It was in 1860, barely two years after WORTH, that Emile PINGAT (1820 - 1901) established his fashion house in Paris. He moved to the Opera district, at 30 Rue Louis le Grand, in a building that has since disappeared. Little is known about his personality or personal history, but the many creations kept in major international fashion museums bear witness to his taste for opulence and his elegant mastery of the cut. Especially appreciated for his evening dresses, he excels in the production of coats and mantelets with rich embroideries of applied pearls. From the 1870s, he was just as widely regarded and recognized by the press of the time as his main competitor Charles WORTH. His clients knew him for flawless workmanship and monochromatic color palettes enlivened with a single accent color, which gave his works elegance without sacrificing any of the opulence of nineteenth-century fashion. Americans who visited Paris liked to fill their trunks with haute couture and often frequented the Maison Pingat; for those who could not make the journey to Paris, licensed copies of Pingat’s designs were made to order by American dressmakers and stores. Fashion-conscious women could also make their own versions of Pingat originals thank to sewing patterns sold by Harper’s Bazar. By the 1880s, PINGAT was known for his outerwear, including day and evening cloaks, jackets, and dolmans. While cloaks and jackets are still worn today, the dolman was an outer garment designed to accommodate the large bustle of the 1880s, and the term is used for any outer garment designed with the bustle in mind. PINGAT designed his outerwear with no less artistry than his other creations, masterfully combining sumptuous silks and unusual trimmings such as feathers and fur with delicate embroideries and lace. Emile PINGAT reigned for over thirty years as one of the leaders of haute couture during its formative era. Despite his important role in the history of fashion, his name has fallen into obscurity. Unlike Worth, PINGAT had no heirs to carry on his business and, and after he sold it, at the age of 76, to A. Wallès & Cie. in August 1896, his name virtually disappeared from the fashion world. Despite coverage in the fashion press and extant garments that show Maison Pingat was a fashion giant and among the first couturiers, relatively little is known about him.