This unique dress and elegant coat were commissioned from the Maison de Clairette by Marguerite (Margot) Dubois (1922-2012). The wife of Dr. Jean Baptiste Leblanc of Trois-Rivières, who died in 1964, Marguerite Dubois wore these creations with great pride and grace on October 22, 1963, at a concert given in Trois-Rivières by the Orchestre symphonique de Québec under the direction of conductor Wilfrid Pelletier. The Leblanc family lived on rue Bonaventure.
As for the designer of these haute couture garments, her name was Clairette Trudel (1920-2016).
A Maskinongé native, Clairette Trudel designed her first original model when she was only 12 years old. She settled in Trois-Rivières in 1932. She was already on her 3rd store when she set up shop at 490, rue Bonaventure in Trois-Rivières. The owner and master designer, Clairette Trudel relied, among others, on Thérèse Lacroix-Robichon, a fellow designer, as well as a team of skilled workers. The Maison de Clairette also featured a milliner, a beauty salon, and a hairdressing salon.
From the early 1950s, the owner began to present fashion shows, often organized for the benefit of good causes. These shows would take place for about thirty years.
In the early 1960s, Clairette Trudel-Leclerc participated in the Semaine de la couture. In addition to the spring fashion show, the owner of the Maison de Clairette, also called Chez Clairette Enr., partnered with Laflamme Fourrures and Filles d’Isabelle. For the occasion, it offered its customers exclusive fabrics at reasonable prices paired with a sketch drawn specifically for the customer and suitable for the fabric purchased.
The house then changed its vocation somewhat in 1981. It offered everything under one roof: women’s fashion, an art gallery, furs, decorations, and beauty treatments.
In January 1984, Jeannine (Janine) Groleau-Hamel, the new owner, promoted ready-to-wear outfits from the Maison de Clairette. It was also announced that a bridal salon would be permanently available.
In November 1991, the Victorian-style building was sold to Michèle Casaubon for $250,000.
Donation from Pierre Leblanc
Musée Pierre-Boucher Collection
2012 279 C.1-2
