Jean Louis

Who was Jean Louis?

Jean Louis was a French-born, Hollywood costume designer and an Academy Award winner for Costume Design. Before coming to Hollywood he worked in New York for fashion entrepreneur Hattie Carnegie, where the clientele included Joan Cohn, the wife of Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn. Louis worked as head designer for Columbia Pictures from 1944 to 1960. His most famous works include Rita Hayworth's black satin strapless dress from Gilda, Marlene Dietrich's celebrated beaded souffle stagewear for her cabaret world tours, as well as the sheer, sparkling gown Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy in 1962. The dress was so tight that he actually had to sew it while she was wearing it. The sleek beaded dress design was passed down to other designers over time such as Gianni Versace. The idea of dresses being a nude color with crystals coating it, stunned audiences. It gave people the illusion that Hollywood stars were nude with rhinestones covering them head to toe. Marlene Dietrich, another designer, looked up to Jean Louis’s style of gowns after the dress for Marilyn Monroe was debuted.