Myrbor, a boutique and fashion house launched in July 1922 at 17 rue Vignon in Paris, served as the primary commercial vehicle for Marie Cuttoli. The business name combined elements of her birth name, Myriam Bordes, and focused on haute couture embroidery and appliqué, alongside significant exhibitions of modern paintings by figures such as Salvador Dalí.
Early Enterprise in Algeria
Starting around 1910, she operated a workshop within her Algerian residence to instruct local women in carpet weaving. These textiles were subsequently supplied to high-end fashion retailers based in Paris, marking the initial stage of her professional career as an entrepreneur.
Tapestry Revitalization
In 1927, Cuttoli commissioned tapestry cartoons from artists including Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Fernand Léger, and Joan Miró. This initiative aimed to revitalize the weaving industry in Aubusson. She successfully convinced prominent modernists to translate their easel paintings into woven tapestries, resulting in collaborations with figures such as Le Corbusier, Henri Matisse, André Bauchant, and Raoul Dufy. She managed these efforts through partnerships with the Galerie Jeanne Bucher and later with Galerie Lucie Weill & Seligmann.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Artistic Patronage and Collections
Married to the Radical Socialist senator Paul Cuttoli in 1912, she integrated herself into the circles of leading modernist painters. The couple maintained a residence in Algeria called Villa Myriam and a Parisian home at 55 Rue de Babylone, later occupied by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Her extensive private collection, featuring works by Calder, Braque, Dufy, Léger, and Picasso, was eventually bequeathed to the public. The 1969 Cuttoli-Laugier donation provided a significant number of these works to the Musée National d'Art Moderne.
International Recognition
The 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts highlighted her commercial success, where her products earned favorable critical reception. Long after her death in 1973 in Antibes, her influence on modern art and commerce continued to be documented. In 2020, the Barnes Foundation held an exhibition of her work accompanied by a formal catalog, acknowledging the historical significance of her professional approach.
Fast facts
- Born: 1879, Tulle
- Died: 1973, Antibes
- Birth name: Myriam Bordes
- Spouse: Paul Cuttoli
- Fashion house: Myrbor
- Fashion house opening: July 1922
- Primary movements: Cubism, Art Deco, modernism
- Citizenship: France
Questions readers ask
What was the function of the Myrbor boutique?
Myrbor produced embroidered and appliqué dresses and hosted exhibitions for artists like Salvador Dalí and Francis Cyril Rose.
Which artists contributed tapestry designs for Cuttoli?
Artists included Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Henri Matisse, Le Corbusier, André Bauchant, and Raoul Dufy.
Where did Marie Cuttoli donate her art collection?
She donated her collection to the Musée National d'Art Moderne, including the 1969 Cuttoli-Laugier donation.
