Marie-José Susskind-Jalou (born March 31, 1949) is a French journalist, fashion editor, and artist who served as editor-in-chief of L'Officiel de la couture et de la mode de Paris from 1988 to 2002 and president of Éditions Jalou from 2003 to 2022.[1] Sara Waka called her 'the mother of the fashion industry'.[2]

Early life
editShe was born on 31 March 1949, the daughter of Georges Jalou and Ursel Susskind.[3] Jalou was editor-in-chief of L'Officiel de la couture et de la mode de Paris, and Susskind was a fashion illustrator born in Berlin who escaped to the Netherlands in World War II where she met Jalou.[2]
Her first experience in the fashion industry was at age three when she attended a Lanvin haute couture show with her mother.[4]
Career
editShe joined L'Officiel in 1968 as an illustrator before becoming an editor in 1978, a couture editor, and then the editor-in-chief of the magazine in 1988.[5][1] While at L'Officiel, she helped introduce many international designers to the French market, including Yohji Yamamoto and Giorgio Armani.[2]
Following the death of her brother Laurent Jalou in 2003, she took over his position as president of Les Éditions Jalou.[6] As the president, she expanded the company from a presence in six countries to over eighty by 2017.[7][8]
In 2011, to celebrate 90 years of L'Officiel she organised an exhibition at Iguatemi São Paulo.[9]
Susskind-Jalou received an Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2014 for her contributions to the publishing industry.[10]
She became editor-in-chief (magazine) at L'Officiel in 2016, she stayed in the role for less than a year before being replaced by Adrienne Ribes.[1][11]
In 2022, the Jalou family sold Éditions Jalou and its assets to AMTD. Susskind-Jalou exited her position as editorial director of L'Officiel and president of Éditions Jalou.[12] Her children continued their roles at the magazine with Vanessa Bellugeon as editor-in-chief (fashion), Benjamin Eymère as CEO of L'Officiel, inc., and Jennifer Eymère as the casting director.[12]
In 2026, the Jalou family launched a lawsuit against AMTD alleging that they had not received all the money from their 2022 sale with proceeds frozen in a Hong Kong bank account owned by the brokerage firm of AMTD.[13] AMTD is also accused of "fraudulently running the publication [L'Officiel] into the ground".[14] Jalou was personally seeking the return of "pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes and Chanel suits" that were left at the publication and shares worth €2 million.[14] Stating to Agence France-Presse, “L’Officiel was the fashion bible. I will never give up on it.”[14]
Controversy
editAt a Zac Posen show in November 2012, after the fire marshal removed 60 seats from the show space. Susskind-Jalou and her daughters Jennifer Eymère (editor-in-chief at Jalouse) and Vanessa Bellugeon (editor-in-chief at L'Officiel) were left without seats. A heated exchange happened with the show's press secretary Lynn Tesoro ending with Susskind-Jalou slapping Tesoro's face.[15]
Eymère claimed that she slapped Tesoro, accusing Tesoro of being inappropriate to her mother (Susskind-Jalou), and after the slap, ended the interaction by saying 'Now you know you don't fuck with French people.'.[16] Posen later sent an apology letter to Susskind-Jalou.[15]
Tesoro then filed a lawsuit against Susskind-Jalou for battery, Eymère for libel, and all three for assault and slander.[17] Tesoro was seeking US$1 million, which caused the incident to be nicknamed "the million-dollar slap".[18][19] WWD nicknamed it "the slap heard 'round New York Fashion Week".[17] They settled the lawsuit out of court in 2013.[20]
Personal life
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 Guilbault, Laure (2016-04-01). "L'Officiel Names New Editor in Chief". WWD. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- 1 2 3 Waka, Sara (2016-03-18). "MARIE-JOSÉ JALOU(マリー=ジョゼ・ジャルー)". Wakapedia. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ Tonchi, Stefano (2021). L'Officiel 100: One Hundred People and Ideas from a Century in Fashion. Marsilio. ISBN 978-8829712809.
- ↑ Susskind-Jalou, Marie-José (2 November 2012). "Les défiles de Marie-José Susskind-Jalou Part 1". www.dailymotion.com (video) (in French). L'Officiel Paris. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ "Benjamin Eymère & Marie-José Jalou". L'Officiel Baltic. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ "Mort de Laurent Jalou, patron de presse avant-gardiste" (in French). 2003-01-28. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ "Les Éditions Jalou s'internationalisent". Le Figaro (in French). 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ "Jalou Media Group And GEM Group Announce The Launch Of L'Officiel USA Inc". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ Mahawasala, Samantha (2010-11-10). "L'Officiel: Quatro anos de Brasil, noventa anos de história da moda". Fashion Bubbles (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres janvier 2014 | Ministère de la Culture". www.culture.gouv.fr (in French). 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ FR, FashionNetwork com (2016-09-13). "Adrienne Ribes-Tiphaine nommée rédactrice en chef de L'Officiel". FashionNetwork.com (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- 1 2 Hopkins, Kathryn (2022-01-20). "L'Officiel Sold to Hong Kong-Based AMTD International". WWD. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ Vasset, Philippe (6 January 2026). "Chinese firm AMTD's takeover of L'Officiel and The Art Newspaper becomes worldwide court fight". Glitz. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 Sage, Adam (6 January 2026). "New owners of France's fashion bible accused of forgery". The Times. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- 1 2 Karimzadeh, Marc (2012-09-11). "Fashion's Slap Shot". WWD. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ Cowles, Charlotte (2012-11-09). "Publicist Assaulted at Zac Posen Show Sues Slapper, Slapper's Family". The Cut. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- 1 2 Steigrad, Alexandra (2012-11-09). "Lynn Tesoro Files Suit After Slap Incident". WWD. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ "Une baffe à 1 million de dollars" (in French). 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ "New York. Une gifle à 1 million de dollars lors d'un défilé de la fashion week". Franceinfo (in French). 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ↑ Young, Vicki M. (2013-03-05). "Lynn Tesoro 'Slap' Lawsuit Settled". WWD. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- 1 2 "M. Francis Jean-Louis EYMERE". carnetdujour.lefigaro.fr. Retrieved 2026-02-02.