Ghislaine de Polignac

Princess Ghislaine de Polignac (5 September 1918 – January 2011) was a prominent member of Paris society, bon vivant, fashion stylist and promoter, and author. Early life and title Born on 5 September 1918 as Ghislaine Charlotte Claire Brinquant, she was the daughter of Parisian banker Victor Brinquant and Simone Durand de Villers. On 7 July 1939, she married Prince Edmond Jean Henri Marie de Polignac (2 April 1914 - 13 February 2010) of the French noble family. They had two sons and two daughters, before divorcing in November 1946. A court action by the Prince to prevent her subsequently using her title failed, and she remained Princess de Polignac for the remainder of her life. Career She subsequently built a career using her extensive contacts to assist society figures, and to create publicity for fashion houses and designers, including Pierre Cardin. In 1952, she became the first fashion stylist of the luxury department store Galeries Lafayette in Paris. In that position, she selected pieces from fashion collections for the store to produce as ready-to-wear clothes. In the 1960s, she authored monographs on two historic Parisian mansions.