Jean Claude Jitrois

Monsieur Jitrois

Monsieur Jean-Claude Jitrois was born on January 10, 1944 in Narbonne. He spent his childhood in Aix-en-Provence with his mother, a housewife, and his father, an air force officer. At the age of 18, he moved to Paris to study child psychomotricity at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital. He attended classes given by Françoise Dolto and Jacques Lacan. In 1968 he graduated and was transferred to Nice. To help the children in his care regain their confidence, he creates “therapeutic” crepe paper costumes for them.

In 1975, he became director of the Institut supérieur de rééducation psychomotrice in Nice, where he was involved in training nearly 400 students. In 2002, Jean Claude Jitrois was awarded the Légion d’Honneur for his contribution to the fashion industry and the promotion of France worldwide. - In 2012, he received the insignia of Officier de la Légion d’Honneur.

From Psychology to Fashion

Jean-Claude has explored Jacob Moreno’s theory of therapeutic psychodrama, applying it to his work with children with behavioral problems. He taught psychomotricity until 1976, when he opened his first boutique on rue Tonduti de l’Escarène in Nice.

Arts & Literature

Jean-Claude Jitrois has a taste for history and a desire for the contemporary, mixing and untangling them according to his desires. He loves Mozart, Liszt, Chopin and the cinema. He draws much of his inspiration from the artists and works he discovers. From a canvas by JonOne or Damien Hirst to an eye by Rankin… He combines his new inspirations with his childhood memories. “There is no such thing as chance, there are only appointments,” he says. 

Artistic Collaborations

Jitrois is famous for its collaborations with the highest quality of artists and creatives. This includes: Helmut Newton, Jean Baptiste Mondino, Karl Lagerfeld, Bettina Rheims & Rankin. Jitrois also works with contemporary visual artists including Jonone, Peter Beard & Stanley Wong, alongside many young and up-coming names from the Paris, London and Berlin scene.