Caster’s real name is Marie-Jeanne Rose Bertin, or also known as Rose Bertin by friends. She is not only the dressmaker and fashion designer most commonly credited for the creation of high fashion, but also made such clothing for queens of European countries and other royalties. Her most famous achievement however was that she was also the personal dressmaker for (and friend of) Marie Antoinette. Ever since they first met, Rose made every dress for her from then on, up until her final days. Her connection to Marie Antoinette saves her being a phantom and actually allows her to manifest as a servant.
Rose Bertin was born on the 2nd of July in 1747 in the town of Abbeville, Picardy in France. Both her parents had very little income, and the education Rose herself received was nothing to write home about. In desire to strive for greater however, she moved to Paris when she turned 16 to become a milliner and worked under the apprenticeship of Mademoiselle Pagelle. Through this apprenticeship, she became acquainted with many high-class, aristocratic individuals. Eventually through this, she met Marie Antoinette. In 1770, Rose opened her own clothing shop, her customers consisting of many noble women she knew from her prior apprenticeship under Pagelle, and even garnered new customers.
In 1772, Marie Antoinette and Rose Bertin finally were introduced to each other, and quickly became good friends. Rose would from then on visit Marie twice a week, showing Marie her newest clothing and talking fashion for hours on end. Due to their shared interests in fashion, Rose quickly became one of Marie’s most trusted friends, one whom she could talk about anything with. She had made every dress for the queen from then on, or at least was in charge of its creation. Due to becoming the fashion designer for the queen of France (Marie Antoinette), Rose quickly became not only the most sought after fashion designer by French aristocrats, but also the leading designer in European fashion at the time. As her friendship with the queen continued, so did her status continue to grow, making a tremendous impact on French society as a whole. Her accomplishments eventually established not just France, but specifically Paris, as the fashion capital of the world. Rose was behind many of Marie Antoinette’s well known fashion statements. From the large, poufy dress, to her unique hats, Rose was the one to discuss these ideas with the queen.
The French Revolution however, brought about a change in pace for not just Marie Antoinette, but also for Rose Bertin. Business-wise, her clothing still sold quite well, but she had lowered her prices slightly to adjust to the current events. However, the biggest change for her was when she had decided to volunteer herself as an informant for the queen. During this time, she (along with others) would tell the queen about the public opinion of her, as well as the politics going on outside her circle. This had helped Marie make multiple decisions during this time period. Rose however went above and beyond when she helped Marie as her personal “agent”. During her business her trips to England and Germany from 1791 to 1792, she would relay messages from Marie to important individuals in these countries, and would sometimes bring messages back, all under the cover of her selling her clothing to nobility. Rose was absent from Paris during the time of the September Massacres in 1792, and didn’t return until December of that year. While back in Paris, she had attempted to destroy some of her older account books out of suspicion that the French Revolutionaries would try and use these against Marie Antoinette if ever decided to put her on trial. However, upon searching for them, she had realized most had been taken during her time away, leaving a couple behind. Despite this, Rose decided to stay in Paris to continue her business, and in fact continued to send clothing to Marie Antoinette during this time. However, after the King’s execution in January of 1793, she could not bear living in France any longer, leaving for London in February of of that year. While in London, she continued selling clothing to French aristocrats that had fled from France, and even continued her business in Paris by appointing a representative to her store in France. During this time, she had asked many of her clients pay bills that they were late on, and have kept her income steady through these means. Through this all, she still sent clothing to Marie Antoinette, however, most of clothing at that time were black in color, to represent her mournful state. Finally, in October of 1793, Marie Antoinette was tried and executed, severely effecting Rose emotionally, feeling as if she betrayed her friend by leaving earlier that year.
However, Rose’s clothing business continued, though slowly declining in popularity as new faces of the fashion industry came to the forefront. In the beginning of the 1800’s she gave her business to her nephews and finally retired. On the 22nd of September in the year 1813, Rose Bertin passed away in Épinay-sur-Seine in Paris, France, leaving a legacy in her wake.
Originally Posted by Spammin Spiff
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