Jacqueline de Ribes

Jacqueline de Ribes, the French aristocrat who became an international style reference and later launched her own fashion business, died in Switzerland on December 30, 2025. She was 96.

Born Jacqueline Bonnin de La Bonninière de Beaumont on July 14, 1929, she grew up in a prominent French family and came of age during the Second World War.

In 1948, she married Édouard de Ribes, a banker who later became Comte de Ribes, making her a countess. The couple had two children.

For decades, de Ribes was celebrated less for chasing trends than for shaping a recognizable silhouette of her own. She appeared on the International Best Dressed List several times and remained a touchstone for designers and editors.

Her public profile broadened beyond society as she took on creative and producing work in the arts and later built a namesake label. In 1982, after years of crafting clothing for herself and for elaborate costume events, she launched her own fashion label. Her designs were worn by such celebrities as Joan Collins, Raquel Welch (1940–2023), and Cher.

In 2015, her wardrobe and design life became the subject of a major exhibition at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. "Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style" presented dozens of ensembles from her own closet and traced her fashion development from childhood "dress-up" to a long public career.

De Ribes was honored as a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 2010.

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: Rose Hartman/Archive Photos/Getty Images)