#7. The Legacy of Pauline Trigère: A Spotlight on Lucie Porges

Lucie Porges working with Pauline Trigère with a model standing behind them.

Lucie Porges was Pauline’s most important associate and closest collaborator starting from when she was hired in 1951 until the firm closed in 1993. An interview written by former Vogue Editor-at-Large Mr.Andre Leon Tally stated that Lucie was "The Second Trigère at Trigère." During an interview it was described when Lucie was pregnant with her first child: Claudia, Pauline jokingly stated she wanted have Lucie deliver her baby on the sample room cutting table; since Lucie was was her second in command. In fact, Lucie went back to work two weeks after delivering her first daughter. Lucie was an invaluable collaborator throughout the Trigère business. On my research trip at Parson’s School of Design, I uncovered hundreds of sketches and Trigère fashion show catalogs drawn by Lucie Porges.

Married to famed cartoonist Paul Peter Porges (known as PPP) of MAD magazine and New York Post, Lucie and PPP were both illustration artists having first met in Vienna. Their artistic life is documented in a wonderful biography: "Style and Humor, Lucie and Paul Peter Porges". I discovered some old video footages of Lucie working along side Pauline illustrated their close working relationship. A video of Lucie recalling her years with Pauline can be found at Pauline's niece Jane Trigère's website [here]. Interviews with Lucie’s two daughters; Claudia and Vivette also described the close friendship between the two women outside the business. The Porges girls grew up visiting Pauline’s country house and attending the theatre together. This special friendship between Lucie's family and Pauline is described in my upcoming book: La Vie en Rouge, Pauline Trigère, The Forgotten Fashion Legend.