Tribute to Louis XIV

The most fashionable hair stylist in France, and possibly in the whole world, first drew international attention at the 1955 wedding of Princess Ira von Fuerstenberg and Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe-Langenburg in Venice. Leaning over to give the princess' hairdo a final fluff, he fell into the Grand Canal. But that header was nothing to the splash created by Alexandre of Paris last week when Jackie Kennedy arrived in France. With his careful fingers and soaring imagination, Alexandre transformed the girlish casualness of Jackie's usual hairdo into a piece of elaborate and queenly sculpture.

Mistresses & Madonnas. Twice daily after she arrived in Paris, Alexandre went to Jackie's apartments on the Quai d'Orsay, brushing and shaping her hair in a huge silvery, mother-of-pearl bathroom. For a formal reception at the Elysee Palace, Alexandre, declaring himself inspired by pictures of Gothic Madonnas, thickened Jackie's bangs and "dressed her cheeks" with two sweeping waves. Anticipating complaints that the style hid too much of Jackie's face, Alexandre said: "A beautiful face needs foliage around it." For a ball next night at Versailles, Alexandre moved on from the Madonnas to the Duchess of Fontagnes, one of Louis XIV's loveliest mistresses, and designed a spectacular that was topped by a tambourine-shaped hair piece set with five family diamond pins. When Jackie protested against the jewelry, Alexandre observed: "Make an effort, Madame. You must pay tribute to Louis XIV."

Jackie's U.S. hairdresser, Mr. Kenneth of Lily Dache in New York, paid a guarded tribute of his own: "What Alexandre has done is typical of the French style of hairdressing. They were special creations for special occasions. It has nothing at all to do with our concept of Mrs. Kennedy." As for Alexandre, he was perhaps a little too interested in pressagentry for his own good. "I guess that sort of thing is all right." said Mr. Kenneth. "But not for me. I wasn't brought up that way."

Dolls & Toy Soldiers. Alexandre was brought up on the French Riviera. Born Alexandre Raimondi, he claims descendance from a general who fought against Napoleon in the Italian campaign. Though he has carefully preserved the sabre and other military relics of his illustrious ancestor, Alexandre says: "From a very early age, I preferred dolls to toy soldiers, dolls whose hair I could work up into curls and chignons." Shortly after World War II he was discovered by the Begum Aga Khan, having already won a local reputation as "The King of the Egg Shampoo"; the Begum passed him on to the Duchess of Windsor. Says Alexandre: "I owe everything to her. It was she who set me up and sent me my first customers."

Four years ago Alexandre set up in association with the cosmetic firm Harriet Hubbard Ayer, eventually pioneered both the "beehive" and the "artichoke" hairdos. Decked out in one of his splendidly colored jackets that range in material from suede to shantung, Alexandre attends between 35 and 40 women a day, many of whom shower him with gifts ("I have a passion for oyster eggs"). Although he has many nonroyal clients (Mrs. David Ben-Gurion, Greta Garbo), the list of Alexandre's customers reads like a page from the Almanack de Gotha: Queen Frederika of Greece, Princess Margaret, the Countess of Paris, Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, ex-Empress Zita of Austria. Not only does Alexandre do Princess Grace of Monaco, but he claims that his youngest client is her daughter, Caroline of Monaco. With his latest triumph, he hopes that another Caroline's hairdo will one day come under his deft fingers.

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