The Countess Jacqueline de Ribe is called “the last Parisian queen”. On December 11 and 12, the first auction of valuable items from the House of de Ribe will take place, among which the first will be collections of unique books. In the spring of 2020, Sotheby's will present other valuables from the famous house. It will be painting of the 17th-19th centuries, sculpture and furniture. Part of the proceeds will go to support cultural organizations and charity.

This collection will become one of the most luxurious at auctions in recent years. Edouard de Ribe passed away in 2013. He was a great connoisseur and connoisseur of literature, history, painting. Together with his wife, he decided to share his unique heritage with collectors around the world.

So who is Jacqueline de Ribe?

Jacqueline de Ribe - biography

Once this woman was known to the entire Western world, she was admired, she was a favorite client of many famous designers: Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino Garavani, and at the age of 25 she was considered the most stylish woman of that time.

But Jacqueline aspired to be not only a client, she even made her own adjustments to the design and dictated what she wanted to wear, was a co-author with many designers, for which she was treated with great respect, and in 1999 Jean-Paul Gaultier dedicated a whole collection to her.

Jacqueline had a unique sense of style. Her ideas were so captivating and interesting that many advised her to start her own brand. She founded it in 1982 and has been creating collections for her brand for 12 years.



In 2010 year Jacqueline de Ribe was awarded the highest honor in France - the Order of the Legion of Honor.

In 2015 the exposition "Jacqueline de Ribe: the art of style" was held at the New York Metropolitan Museum, where the outfits of the "last Parisian queen", made for her by legendary designers, and dresses created by Jacqueline herself were presented.

“Elegance is a position. State of mind. "
“Remember that you will never be sexually attractive for everyone ... For some, yes, for others, no. Being completely naked is not sexy. The art of being sexy is to hint, suggest, ignite fantasy. "

And she succeeded.

Jacqueline de Ribe, née Jacqueline de Beaumont, was born on July 14, 1929 in Paris. She grew up surrounded by wealth, but she did not get the attention from her mother as a child. On the contrary, her mother often teased her for being too tall, thin, long, thin neck and nose.



She wanted to become a ballerina, but frequent ridicule made her not dream about it. Then she began to dream of another life, in which there is a stage and beautiful costumes. And she sewed these costumes herself, and the stage is life, and the people in it are actors (“The whole world is a theater, and the people in it are actors” - W. Shakespeare).

In such an atmosphere of ridicule, one could grow up to be a notorious and insecure girl. But she was lucky enough to meet a man who became her devoted friend for life.

Count Edouard de Ribe belonged to the highest Parisian society. It was he who saw unusual beauty in his future wife, and soon they became a happy married couple. The beauty of Jacqueline de Ribe with delicate features remarkably resembled an ancient Egyptian princess, and subsequently she was sometimes called Nefertiti.



They got married in the difficult post-war years, but a married couple could afford everything and live without denying anything. However, their life passed calmly, unhurriedly, Jacqueline did not strive for extravagance and excesses. The young countess had little interest in social life, although the doors of the richest houses were open for them.Of course, de Ribet occasionally went out into the high society, but this was not the main goal, they were dispassionate about the exits.



Jacqueline de Ribe, raised in a family of wealthy aristocrats, constantly followed fashion. She could afford the best outfits of the time. Possessing impeccable taste and style, Jacqueline, at the age of 25, was included in the list of the most stylish women and became the muse of famous couturiers. Guy Laroche, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent dedicated their collections to her.

With her ability to dress and refined manners, Jacqueline attracted the attention of society, and was everywhere a welcome guest. So gradually she became the queen of Paris. She was invited to the most luxurious events and balls. On weekdays, Jacqueline dressed simply, but with the same unchanging taste. She prepared carefully for publication. Besides the fact that she was wearing expensive and luxurious outfits, she just liked to come up with and implement original ideas in her costume.

In the early 50s, having visited America for the first time with her husband, Jacqueline hit the covers fashion magazines... She came to the studio of the famous Richard Avedon from the hairdresser, carefully prepared for this visit. Diana Vreeland, then editor of Harper's Bazaar, who was present on the set, decisively rejected her frizzy hair and returned her natural look - Jacqueline wore a braid on her head. This is how the famous photograph appeared, where Jacqueline resembles an Egyptian princess. This portrait, taken by a brilliant photographer, has become a work of art.



In 1982 her old dream came true - Countess Jacqueline de Ribe opened her fashion house. The first show was attended by famous couturiers of that time: Valentino Garavani, Emanuel Ungaro and Yves Saint Laurent with Pierre Berger. She had known Valentino Garavani for a long time, when he was still a young Italian boy who once helped her draw sketches. They all had great respect for the Countess, and on occasion supported her as an independent designer.



The first collection was presented simultaneously in Paris and New York and was a great success among both fashion experts and the public.

In 1984 Jacqueline presented another collection dedicated to jewelry. In 1985 she was awarded the Rodeo Drive award in Los Angeles. In the late 1980s, de Ribe began developing long evening dresses, and in the early 1990s, cocktail designs.



Throughout her long life, Jacqueline tried herself in different areas: in television, the Countess produced several episodes of a program about the book by Luigi Barzini "Italians", after the death of the Marquis de Cuevas, Jacqueline de Ribe became the impresario of his troupe.

She was an interesting interlocutor, philanthropist, designer, engaged in social activities. The Countess loved sports and was a first-class skier. It was on the ski trail that she met Emilio Pucci, who later ordered her a collection of dresses.



The Countess de Ribe was happy to find new occupations for herself, each of which ended in great achievements. In the late 60s, Jacqueline went to Ibiza to build her house there. During the construction process, she took part in almost everything, since she knew how to do a lot with her own hands.

Countess Jacqueline de Ribe loved to be photographed for fashion magazines. And dressing modestly on weekdays, in the evening at social events, it was a great pleasure for her to impress when she appeared at the ball. But this was not the vanity that ordinary beauties experience, killing time and squandering the family fortune. It was a sense of the designer's pleasure in the work done, and admiring glances were a reward for art and craftsmanship.



The countess's exits to secular balls are reflected in the memoirs of many eyewitnesses.For example, Oscar de la Renta talked about the appearance of Jacqueline de Ribe at the Oriental ball of Baron Alexis de Rede in December 1969 - "It was a real show." It was this evening that inspired Alexander Serebryakov, the son of the famous Russian artist Zinaida Serebryakova, to paint a portrait of the Countess.

At the 2015 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum, dedicated to the style of Jacqueline de Ribe, one could admire the works of not only the great designers of the twentieth century, but also extraordinary interpretations of couture. Many of them were redrawn or repainted by the Countess de Ribe herself (we are talking about the works of the great designers Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Pierre Balmain, Valentino Garavani, Jean-Paul Gaultier).

The designers themselves did not criticize her experiments at all, they esteemed Jacqueline de Ribe as a co-author, and admired the designer's impeccable taste and talent.



In 1994 Jacqueline de Ribe finished her design career, a lingering illness chained her to a wheelchair for a long time.

This year on July 14, Countess Jacqueline de Ribe turned 90 years old. And she decided that this was a suitable excuse to announce to everyone the joint decision of the de Ribe family to share the values ​​of the house with collectors around the world. Edouard de Ribe and Jacqueline have lived together for over half a century. He passed away six years ago.

Jacqueline de Ribe's style has always been distinguished by grandeur and refined elegance, without a hint of age.



The portrait of Jacqueline, taken by the brilliant photographer, was the beginning of her impeccable style. She always stood out from the crowd, and at every social event she was eagerly awaited. The Countess de Ribe was a favorite client of the outstanding designers, and the only one who allowed adjustments to their brilliant work. The beauty of the outfits made by the Countess herself is also impressive, but these dresses can only be presented on Jacqueline de Ribet.

The gracefulness and sophistication of Jacqueline de Ribe, a long neck, a Greek nose and a shock of thick hair - this will remain in the history of fashion and the memory of admirers of her talent Jacqueline de Ribe. She always wanted to live a young life.