As the designer of Rita Hayworth’s famed black satin strapless dress from Gilda (1946), Marlene Dietrich’s beaded souffle stage wear for her cabaret shows and Marilyn Monroe’s iconic sheer sparkling gown she wore when she sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to JFK, Jean Louis gained fame around the globe as a Hollywood costume designer. The Paris-born designer, who was hired by Hattie Carnegie in New York before working in house for Columbia Pictures, also worked for Loretta Young, who he later married until his death in Palm Springs in 1997. He was nominated for 14 Academy Awards for Costume Design (he won for The Solid Gold Cadillac in 1956.) 
Pictured above is a 1960s Jean Louis mohair swing coat, featuring an oversize plaid print on wool angora, in shades of tomato red, emerald green and royal blue. Available online at 1stdibs or at The Way We Wore.
Tags: Jean Louis, mohair swing coat, the way we wore, vintage fashion