Roger Jean-Pierre

Roger Jean-Pierre (1910? – 1965) was a French designer who began his career in 1934 working for Elsa Schiaparelli until he moved on in 1939. Many of his pieces produced for Schiaparelli are on display in the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

From 1940 to 1946, he created fashion designs for Jean Clement. After World War II, specifically between 1947 and 1958, Roger was director of Maison Francis Winter where he collaborated on jewelry and accessories for Dior, Balenciaga, Gres, Balmain and Lelong. In each of these years, he designed as many as 2500 models for production. These were first shown to haute couturiers and were signed either ‘Winter’ or ‘Jean-Pierre.’ The remaining models were shown to smaller couturiers and department stores.

Pieces by Roger Jean-Pierre are characterized by glamorous designs. They are often flanked in rhinestones carefully set into intricate patterns. His pieces are high fashion and look as if they were meant for the elite group of models who adorn the pages of Vogue Magazine.

A noted craftsman, Roger Jean-Pierre drew his inspirations from the fine detailing of the Edwardian era. He always made the prototypes himself and, at his prime, worked only for the greatest couturiers.

In 1960 Jean-Pierre opened his own atelier in Paris and continued designing with inspiration drawn from the 18th century that was Edwardian in style and workmanship.

Jean-Pierre constructed the prototypes that were then copied by an assistant and used a paper label, ‘Roger Jean-Pierre, Made in France.’ These were sold at department stores like Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Marshall Field.

He also designed for Christian Dior and Balenciaga and was adviser to Coro for 5 years for their Vendome line.

One of Jean Pierre’s most outstanding pieces is a necklace of fuchsia faceted beads and clear rhinestones. Consisting of fuchsia multi-faceted glass beads, crystal pear shaped stones, and smaller rhinestones, the necklace measures about 17 inches long and about two and a half inches wide. It is a statement piece to be sure.

At his prime, Roger Jean-Pierre worked only for the greatest couturiers and received what is widely considered the Oscar for fashion in 1960.

In 1976, after he lost his wife and step-son, he lost interest in designing jewelry and closed his Paris atelier. He died shortly thereafter.

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