Marie-José Jalou
French journalist (born 1949)
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Marie-José Susskind-Jalou (born March 31, 1949) is a French journalist, fashion editor, and artist who served as editor-in-chief of L'Officiel de la couture et de la mode de Paris from 1988 to 2002 and president of Éditions Jalou from 2003 to 2022.[1] Sara Waka called her 'the mother of the fashion industry'.[2]
Early life
She was born on 31 March 1949, the daughter of Georges Jalou and Ursel Susskind.[3] Jalou was editor-in-chief of L'Officiel de la couture et de la mode de Paris, and Susskind was a fashion illustrator born in Berlin who escaped to the Netherlands in World War II where she met Jalou.[2]
Her first experience in the fashion industry was at age three when she attended a Lanvin haute couture show with her mother.[4]
Career
She joined L'Officiel in 1968 as an illustrator before becoming an editor in 1978, a couture editor, and then the editor-in-chief of the magazine in 1988.[5][1] While at L'Officiel, she helped introduce many international designers to the French market, including Yohji Yamamoto and Giorgio Armani.[2]
Following the death of her brother Laurent Jalou in 2003, she took over his position as president of Les Éditions Jalou.[6] As the president, she expanded the company from a presence in six countries to over eighty by 2017.[7][8]
In 2011, to celebrate 90 years of L'Officiel she organised an exhibition at Iguatemi São Paulo.[9]
Susskind-Jalou received an Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2014 for her contributions to the publishing industry.[10]
She became editor-in-chief (magazine) at L'Officiel in 2016, she stayed in the role for less than a year before being replaced by Adrienne Ribes.[1][11]
In 2022, the Jalou family sold Éditions Jalou and its assets to AMTD. Susskind-Jalou exited her position as editorial director of L'Officiel and president of Éditions Jalou.[12] Her children continued their roles at the magazine with Vanessa Bellugeon as editor-in-chief (fashion), Benjamin Eymère as CEO of L'Officiel, inc., and Jennifer Eymère as the casting director.[12]
In 2026, the Jalou family launched a lawsuit against AMTD alleging that they had not received all the money from their 2022 sale with proceeds frozen in a Hong Kong bank account owned by the brokerage firm of AMTD.[13] AMTD is also accused of "fraudulently running the publication [L'Officiel] into the ground".[14] Jalou was personally seeking the return of "pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes and Chanel suits" that were left at the publication and shares worth €2 million.[14] Stating to Agence France-Presse, “L’Officiel was the fashion bible. I will never give up on it.”[14]
Controversy
At a Zac Posen show in November 2012, after the fire marshal removed 60 seats from the show space. Susskind-Jalou and her daughters Jennifer Eymère (editor-in-chief at Jalouse) and Vanessa Bellugeon (editor-in-chief at L'Officiel) were left without seats. A heated exchange happened with the show's press secretary Lynn Tesoro ending with Susskind-Jalou slapping Tesoro's face.[15]
Eymère claimed that she slapped Tesoro, accusing Tesoro of being inappropriate to her mother (Susskind-Jalou), and after the slap, ended the interaction by saying 'Now you know you don't fuck with French people.'.[16] Posen later sent an apology letter to Susskind-Jalou.[15]
Tesoro then filed a lawsuit against Susskind-Jalou for battery, Eymère for libel, and all three for assault and slander.[17] Tesoro was seeking US$1 million, which caused the incident to be nicknamed "the million-dollar slap".[18][19] WWD nicknamed it "the slap heard 'round New York Fashion Week".[17] They settled the lawsuit out of court in 2013.[20]