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jean louis mazéas was a “magician” with hair, says his nephew, Jean Paul Mazéas.1 A preeminent Washington, D.C., hairstylist in the 1960s, Jean Louis’s personal goal was to make every woman who left his shop feeling like a “prin cess—delicate, dignified, and graceful.” His clients were, in fact, often real prin cesses seeking his signature coiffure, a status symbol among the Washington social elite.2 His appointment book was flush with the names of the most cel ebrated women of his day—movie stars, wives of diplomats and politicians, royalty from around the world, White House staff, two first ladies—Jacqueline Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson—and two White House brides—Luci and Lynda Johnson.
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ToHAIRSTYLISTFirstLadiesand
Wh ite House Brides
Jean Louis Mazéas
During the 1960 presidential campaign news papers revealed that Mrs. Kennedy was to get a “New Look” from Jean Louis called the “modified bouffant”—slightly full in the back but with the hair closer to the head at the sides and turned upward on the cheek.10 He once said of his hair styles, “I do not copy since an artist only signs his name to that which is original.”11 Jean Louis transformed the fullness of Mrs. Kennedy’s 1950s bouffant into “smooth elegance” and set a trend in the fall of 1960, during the height of her husband’s campaign. 12
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previous spread Jean Louis attaches Lynda DecemberofEastsalonhairweddingJohnson’sveiltoherinamakeshiftsetupintheSittingHalltheWhiteHouse9,1967. below In the fall of 1960, Jean Louis introduced a “New Look” for Mrs. Kennedy, seen here during her husband’s televised campaign speech in andCalledSeptember.a“modifiedbouffant,”thestylewasslightlyfullintheback,closetotheheadatthesides,turnedupwardonthecheek.
“THE JACKIE LOOK”
While often overshadowed in history by Kenneth— Kenneth Battelle, the better-known New York hairstylist who is credited with creating Mrs. Kennedy’s original signature bouffant—Jean Louis left his own mark in the fashion world, especially in Washington, D.C. From Le Faou, a small town in Brittany, France, Jean Louis journeyed to Paris at the age of 14 to receive training in hairstyling. At age 17, he established himself as a gifted hair stylist by winning the annual Parisian hairstyling competition.3 After serving several years in the French army, he returned to Paris. There he saw a newspaper advertisement placed by owner Marius N. Robert for an assistant position at Robert of Paris Inc., a Dupont Circle hair salon at 1514 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. The city directory lists Robert as “President, Coiffure Designer, Hairdresser and Beauty Parlor.” 4 Jean Louis remarked, “I had in my head since I was very young to come to the United States,”5 and with his background and training this position was a perfect opportunity. In 1955, at age 26 Jean Louis made his dream come true. Working for Robert for three years, he got to know the leading women of society.6 The job was a launching point for his career, and when he branched out to open his own small salon down the street at 1504 Connecticut Avenue, his elite clientele was already established.
Jean Louis became a sensation perhaps due in part to the prominence of this clients. Along with his burgeoning reputation and talent, the American fascination with French design also helped solidify his fame. Frequently newspaper coverage lauded Jean Louis: “Like all Parisians, Jean Louis knows what is chic and what is not chic.”7 The Paris con nection appealed to Jacqueline Kennedy, who was well-versed in French fashion and history. While she was living on N Street in Georgetown with her husband, Senator John Kennedy, she found her way to Jean Louis’s salon. She visited twice a week until she was pregnant with John Jr., and then Jean Louis made home visits to style and set her hair.8 Even the name of her signature hairstyle, the bouf fant, is of French origin, meaning to “swell,” and referred to the way curlers were used to lift and tease her hair in a puffed-out appearance.9
left An inaugural eve blizzard prevented Jean Louis from reaching Mrs. aneveningBattelleGeorgetownKennedy’shometoassistKennethinstylingherhair.Sheisseenhereleavingfortheevents,herhairprotectedbyumbrella. right Jean TheembellishedfamouslyLouisMrs.Kennedy’shairstylewithadiamondclipforaStateDinner,November7,1961.
She understood the importance of her public image and worked on creating a look that not only reflected the couple’s youthful dynamic but also conveyed modern sophistication. Her style—bouf fant hair, pillbox hats, and classy suits—was being replicated by women across America. Department stores advertised clothes as “The Jackie Look,” and women styled their hair short and chic.13 Jean Louis once said, “Mrs. Kennedy’s emphasis on culture and on high fashion has led to a revival of chic taste among Washington women.”14 Jean Louis suffered a bitter disappointment when Kenneth Battelle was chosen to do Mrs. Kennedy’s hair for the inaugural events. While the two were not exactly rivals, Jean Louis’s pride was hurt. Later, when Mrs. Kennedy called his salon and asked if Jean Louis could come to her home to assist Battelle, he “politely but reluctantly” said yes. However, on the night before the Inauguration, a nor’easter, dubbed the “Kennedy Inaugural Snowstorm,” crippled Washington, D.C., traffic, and the White House limousine that was trans porting Jean Louis was stuck. Kenneth completed Mrs. Kennedy’s hair unaided. Jean Louis’s talents did not go completely unused, however. On the
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PostWashington called the look a masterpiece.”“hairdresser’s morning of the Inauguration, important inaugu ral guests who came to Jean Louis’s salon to have their hair done included Rose Kennedy, President Kennedy’s mother; Princess Lee Radziwill, Mrs. Kennedy’s sister; and Evangeline Bruce, the wife of the U.S. ambassador to England, among many others.15After Jacqueline Kennedy became first lady, Jean Louis was called to the White House every week to style her hair. She would already have her hair shampooed to save time when he arrived at her dressing room on the Second Floor. When Jean Louis was combing out her hair, sometimes Caroline and John Jr. would come in to say good night to their mother, watching her hair being styled and asking what she was going to wear that night.16 For evening events, Jean Louis often used rhinestone barrettes placed strategically low near the ear to highlight the “puffed out softness” of her bouffant or even above the bangs to create even more of a pouf.17 At the State Dinner for the prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on November 7, 1961, Jean Louis styled Jacqueline Kennedy’s hair so that it was pushed back at the crown with a curved diamond clip at her temple.
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opposite and right Jean Louis’s work was frequently featured in the Washington Post and other newspapers during the 1960s. His collection of clippings, notes from his clients, and other ephemera from his career is preserved in a scrapbook compiled by a friend. The scrapbook includes Judith Martin’s article on the “New Look” Jean Louis created for Mrs. Kennedy. below Jean Louis worked in two salons in the 1500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, seen here July 1963. He began his Washington years at Robert of Paris Inc. at 1514, later opened his own salon at 1504, and then finally purchased the salon at 1514. The salon at 1504 Connecticut, marked by the second tan awning from the left, is the location regularly visited by Jacqueline Kennedy before she became first lady. Lady Bird Johnson visited 1514 as first lady, seen to the right of the dark awning.
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bottom left Mrs. duringKennedyJacquelineagainworeaposticheaStateDinnerinFebruary1963.
bottom right As shorter hair became atKennedyfashionable,moreMrs.grewherhairlonger.Hershoulder-lengthhairisseenherewhenshegreetedEmperorHaileSelassieofEthiopiaUnionStation,October1,1963.
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top left and right One of 1962duringcreatingaddespeciallyKennedy’sMrs.eleganthairstylesinvolvedtheuseofahairpieceor“postiche”tovolumetothebackofacoiffure,theillusionoflongerhairwornup.ThestyleisseenatleftaStateDinnerinAprilandatrightduringanArrivalCeremonyinNovember1962.
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Jean Louis managed his small salon with only two employees for six years but eventually outgrew the space. Coincidentally, his former boss, Marius Robert, was selling his Dupont Circle salon, so Jean Louis returned to where he started his career as a hairdresser in America, only this time he was the owner. In October 1963, at a grand opening for his new salon, Madam Nicole Alphand, wife of French ambassador Herve Alphand and good friend to Mrs. Kennedy, cut the ceremonial ribbon. Rose and Ethel Kennedy sent notes with their well wishes to Jean Louis. But the most honored guest, who flew from France to support him at his grand opening, was his mother.22 His new salon was elegantly fur nished with antique French furniture of blue velvet and gilding against white walls. Guests were wel comed into an oval drawing room with a red carpet and crystal chandelier hanging from a light blue dome.23Jean Louis was only 34 years old, and his coif fures continued to be highly sought after by women with political connections to the Kennedy and then the Lyndon Johnson administrations. He was even dubbed the “coiffure king of the Great Society.”24
HERALDTIMESANDPOSTWASHINGTONPROQUEST, above In 1958,DecemberJeanLouisadvertisedhisnewsalonforthe“awarewoman”inthe Washington Post. While her husband served in the Senate, Mrs. AftersalonwouldKennedyvisitthetwiceaweek.Mrs.Kennedybecamefirstlady,JeanLouiswouldtraveltotheWhiteHousetostyleherhair.
“All women in society were getting their hair done every other day by Jean Louis,” Ann Hand recalled. “You could tell just by looking at them when some one had the ‘Jean Louis hairdo’—it was a very dis tinctive style and he was quite the young man,” she said.27
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Ann Hand, wife of Lloyd Nelson Hand, chief of protocol to President Johnson, remembers that no one she has ever known had a clientele like Jean Louis. “He was ‘the man’ in those golden days” of the capital city, she said.25 His early who’s who cli entele list included Pamela Turnure, press secre tary to President Kennedy; Evelyn Lincoln, private secretary to President Kennedy; Madame Nicole Alphand; wives of the diplomatic corps; visit ing dignitaries Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco; Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi of Iran; Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands; Marie-Madeleine Lioux, the wife of André Malraux, French minister of cultural affairs; Princess Lee Radziwill, as well as other members of the Kennedy family such as Eunice Shriver and Rose Kennedy. During the Lyndon B. Johnson presidency, notable clients included Press Secretary Liz Carpenter; the president’s secretaries, Juanita Roberts and Vicki McCammon; and Mary Valenti, wife of special assistant to the president.26
The Washington Post called it a “hairdresser’s mas terpiece.”18 Mrs. Kennedy later started wearing a hairpiece called a postiche—real or artificial hair that added volume to the back of a coiffure. The postiche created the illusion of longer hair that was pulled up on the top of her head for an elegant eve ningInout.191962, Jean Louis went to Paris for six weeks in search of new inspiration. The bouffant was start ing to become passé, and he wanted something fresh to share with the first lady. He returned with a hairstyle that he called “the sweet lady.” It was a medium-length hairstyle that had a more natural look with less teasing and shorter in the back than in the front. Mrs. Kennedy, however, had a differ ent vision. Known for having her own individual style, by 1963 she started ignoring Parisian trends. While France dictated that short bob hairstyles were now the fashion, the first lady wore her hair longer, to the shoulders.20 This new longer, straight hairstyle can be seen in photographs from October 1, 1963, when Mrs. Kennedy greeted Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and his granddaughter, Princess Hirut (“Ruth”) Desta, at Union Station in Washington, D.C., before the State Dinner that night. Nevertheless, Jean Louis continued to pro mote the shorter French hairstyle to his clients, say ing it was “more useful [sic] and chic.”21
Jean Louis worked to ensure Mrs. Johnson’s comfort and privacy in his shop.
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THE JOHNSON YEARS Soon after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy returned to Georgetown and later moved to New York City. It was around this time that the former first lady visited Jean Louis’s salon for the last time. Meanwhile, Jean Louis was soon attending to the new first lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Jean Louis particularly enjoyed working with Mrs. Johnson. He once said in an interview, “Mrs. Johnson has always been a total pleasure to work with—really! She is more concerned with the individual than she is with herself. If I was particularly busy, she would come to my salon rather than have to disturb myself and go up to the White House. Or if she was going to be late, even if it was 10 minutes, she would call me. So considerate.”28 And if he was booked for the day, she would reschedule for another time, never expecting him to cancel other appoint ments for her. When the first lady did visit his salon, Jean Louis wanted her to have complete privacy. He discouraged questions from other clients and was known for his discretion.29 He even had two private rooms on the second floor of his salon—one dedicated solely for the first lady’s use. In homage to the White House, the wallpaper in the first lady’s room was a replica of the damask used in the Blue Room before it was replaced with Mrs. Kennedy’s striped wall cover ings. Engravings of the White House and Mount Vernon hung on the walls, and personal antiques from Jean Louis’s collection, including a bust of Empress Josephine, decorated the space.30 Not only could Jean Louis arrange fashionable hairstyles perfectly, but he also did them quickly. He was known as one of the fastest stylists in Washington and could do thirty-five to forty coif fures in a day, as well as comb-outs, a method of combing and arranging hair in waves, whenever needed by the first lady.31 Even though the hairstyles were created quickly, the quality was not diminished. Mrs. Hand explained that “Jean Louis paid attention to the details for every single woman’s hair” that he did. “He took great care of all his clients and remembered what they liked,” she said.32One hairstyle Jean Louis created personally was for 16-year-old first daughter, Luci Johnson, when she was crowned the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Queen in 1964. It was intro duced as “the curl.” Reminiscent of Empress Eugénie, this special style was described by Jean Louis as a “modern version of the romantic coiffure of the time of Napoleon III in France.”33 above Jean Louis described First Lady Lady Bird Johnson as “so considerate,” often traveling to his salon rather than calling on him to visit the White House for her appointments.
right Jean enjoyedLouisdoingMrs.Johnson’shairandkeptasnapshotofher that is preserved in his scrapbook. below Inspired by the Empress Eugénie’s hair (below left), Jean Louis created a style dubbed “the curl” for Luci Johnson when she was crowned the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Queen in 1964 (below right). He described the style as a “modern version of the romantic coiffure of the time of Napoleon III.”
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In 1965, Jean Louis won the Helene Curtis Beauty Award, named one of ten best hairdressers in the world, for styling Ann Hand’s hair with another version of “the curl.” Mrs. Hand had first heard of Jean Louis, as many others did, through word of mouth. Mrs. Johnson mentioned she should see Jean Louis, so she did. Mrs. Hand continued to visit his salon for the entire time she was in Washington. When she was named the “best tressed” woman for the Helene Curtis Beauty Award, she did not even know she had been nominated! She saw the announcement in the newspapers the day news of the award was released, but it was a delightful surprise. Mrs. Hand believes it was the “cumulative effect of all the hairdos he [Jean Louis] had done for all the different women in the district” that led to their winning the award.34 The style featured became popular among Washington society for formal events, with guests at White House functions showing it off. Dancing at the State Dinner for Princess Margaret and her husband the Earl of Snowden on November 17, 1965, was described by newspapers as “the Night of the Hurling of the Curl.”35
Named one of the “Ten Best Coiffured Women of 1965” by the Helene Curtis Guild of HandBeauticians,ProfessionalAnnappearedin MagazineDiplomat (opposite) and in a feature in the Washington Post (lower left photo in grouping at left). The wife of U.S. Chief of Protocol Lloyd Hand, Ann Hand had first visited Jean Louis at the suggestion of Mrs. Johnson. The hairstyle that Jean Louis created for Mrs. Hand became very popular with women in Washington society.
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In addition to arranging hair for White House dinners, Jean Louis was asked to arrange the first daughters’ hair for their weddings. Luci, the first to marry, wed Patrick Nugent on August 6, 1966, at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The couple held their reception at the White House. Luci preferred a simple, nat ural-looking coiffure for her wedding day and, believing Jean Louis had a tal ent for “unequaled creations,” knew he could make it happen for her.36 Eighteen months later, on December 9, 1967, her sister Lynda was married to Captain Charles Robb in a large White House wedding held in the East Room. Lynda’s hair was arranged in a more formal coiffure, built-up in the back to accom modate a headpiece and a veil. Jean
Luci Johnson was confident that Jean Louis would use his talent for “unequaled creations” to style the simple, natural look she had in mind for her wedding day. Set with rollers by Jean Louis (left) ahead of the wedding, Luci’s hair suited the happy bride, seen (right) emerging from the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with her new husband, Patrick Nugent, August 6, 1966. 18 white house history quarterly
fingers and prayed it wouldn’t fall off as she walked up the aisle,” he said. “I was so afraid! Imagine if the President’s daughter had lost her veil in the middle of the ceremony!”37 Fortunately, the veil lasted throughout the entire evening without any malfunction.
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Louis conducted two test runs of the updo before the wedding to make sure it would be perfect. On the day of the wedding, he arrived at the White House, and, after he had finished arranging her hair as practiced, a different veil—much longer, cathedral length— was brought in instead. “I didn’t expect another veil, and it was so very heavy. I stuck it on with a couple of bobby pins, crossed my Lynda Johnson chose a more formal hairstyle for her wedding to Chuck Robb, December 9, 1967. Jean Louis built up the back of the bride’s hair (top left) to accommodate a headpiece and veil. A last-minute change to a heavier veil (right) worried the stylist, but to his relief, the style held and the veil stayed in place for the evening.
LEGACY AND MEMORIES
LEGACY AND MEMORIES
Jean Louis’s legacy continues through his nephew John Paul, who was only fourteen years old when he moved to UncleaccompaniedD.C.,Washington,withhissister,Martine,toapprenticeathisuncle’shairsalon.JeanPaulhisJeanLouistotheWhiteHousewherehewouldshampooFirstLadyLadyBirdJohnson’shairbeforeitwasstyled.JeanPaul(back,left)ispicturedherewithhisUncleJeanLouis(middle)andhisfamilyinFrancein1966,oneyearbeforehemovedtoAmerica.
Jean Louis’s legacy continues through his nephew, Jean Paul, a Washington, D.C., hairstylist whose formative teenage years were spent by his uncle’s side as an apprentice in his salon. In 1967, after obtaining a green card in Paris, Jean Paul traveled to Washington, D.C., with his sister. His first week in the salon was spent learning from Jean Louis how to shampoo a customer’s hair, and shampooing became his primary job. One of his fondest mem ories is the first trip he made with his uncle to the White House. A driver came over to the salon to pick them up, and they were escorted to the first lady’s Private Quarters on the Second Floor to set up. Jean Paul remembers being “petrified” of sham pooing the first lady’s hair. Because of his nerves, he accidentally sprayed water all over her! But he said Mrs. Johnson was very gracious and kind and only laughed and said, “Don’t tell anything to Jean Louis.” Then she gave Jean Paul a $100 bill (equiv alent to $849.45 in 2022)—an incredible tip, espe cially considering his mishap. He was astonished, reflecting that in France his mother raised six chil dren on that same amount a month.38
Jean Paul was even given a tour of the private spaces of the White House, including the kitchen and the swimming pool. He remembers walking in the hallway, and when passing by the Oval Office, President Lyndon B. Johnson called him over. Sitting on the edge of the Resolute Desk, the presi dent said, “Son, what can you do with this hair?” It was “incredible to be acknowledged by the presi dent . . . and that someone so high in the U.S. gov ernment could be so nice to me,” he said.39 Visiting the White House with his uncle formed some of his favorite memories, and Jean Louis remained a steadfast role model for the young hairdresser just starting his career in Washington, D.C. By the time of the Reagan administration, Jean Louis’s golden years in Washington had ended, so he decided to rent out his building on Connecticut Avenue and take a job as head of the Elizabeth Arden Salon in San Francisco. He was there for only one year before he returned to Washington, D.C., and he opened a smaller-scale salon in Georgetown. There he worked for another twenty years until he retired because of health issues.40 On June 9, 2002, Jean Louis passed away at a nursing facility in 20 white house history quarterly
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Jean Louis’s legacy continues through his nephew, Jean Paul, a Washington, D.C., hairstylist whose formative teenage years were spent by his uncle’s side as an apprentice in his salon. In 1967, after obtaining a green card in Paris, Jean Paul traveled to Washington, D.C., with his sister. His first week in the salon was spent learning from Jean Louis how to shampoo a customer’s hair, and shampooing became his primary job. One of his fondest mem ories is the first trip he made with his uncle to the White House. A driver came over to the salon to pick them up, and they were escorted to the first lady’s Private Quarters on the Second Floor to set up. Jean Paul remembers being “petrified” of sham pooing the first lady’s hair. Because of his nerves, he accidentally sprayed water all over her! But he said Mrs. Johnson was very gracious and kind and only laughed and said, “Don’t tell anything to Jean Louis.” Then she gave Jean Paul a $100 bill (equiv alent to $849.45 in 2022)—an incredible tip, espe cially considering his mishap. He was astonished, reflecting that in France his mother raised six chil dren on that same amount a month.38 Jean Paul was even given a tour of the private spaces of the White House, including the kitchen and the swimming pool. He remembers walking in the hallway, and when passing by the Oval Office, President Lyndon B. Johnson called him over. Sitting on the edge of his desk, the president said, “Son, what can you do with this hair?” It was “incredible to be acknowledged by the president . . . and that someone so high in the U.S. government could be so nice to me,” he said.39 Visiting the White House with his uncle formed some of his favorite memories, and Jean Louis remained a steadfast role model for the young hairdresser just starting his career in Washington, D.C. By the time of the Reagan administration, Jean Louis’s golden years in Washington had ended, so he decided to rent out his building on Connecticut Avenue and take a job as head of the Elizabeth Arden Salon in San Francisco. He was there for only one year before he returned to Washington, D.C., and he opened a smaller-scale salon in Georgetown. There he worked for another twenty years until he retired because of health issues.40 On June 9, 2002, Jean Louis passed away at a nursing facility in Virginia.41 As a hairstylist for fifty-three years and one of the top in his profession in the world during his time, Jean Louis Mazéas is remembered as an inspiration by his nephew and as a legend to all the women for whom he worked his magic.
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Jean Louis’s legacy continues through his nephew John Paul, who was only fourteen years old when he moved to UncleaccompaniedD.C.,Washington,withhissister,Martine,toapprenticeathisuncle’shairsalon.JeanPaulhisJeanLouistotheWhiteHousewherehewouldshampooFirstLadyLadyBirdJohnson’shairbeforeitwasstyled.JeanPaul(back,left)ispicturedherewithhisUncleJeanLouis(middle)andhisfamilyinFrancein1966,oneyearbeforehemovedtoAmerica.
Jean Louis’s legacy continues through his nephew, Jean Paul, a Washington, D.C., hairstylist whose formative teenage years were spent by his uncle’s side as an apprentice in his salon. In 1967, after obtaining a green card in Paris, Jean Paul traveled to Washington, D.C., with his sister. His first week in the salon was spent learning from Jean Louis how to shampoo a customer’s hair, and shampooing became his primary job. One of his fondest mem ories is the first trip he made with his uncle to the White House. A driver came over to the salon to pick them up, and they were escorted to the first lady’s Private Quarters on the Second Floor to set up. Jean Paul remembers being “petrified” of sham pooing the first lady’s hair. Because of his nerves, he accidentally sprayed water all over her! But he said Mrs. Johnson was very gracious and kind and only laughed and said, “Don’t tell anything to Jean Louis.” Then she gave Jean Paul a $100 bill (equiv alent to $849.45 in 2022)—an incredible tip, espe cially considering his mishap. He was astonished, reflecting that in France his mother raised six chil dren on that same amount a month.38 Jean Paul was even given a tour of the private spaces of the White House, including the kitchen and the swimming pool. He remembers walking in the hallway, and when passing by the Oval Office, President Lyndon B. Johnson called him over. Sitting on the edge of his desk, the president said, “Son, what can you do with this hair?” It was “incredible to be acknowledged by the president . . . and that someone so high in the U.S. government could be so nice to me,” he said.39 Visiting the White House with his uncle formed some of his favorite memories, and Jean Louis remained a steadfast role model for the young hairdresser just starting his career in Washington, D.C. By the time of the Reagan administration, Jean Louis’s golden years in Washington had ended, so he decided to rent out his building on Connecticut Avenue and take a job as head of the Elizabeth Arden Salon in San Francisco. He was there for only one year before he returned to Washington, D.C., and he opened a smaller-scale salon in Georgetown. There he worked for another twenty years until he retired because of health issues.40 On June 9, 2002, Jean Louis passed away at a nursing facility in Virginia.41 As a hairstylist for fifty-three years and one of the top in his profession in the world during his time, Jean Louis Mazéas is remembered as an inspiration by his nephew and as a legend to all the women for whom he worked his magic.
LEGACY AND MEMORIES
4. Washington, D.C., City Directory, 1954, 1035.
1. Jean Paul Mazéas, interview by author, December 16, 2020. Jean Paul Mazéas, who trained with his uncle and is currently a stylist at a Washington, D.C., salon, shared with us a copy of a scrapbook of photographs and newspaper clippings documenting his uncle’s salon and clients. The scrapbook was put together by Jean Louis’s friend, Richard Lykes, in the 1960s.
6. Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo.” The passenger and crew list for the ship Ill de France shows that Jean Louis Mazéas immigrated to the United State from France in 1955. U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820–1957, 1955 Arrival, New York, microfilm serial: T715, p. 153, online at Ancestry.com.
7. Helen Thomas, “First Lady Is Said to Be Sold on Leather Accent: Her Hair Style Is Changing to One of Elegance,” Santa Fe (N.Mex.) New Mexican, September 23, 1962, 23.
8. Judith Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look,” Washington Post, October 10, 1960, clipping in scrapbook. From 1957 to 1961 the Kennedys lived at 3307 N Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Virginia.41 As a hairstylist for fifty-three years and one of the top in his profession in the world during his time, Jean Louis Mazéas is remembered as an inspiration by his nephew and as a legend to all the women for whom he worked his magic.
4. Washington, D.C., City Directory, 1954, 1035.
8. Judith Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look,” Washington Post, October 10, 1960, clipping in scrapbook. From 1957 to 1961 the Kennedys lived at 3307 N Street NW, Washington, D.C.
10. Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look.”
9. Hamish Bowles, “Defining Style: Jacqueline Kennedy’s White House Years,” in Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years; Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, ed. Hamish Bowles (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001), 28. 10. Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look.”
2. Angele Gingras, “Jean Louis Looks Ahead: Mrs. Kennedy’s Hairdresser Is Off to Paris for New Ideas,” Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal, July 15, 1962, 6.
5. Quoted in Marian Price, “Place Where First Lady Lets Her Hair Down,” Los Angeles Times, February 19, 1966.
12. Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look.”
13. Bowles, “Defining Style,” 18–19. 14. Quoted in Thomas, “First Lady Is Said to Be Sold on Leather Accent.” 15. Gingras, “Jean Louis Looks Ahead.” 16. Ibid.
17. Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look”; Ann Hand, interview by author, January 7, 2022. 18. Maxine Cheshire and Dorothy McCardle. “Men Work; Women Chat,” Washington Post, November 9, 1961, C20. 19. Phyllis Hanes, “Coiffures Fantastic Weird Little Article Takes Over,” Boston Herald, October 17, 1962, 12. 20. Gingras, “Jean Louis Looks Ahead”; Thomas, “First Lady Is Said to Be Sold on Leather Accent”; Helen Thomas, “Jackie Bucks Paris Styles with Hairdo,” Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette, October 11, 1963, 13. 21. “Not Influenced by Parisian Decree on Shorter Bob: Jackie Likes Long Hair,” Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal, October 17, 1963, 7. 22. Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon.” 23. Jean Paul Mazéas interview. 24. Vera Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding: Coiffeur Has Key Role,” Baltimore Sun, June 21, 1966, B1. 25. Hand interview. 26. Names of clients were found in several newspaper sources: Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding”; Price, “Place Where First Lady Lets Her Hair Down”; Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon.” 27. Hand interview. 28. Quoted in Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo.” 29. Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding.” Ann Hand also remembered how Jean Louis was very discrete and would take good care not to gossip about anyone. Everything that was said to him was confidential. Hand interview. 30. Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon.” 31. Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding”; Jean Paul Mazéas interview. 32. Hand interview. 33. Angele Gingras, “Fashion News: Winning Hairdo,” Baltimore Sun, December 29, 1965, B4. 34. Hand interview. 35. Gingras, “Fashion News: Winning Hairdo.” 36. Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding.” 37. Quoted in Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo.” 38. Jean Paul Mazéas interview. 39. Ibid. 40. Letter from Richard Lykes pasted into scrapbook, dated January 24, 2002. 41. Record of death in Social Security Death Index, Social Security Administration, Washington, D.C., online at Ancestry.com.
6. Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo.” The passenger and crew list for the ship Ill de France shows that Jean Louis Mazéas immigrated to the United State from France in 1955. U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820–1957, 1955 Arrival, New York, microfilm serial: T715, p. 153, online at Ancestry.com.
7. Helen Thomas, “First Lady Is Said to Be Sold on Leather Accent: Her Hair Style Is Changing to One of Elegance,” Santa Fe (N.Mex.) New Mexican, September 23, 1962, 23.
9. Hamish Bowles, “Defining Style: Jacqueline Kennedy’s White House Years,” in Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years; Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, ed. Hamish Bowles (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001), 28.
2. Angele Gingras, “Jean Louis Looks Ahead: Mrs. Kennedy’s Hairdresser Is Off to Paris for New Ideas,” Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal, July 15, 1962, 6. 3. Barbara Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo,” Tribune, n.d., clipping in scrapbook.
notes 1. Jean Paul Mazéas, interview by author, December 16, 2020. Jean Paul Mazéas, who trained with his uncle and is currently a stylist at a Washington, D.C., salon, shared with us a copy of a scrapbook of photographs and newspaper clippings documenting his uncle’s salon and clients. The scrapbook was put together by Jean Louis’s friend, Richard Lykes, in the 1960s.
13. Bowles, “Defining Style,” 18–19. 14. Quoted in Thomas, “First Lady Is Said to Be Sold on Leather Accent.” 15. Gingras, “Jean Louis Looks Ahead.” 16. Ibid. 17. Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look”; Ann Hand, interview by author, January 7, 2022. 21white house history quarterly 18. Maxine Cheshire and Dorothy McCardle. “Men Work; Women Chat,” Washington Post, November 9, 1961, C20. 19. Phyllis Hanes, “Coiffures Fantastic Weird Little Article Takes Over,” Boston Herald, October 17, 1962, 12. 20. Gingras, “Jean Louis Looks Ahead”; Thomas, “First Lady Is Said to Be Sold on Leather Accent”; Helen Thomas, “Jackie Bucks Paris Styles with Hairdo,” Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette, October 11, 1963, 13. 21. “Not Influenced by Parisian Decree on Shorter Bob: Jackie Likes Long Hair,” Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal, October 17, 1963, 7. 22. Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon.” 23. Jean Paul Mazéas interview. 24. Vera Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding: Coiffeur Has Key Role,” Baltimore Sun, June 21, 1966, B1. 25. Hand interview. 26. Names of clients were found in several newspaper sources: Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding”; Price, “Place Where First Lady Lets Her Hair Down”; Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon.” 27. Hand interview. 28. Quoted in Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo.” 29. Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding.” Ann Hand also remembered how Jean Louis was very discrete and would take good care not to gossip about anyone. Everything that was said to him was confidential. Hand interview. 30. Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon.” 31. Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding”; Jean Paul Mazéas interview. 32. Hand interview. 33. Angele Gingras, “Fashion News: Winning Hairdo,” Baltimore Sun, December 29, 1965, B4. 34. Hand interview. 35. Gingras, “Fashion News: Winning Hairdo.” 36. Glaser, “Luci Johnson’s Wedding.” 37. Quoted in Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo.” 38. Jean Paul Mazéas interview. 39. Ibid. 40. Letter from Richard Lykes pasted into scrapbook, dated January 24, 2002.
11. Quoted in Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon,” Washington Evening Star, October 8, 1963, C2. 12. Martin, “Her Hairdresser Says: Jackie to Get New Look.”
11. Quoted in Eleni, “Jean Louis Opens Salon,” Washington Evening Star, October 8, 1963, C2.
3. Barbara Morgan, “He Created History’s Most Copied Hairdo,” Tribune, n.d., clipping in scrapbook.
41. Record of death in Social Security Death Index, Social Security Administration, Washington, D.C., online at Ancestry.com.
5. Quoted in Marian Price, “Place Where First Lady Lets Her Hair Down,” Los Angeles Times, February 19, 1966.
notes