JEANNE TOUSSAINT

Feline and female were made for each other; Jeanne Toussaint sensed its symbolic potential and power of attraction. As the image of assertive femininity, the figure of the panther resonated with the headstrong women of her entourage, whom she understood very well. In 1948, Toussaint—who was also known as “La Panthère” —designed a brooch for the Duchess of Windsor: a three-dimensional panther sitting atop an emerald cabochon, followed by a further panther the next year on a sapphire cabochon. Jeanne—and the Maison with her—transformed the feline into a symbol of radiant femininity freed from convention.