Cierplikowski, Antoni (Antoine)
(1884 - 1976)
hairdresser to the stars

He was born December 24, 1884 in Sieradz, died July 9, 1976 in Sieradz, hairdresser, a patron of the arts. He was apprenticed to a barber-surgeon in Sieradz, then studied hair-dressing in Lodz at the shop of his uncle, Pawel Lewandowski. In 1900 he left for Paris where for a number of years worked as a wig-maker because few positions were available in his profession. In 1905 he worked at the Decoux hair-salon then left for the Calloux Salon where the most fashionable ladies of Paris came to have their hair done. In 1906 he left for London and on return opened his own establishment. He became famous as a hair-stylist and earned considerable income.

In 1910 with the help of sculptor Xsawery Dunikowski he remodeled a space into a hair salon in an exclusive area of Paris (at 5 Rue Cambon) which still exists bearing his name. Their friendship dates back to that time. In 1910 Cierplikowski was a proponent of short hair [for women] which was a breakthrough in fashion at the time. He introduced coiffures adapted to the shape of head and face, artistic wigs, used hair dryers and promoted the frequent washing of hair. He dyed grey and light hair blue. From 1914 he worked with actresses for whom he designed hair styles, hats and costumes for performances.

In 1925 he went to the United States where he gained recognition and founded 121 salons linked to his firm. In 1927 he built in Paris, per his own design, a famous glass house where he lived and where the offices of his "Gravina" firm were based. He produced his own cosmetics under the name "Produits Antoine", among them a hair-lacquer he invented. During 1940-1945 he was in the United States designing coiffeurs and costumes for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studios. He returned to France, where he received recognition as a coiffure artist. He was a friend and had the recognition of contemporary artists and people of the arts (among them: Greta Garbo, Isadora Duncan, Pola Negri, Simone Signoret, Maurice Chavalier, Jean Cocteau), he was also a patron of the arts and a philanthropist.

He started the Foundation Internationale d'art Sacre, which he used to finance the restoration of the St. Eustace Basilica and its organ, which was used by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He promoted and aided financially the leading artists: Xsawery Dunikowski, Yan Le Gitan, Claude Kahn, Jean Gillou. To honor him a musical was written, plays and films. In 1960 he received the Paris Medal at the Theatre des Champs-Elyssees, where the 50th anniversary celebration of his professional activity was held. Cierplikowski helped to return to Poland Dunikowski's sculptures from the time he worked in Paris.

Cierplikowski authored a memoir J'ai coiffe le mode entier! (1963) In 1967 he returned to Poland for good and settled in Sieradz.

Sources: Wielka Encyclopedia Powszechna PWN [The Great Universal PWN Encyclopedia] vol. 2, Warsaw 1962; Polacy w historii i kulturze krajow Europy Zachodniej, Slownik biograficzny [Poles in the history and culture of Western European Nations. Biographical directory] edited by K. Kwasniewski, L. Trzeciakowski, Poznan 1981; A. And Z. Judycki, Les Polonais en France. Dictionnaire bibiographique, vol. 1, Paris 1996.
Author: Kazimierz Dopierala
From: Encyklopedia Polskiej Emigracji i Polonii, ed. by Kazimierz Dopierala, Oficyna Wydawnicza Kucharski, vol. 1, Torun 2005, p. 340-341.
Translation: Peter Obst, Sept 5, 2009.