Gabrielle Dorziat

Gabrielle Dorziat (1880–1979) was a French stage and film actress.[Dorziat was a fashion trend setter in Paris and helped popularize the designs of Coco Chanel. The Théâtre Gabrielle-Dorziat in Épernay, France is named for her. She was born in 1880. Dorziat made her stage début in 1898 at the Théâtre Royal du Parc in Brussels. She moved to Paris and appeared in Alfred Capus' La Bourse ou la vie (1900), but it was her performance as Thérèse Herbault in Chaîne anglaise (1906) that brought her to public attention. She became known for her off-stage life as well, becoming romantically involved with actors Lucien Guitry and Louis Jouvet. She had close friendships with Jean Cocteau, Jean Giraudoux, Coco Chanel, Paul Bourget and Henri Bernstein. During World War I Dorziat left France to tour the United States where she raised money for war refugees. After the war she toured Canada, South America and the rest of Europe.