Page 22 - All About History 58 - 2017 UK

HAIR & BEAUTY

Day in the life

MARIE ANTOINETTE’S

HAIRDRESSER

CARING FOR THE LAST QUEEN OF FRANCE’S
HAIR WAS A FULL-TIME JOB PARIS, 1746–1820

Marie Antoinette is arguably the most iconic queen that France ever
knew. Saint to some, the epitome of sin to others, she was famed for
her love of decadence, beauty and largesse. She lived a life of luxury
and became a figurehead of the Bourbon monarchy thanks to her
exquisite taste in fashion and her trend-setting and painstakingly
created hairstyles. The man responsible for keeping the queen’s
do looking just so was Léonard-Alexis Autié. As a society
stylist with a list of illustrious clients, no man knew the
queen of France’s coiffure more intimately.

THE JOURNEY TO VERSAILLES
Thanks to his association with Marie Antoinette,
Léonard-Alexis Autié, known as Léonard, was the
most popular and in-demand stylist in Paris. This
meant that he could only find room in his busy
schedule to visit the queen every Sunday at 11am.
The rest of the week he entrusted the care of her
hair to his brother, Jean-François.

MEETING MARIE ANTOINETTE
Marie Antoinette’s day adhered to a rigid schedule.
By the time she welcomed Léonard to her
chambers at 11am, she had been up for two hours
bathing, breakfasting and dressing according to
strictly enforced protocols. Then the queen prayed
and visited her aunts-in-law before returning to her
rooms to meet Léonard, whom she regarded as a
trusted confidante.

THE AUDIENCE ARRIVES
As Léonard was styling the queen’s hair, the
brothers of Louis XVI arrived to observe the
process, in accordance with the traditional routines
of the French monarchy. As the most important
members of the court after the king and queen,
the Princes of the Royal Blood were afforded
access to this intimate ceremony between Marie
Antoinette and Léonard.

Though Léonard’s brother maintained
Marie Antoinette’s style throughout the
STYLING THE POUF
week, Léonard himself would redress it
The pouf was, without a doubt, Marie Antoinette’s every Sunday
most elaborate and tallest hairstyle and it made

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