Jeanne Adèle Bernard (1868–1962), known as Jenny Sacerdote and Madame Jenny, was a French couturier known for the "little grey suit". Her fashion brand was Jenny, and in 2018 a brand La Suite Jenny Sacerdote was established, paying tribute to her name.

Personal life

Jeanne Adèle Bernard was born in

Périgueux Périgueux (, ; or ) is a commune in the Dordogne department, in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Périgueux is the prefecture of Dordogne, and the capital city of Périgord. It is also the seat of ...

in the

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...

in 1868. Her mother and grandmother worked in fashion, but she studied to become an academic before turning to fashion at the age of 39. She bought the chateau of Château-l'Évêque, the former summer palace of the

Bishop of Périgueux A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

, in 1923. She married Emil Sacerdote in 1909 and they divorced in 1940. She died in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million boat neck A boat neck, also called a bateau neck or Sabrina (1954 film), Sabrina neckline, is a wide neckline that runs horizontally, front and back, almost to the shoulder points, across the collarbone. It is traditionally used in nautically inspired sweat ...

, in 1911 and the "little grey suit" in 1915. By 1915 her premises at 70,

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an Avenue (landscape), avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc ...

, included 22 workshops, a restaurant, and showrooms decorated by

Robert Mallet-Stevens Robert Mallet-Stevens (24 March 1886 – 8 February 1945) was a French architect and designer. Early life Mallet-Stevens was born in Paris. His father and his grandfather were art collectors in Paris and Brussels. His great-uncles were the Be ...

. It was said that she invented the "

little black dress The little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel. It is intended to be long-lasting, versatile, ...

" before

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...

. Her fashion house closed in 1940. Sacerdote became a Chevalier of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1926, for services to fashion. She was only the second woman to be granted this honour.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sacerdote, Jenny 1868 births 1962 deaths French women fashion designers French fashion designers Knights of the Legion of Honour

Personal life

References

Further reading

External links