirers in the fashion world included Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan and Valentino, and she was celebrated for theatrical entrances, inventive “sartorial mash-ups” and a performance‑oriented approach to dress.

She said, according to the record, that “dressing up…doesn’t mean that you are frivolous; it has nothing to do with frivolity,” and later described herself as “like a D.J. of couture.” Ms. de Ribes launched a fashion house in the early 1980s after a long career as a society figure.

Her first collection, unveiled in March 1983, drew praise and ultimately was sold at more than 40 U.S. stores; at its commercial peak her business was grossing $3 million annually and she had an exclusive three‑year contract with Saks Fifth Avenue. She sold a minority stake to the Japanese company Kanebo in 1986 but the relationship later collapsed.

Key Topics

Culture, Jacqueline De Ribes, Paris, Lausanne, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino