Jeanne Margaine-Lacroix

(1868-1930)

She was a French couturier who designed dresses in the early 20th Century. The Fashion House “Margaine-Lacroix” is known for having revolutionized fashion by creating the ‘scandalous’ Sylphide or Tanagreene dress which (it was rumoured) was worn without a corset.

She was Jeanne Margaine-Lacroix.

Jeanne was born in 1868 in Paris, and her mother was the couturier Armandine Fresnais-Margaine (1835-1899) and her father was Francois Arsene Margaine, who was a watchmaker. Little is known about Jeanne’s childhood, however, with her mother a fashion designer, she was (no doubt) ‘trained’ in the House “Maison Margaine” which was founded by her mother in 1889.

In the same year, Jeanne married Philippe Leonard Lacroix (1862-1924), who was a tailor himself. The couple had a daughter they called Yvonne (1892-1944) who became the first woman to be crowned champion of France in figure skating.

The House “Maison Margaine” obtained a gold medal for its creation at the Exposition Universelle in 1889 in Paris. The press at the time were already commenting on the designer’s daughter, Jeanne, for her ‘contribution’ to the exhibition, especially her flower designs.

When her mother died in 1899, Jeanne renamed the Fashion House “Maison Margaine-Lacroix” and took over the ownership. She became a member of the Collectivite de la Couture which exhibited models in the Salon des Lumieres at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

Jeanne wanted women to look more natural which is why she removed the traditional corset from her designs in favour of soft knit and front-lacing underwear, which was ‘scandalous’ because these designs revealed the shape of the woman’s body under the outfit instead of the shape of the corset. Jeanne said: “Suppleness is demanded by women, because that alone gives ‘line’. Stiff, hard brands cannot meet their wishes”.

On 10th May, 1908, during The Pix du Prince de Galles, at the Longchamp Racecourse, three of her models caused quite a sensation by presenting a new slim and free line which the press called “the directoire gown”. The press called the three models “Les Nouvelles Merveilleuses” which referred to the semi-naked beauties of the French Revolutionary period. The crowd that gathered around the three young ladies ‘thought’ that the models were virtually naked beneath the figure-hugging gowns. “La belle Moina”, who was the most beautiful of the three models, was offered a contract by the director of the Moulin Rouge.

The New York Times reported: “Pictures of the young women who displayed their charming persons in so-called directoire gowns, are printed in both capitals [London and Paris] and artists and moralists, men of the world, police officers and dressmakers have been interviewed in bewildering numbers.

The actress Lillie Laangtry and other famous personalities adapted this new fashion, and Lillie was seen wearing this new ‘style’ when she attended the races at the Chester Racecourse.

In the silent film “La Cigarette”, which was released in 1919 (and which was directed by the French female film-maker Germaine Dulac), Jeanne Margaine-Lacroix dressed the main actress for the film, Andree Brabant.

Jeanne also ‘designed’ wide-legged trousers for women in 1910, some months before Paul Poiret ‘claimed’ to do the first designs of trousers for women.

In the same year, Jeanne Margaine-Lacroix (the House) produced corsets created for the Tanagreenne and Sylphide dresses. The advert was that ‘the Sylphide-fourreau corset was essential under clinging dresses’ which put an end to the rumours that the dresses were worn without a corset.

In 1930, Jeanne died in Chatou and was buried in the Lacroix family grave in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, alongside her mother and husband.

Jeanne had been “forgotten” in history because Paul Poiret took center stage at the time, but it could only be a woman who could change fashion to which, at last, women were comfortable wearing the ‘latest designs’.