The grande dame of American fashion, Pauline Trigère was born in 1908 to Jewish parents who had emigrated to France from Russia. Her parents were dressmakers, so Pauline believed that fashion was in her blood. Naturally, Pauline received her first lessons in cutting and sewing from her parents.
After graduating from college, she worked at the Martial et Armand salon on Place Vendôme in Paris, where she learned to design women’s clothing.
In 1937, Pauline, her husband (a Jew from Russia) and their two sons, fleeing the Nazi threat, moved to the United States, where in 1942 she founded Trigère Inc. to produce her own line of clothing.
Trigère’s career lasted more than 50 years and was especially successful in the 1950s and 1960s.
Pauline closed her company in 1994, but continued to work under the name P. T Concepts as a designer of various accessories, jewelry, men’s ties, and a line of scarves that included her signature turtle print.
What has Pauline given to women over the years in the fashion industry?
In 1967, Pauline introduced the first rhinestone bra. Trigere experimented with prints and added fur trim to her dresses, capes, and coats.
In 1961, she was the first major designer to hire an African-American model, Beverly Valdez, as a full-time employee in her store, causing some controversy. But Pauline stood up for her position and the right of black models to work on the catwalk equally with white ones. Trigere commented on the situation: “Because of Beverly, we only lost one client, but we don’t miss her.”
Pauline’s clothes were worn by Evelyn Lauder, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Wallis Simpson, Jacqueline Kennedy and other famous women. Treasure was loved because the outfits she designed made women who did not have ideal figures stately and presentable.
Treasure is the author of some of the costumes worn by Patricia Neal’s character in the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”.
Pauline Treasure died in 2002, giving women around the world ideas that they still use when creating their wardrobes.
