The builders
Dad Régné
Dad Régné (1941-2023) was the king of Riviera nights. A decorator and nightclub owner, he fitted out a private club in his house in the Cité Dubochet, at Clarens, where for years the stars passing through Montreux came and went. A faithful friend of Grace Jones, a collector and a magnificent party-giver, he had also gathered a carriage museum at the Théâtre de l’Alcazar, in Territet, and became one of the defenders of the Riviera’s heritage.
Dad Régné: the king of Riviera nights
The Villa Dubochet and its stars
In his house in the Cité Dubochet, at Clarens, Dad Régné had fitted out a private discotheque, furnished with pieces from a former casino. People partied there until morning, and the whole nightlife of the Riviera came through: Grace Jones, Keith Haring, Thierry Le Luron, Julien Clerc and Véronique Sanson, among many others.
It was there, too, that lasting friendships were formed, beginning with that of Grace Jones, whom he received like a queen. The portrait 24 heures devoted to him on his death, in February 2023, tells of this unclassifiable figure, a decorator by day and host by night.
La Calèche, at the Alcazar
In Territet, within the walls of the Théâtre de l’Alcazar, Dad Régné had set up La Calèche, a museum of horse-drawn carriages. On party nights the place turned into a set from another century: liveried footmen, torches, and Grace Jones carried in a sedan chair at the top of the stairs, as in Edouard Curchod’s photograph.
A guardian of heritage
Behind the party-giver was a lover of old stones. Dad Régné campaigned, in particular, to save Montreux’s Marché couvert, which was under threat of demolition. He died in February 2023, leaving the memory of a man who had turned the Riviera into a permanent theatre.