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Runway Archive: Jean Doucet, 1999

27.07.2018
1990scontemporary fashionFrench fashionrunway

The – very special – final look of the couturier’s spring/Summer 1999 collection, featuring Miss France

Jean Doucet and Marta Galanter walking the runway of the designer’s 1999 couture show. Photo by Etienne Tordoir, courtesy Catwalkpictures, all rights reserved

The image shows designer Jean Doucet walking down the runway hand in hand with Tahitian model Mareva Galanter, who was elected Miss France in 1999. Galanter wears a flamboyant one-shoulder dress made of brocade silk and of course, the sash she won in the competition.

Even though they shared city, Paris, and profession, that of couturiers, Jean Doucet has not to be confused with the eponymous art collector and couturier Jacques Doucet.
Jean Doucet made his name at the end of twentieth century. He studied at the prestigious Ecole Superieur de l’Haute Couture from which he graduated at 21. He started his career as apprentice to Christian Dior, moving then to Paco Rabanne, Emmanuel Ungaro and Jean Patou, where he became assistant to Christian Lacroix. He presented his first collection in 1988, year in which he also opened his first boutique in Paris.

From 1998 he begun his collaboration with the competition ‘miss France’, of which he was part of the committee and the ‘couturier officiel’, linking his style to an idea of ‘French beauty’ that embraces multiculturalism. In 2005, he established a fashion school in Gabon,, where he was drawn by his love for the ‘terres d’afrique’, their traditions, crafts and culture.