Anne Rohart is wearing this look, shown in July 1988, one year after the debut and our third collection. It was dedicated to the city of Arles. On my mood board there were antique draperies; Roman, Gallo-Roman, and Early Christian documents; plus many reliquaries; ecclesiastical art; religious masterpieces in the Byzantine style…. (My native town was a residence for Emperor Constantine, who founded Constantinople, and at one time, planned to make Arles the capital of the Roman Empire). I had the idea of having one of these famous crosses (as a symbol/signature of my name) blown up on a simple duchess satin jacket. François Lesage embroidered it in a magnificent way.
When I presented my “Luxe” ready-to-wear collection in October at the Faubourg Saint Honoré couture salons, Carlyne Cerf came backstage and asked me if I was upset with the now-famous November 1988 issue of Vogue, the first by Anna [Wintour]. I must confess that between summer holidays and the preparation of two collections, I hadn’t seen it. Of course, I was over the moon and so proud when Carlyne, who styled it, showed me the famous picture by our dear, late Peter Lindbergh, with the jacket worn with jeans by a delicious young model, Michaela Berçu. I went straight into the audience to thank Anna and to apologize for having missed it. That was 31 years ago. I can’t believe it; it’s as if we were talking about a 1957 cover. Anyway, that’s the story of how this jacket made Vogue history—and I was not even aware of it!
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