Main Rousseau Bocher

Place: Chicago

Born: 1890

Death: 1976

Biography:

Main Rousseau Bocher, known as Mainbocher, was an American couturier born in Chicago in 1890. He studied at the Lewis Institute and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. During World War I, he served in intelligence and stayed in Paris after the war. He worked as a fashion illustrator for Harper's Bazaar, as Paris fashion editor for Vogue (1922-1929), and eventually became the editor-in-chief of the French edition of Vogue in early 1927. In 1929, he established his own fashion house, 'Mainbocher Couture', in Paris. He gained recognition for his elegant and sophisticated couture garments, and his subtle and timeless style won him an exclusive clientele, which included fashion editors, aristocrats, pianists, socialites, and Hollywood stars. His most famous patron was Wallis Simpson, for whom he named a color, 'Wallis Blue', and designed her wedding dress and trousseau for her marriage to the Duke of Windsor. In 1939, he relocated his business to New York and established 'Mainbocher Inc.'. He recreated his Paris salons exactly as they were and stayed true to haute couture traditions. He solved fabric rationing issues during the war by designing short evening gowns and 'cocktail aprons' that could transform any dress into a formal evening dress. He also designed a series of uniforms for both military and civilian organizations. Mainbocher passed away in 1976.