Leïla Menchari

Leïla Menchari (Arabic: ليلى المنشاري‎; 27 September 1927 – 4 April 2020) was a Tunisian designer and decorator.[2]

Leïla Menchari
Born27 September 1927[1]
Tunis, French Tunisia
Died4 April 2020(2020-04-04) (aged 92)
Hammamet, Tunisia
NationalityTunisian
OccupationDesigner
Decorator

Biography

Menchari was born in Tunis in 1927.[3] Her father was a lawyer and her mother, Habiba Menchari, was known for her lectures on female empowerment. As a teenager, she met Jean and Violet Henson, who introduced Menchari to horticulture and helped her meet artists such as Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Christian Bérard, and Serge Lifar.[4] In 1943, she entered the Tunis Institute of Fine Arts, and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in 1948.[5]

In Paris, Menchari met Azzedine Alaïa.[6] She also met Guy Laroche, who helped her become a star model. However, Menchari quit Laroche's business following the death of her mother and became the decorator for Hermès International headquarters on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. She worked for Hermès as a decorator for over fifty years. She also designed gloves, bags, and clothing, including a coat worn by actress María Félix. Her other responsibilities including supervising the factoring of glass manufacturer Saint-Louis.[7]

Leïla Menchari died on 4 April 2020 in Hammamet, Tunisia due to COVID-19.[8]

Exposition
  • Hermès à tire-d'aile - les mondes de Leïla Menchari (2017, Grand Palais, Paris)

References
  1. Friedman, Vanessa (6 April 2020). "Leïla Menchari, Who Turned Store Windows Into Art, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  2. "Décès de la grande artiste tunisienne Leila Menchari". FemmesMaghrebines.com (in French). 5 April 2020.
  3. "Leïla Menchari, dessinez-moi vos rêves". France Culture (in French). 9 December 2018.
  4. "Leïla Menchari, des terres tunisiennes à l'apparat des vitrines Hermès". Libération (in French). 15 December 2017.
  5. "Leïla Menchari, magicienne en chef". Le Monde (in French). 28 November 2008.
  6. "Leïla Menchari". Jeune Afrique (in French). 3 June 2010.
  7. "Sur les pas de Leïla Menchari, artiste, féministe et "reine mage" d'Hermès". TV5Monde (in French). 1 December 2017.
  8. "Leïla Menchari, la fée des vitrines Hermès s'en est allée". Libération (in French). 5 April 2020.
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