DORSEY, HEBE

(1925-1987)

   Born in Tunisia, she moved to Paris and studied chemistry at the Sorbonne before switching to English literature. She married Franck Dorsey in 1950 and, through his connections, began her career as a second-string fashion reporter at the International Herald-Tribune. It was there that she became the protégé of famous fashion Tribune journalist Eugenia Sheppard and eventually assumed her spot. While Dorsey had the looks of a femme fatale, some designers considered her an enfant terrible due to her sharp tongue and one-phrase put-downs. In the tradition of Shep-pard, she alienated designers Azzedine Aläia, Karl Lagerfeld, and Yves Saint Laurent and was even banned from Givenchy fashion shows. Dorsey was the author of the book The Belle Époque in the Paris Herald (1986).