35 Glamorous Photos of French Model Sylvie Hirsch in the 1940s and 1950s

French model Sylvie Hirsch (1928–2011) was barely eighteen when she joined the house of Dior in the summer of 1947. “Sylvie I took on when she was still scarcely more than a child,” the designer wrote. “and throughout the whole of her career as a mannequin she remained the incarnation of the jeune fille.”

Sylvie Hirsch in the 1940s and ’50s

In reality, Hirsch has already been working at Robert Piguet, both as model and vendeuse. But she played her ingenue role to the hilt, and to great success — including touring America in a fashion revue, where she played a street urchin turned couture Cinderella. Two years later, she made it to the cover of Life, fronting a story about how Parisian models had conspired to go on a crash diet (to ensure that their American rivals, for once, wouldn’t be able to fit into the collections).

In 1952, Hirsch made headlines again, when she became engaged to jewellery heir Claude Cartier — but she broke things off at the last minute, to marry the movie star Daniel Gélin. The couple were rarely out of the news in the years that followed, with cameras tracking their every move. They were photographed on honeymoon in Capri; photographed at home, exhausted but giddy with joy as they showed off their baby son; and photographed again, eighteen months later, in the graveyard where they buried that first child — Hirsch’s body sagging, held up by Alla on one side and her weeping husband on the other. She looked more lost, and more child-like herself, than she ever had.

Here below is a set of glamorous photos that shows portraits of French model Sylvie Hirsch in the 1940s and 1950s.

Sylvie Hirsch wears a chignon at one side of her head, and Dior's tambourin hat on the other, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, 1947

Sylvie Hirsch in Dior's confection of yards of white tulle, wrapped, ruched and pleated, garlands of roses lie on the skirt and a blue ribbon runs under a ruche on the skirt, photo by Richard Avedon, Paris, Harper's Bazaar, June 1948

Sylvie Hirsch in Pierre Balmain, photo by Mark Kauffman, Paris, 1948

Sylvie Hirsch in voluminous pink tiered tulle ball gown by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1948

Sylvie Hirsch in elaborate ruffled tulle ball gown strewn with sequins and brilliants by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1949

Sylvie Hirsch in floral print taffeta dress with pale blue faille coat by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, L'Officiel, 1949

Sylvie Hirsch in lovely belted chiffon dress with flounced neckline by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1949

Sylvie Hirsch in lovely pale pink satin nightgown, the short puffed sleeves and bodice are of finely ruched lace, by Dubrulle, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1949

Sylvie Hirsch in yellow and black check wool suit by Edward Molyneux, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1949

Sylvie Hirsch, photo by Seeberger Bros., circa 1949

Sylvie Hirsch in beautiful black taffeta dress with wide pleated skirt and velvet wrapped bodice by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in beautiful tulle gown in shades ranging from gray-green in the bodice to bands of peacock-green, gray and lime-green on the incredibly full skirt by Jacques Griffe, photo by Henry Clarke, Harper's Bazaar UK, July 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in black wool coat trimmed in fox fur cinched by a wide leather belt, worn with a fox fur hat, by Elsa Schiaparelli, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in Dior's luxurious gown of velvet embroidered with gold thread over layers of tulle, photo by Philippe Pottier, December 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in Dior's tunic coat, photo by Henry Clarke, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in mauve silk shantung suit, yellow gloves and hat complete the Spring ensemble by Paquin, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in mousseline ensemble by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in natural silk shantung suit, jacket has indented front and tightly nipped waist, worn over slate colored vest, by Pierre Balmain, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in navy blue and white ensemble by Pierre Balmain, photo by Philippe Pottier, L'Officiel, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in orange and white poplin summer dress by Jacques Griffe, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in skirt and belted jacket worn over white organdy blouse by Marcel Rochas, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in slate blue silk shantung suit with mauve duster coat by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in strapless taffeta evening gown sashed and draped to to the side in contrasting lemon, by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch in violet wool redingote by Robert Piguet, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Sylvie Hirsch dressed in Christian Dior, looks coquettishly over her shoulder, Venice, June 1951

Sylvie Hirsch in red and white polka dot linen beach ensemble of skirt, blouse, short bolero and shorts, that is reversible by Pierre Balmain, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1951

Sylvie Hirsch in summer ensemble of blue shantung coat worn over white piqué dress with double skirt embroidered with dragonflies and various garden insects, by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1951

Sylvie Hirsch in red silk surah dress that evokes a gypsy dancer by Christian Dior, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1952

Sylvie Hirsch in summer halter dress by Lucile Manguin, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1952

Sylvie Hirsch in lovely white lace dress by Lanvin-Castillo, photo by Eugene "Genia" Rubin, 1953

Sylvie Hirsch in strapless embroidered organdy evening gown by Carven, photo by Eugene "Genia" Rubin, 1953

Sylvie Hirsch in very original dance dress, the ample pleated skirt is held by wide black satin band, the bodice is leopard with boat neckline and small cap sleeves, by Jacques Heim, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1953

Sylvie Hirsch in white broadtail lamb coat with black marten fur trim by Jungmann-Liebel, hat by Jean Barthet, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1953

Sylvie Hirsch in beige wool cardigan suit by Waser, Paris Vogue, February 1954

Sylvie Hirsch, photo by Eugene "Genia" Rubin, 1955