Louis Hippolyte Leroy (1763–1829) was a French

fashion merchant Marchande de modes was a French Guild organisation for women fashion merchants or milliners, normally meaning ornaments for headdresses, hats and dresses, within the city of Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of commune ...

who founded the House of Leroy, one of the foremost fashion houses of the early 19th century First Empire Paris. He is known as the favorite fashion trader and the official fashion designer of empress Josephine de Beauharnais. He was very successful and also provided dresses for several other royal and Princely courts in Europe during the early 19th century.

Life

The son of a machinist of the Royal Opera, he was trained to be a hairdresser and employed at the Royal court of Versailles. In 1804, he provided the empress with her coronation costume, which founded his career as a successful fashion trader of the Parisian high society, eventually making himself a millionaire. During the First Empire, he was a favorite designer of gowns for

Empress Joséphine The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rule ...

and the women of the Imperial court of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, while Madame Herbault made their hats and accessories. According to Imbert de Saint Amand, Leroy did not actually design the costumes he sold; in fact, he bought the models from designers such as Louis-Philibert Debucourt,

Jean-Baptiste Isabey Jean-Baptiste Isabey (; 11 April 1767 – 18 April 1855) was a French artist during both the First Empire and the Restoration. Early life and education Isabey was born in Nancy, France on 11 April 1767. At the age of 19, following some lessons ...

and Auguste Garneray, and simply sold them on to his costumers.Enrica Morini, Storia della moda XVIII-XX secolo, p. 59

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leroy, Louis Hippolyte French fashion designers 19th-century French businesspeople People of the First French Empire 1763 births 1829 deaths French merchants