for her fashion house. For a time, Kitmir was a success in the Parisian fashion industry. The grand duchess was helped by her mother-in-law, Princess Sophia Putyatina, and employed Russians refugees in order to help them. However, Kitmir was plagued by organizational problems, resulting in the dissipation of Maria's money from the sale of her jewels and leaving her heavily in debt. While she devoted all her energies to her work, Putyatin preferred to spend his time in the company of Russian officers, fast living and squandering money. Disillusioned with her husband, she divorced him in 1923 "over a fundamental difference in attitude," though she continued to offer Putyatin and his relatives financial assistance. After her divorce, Maria Pavlovna continued to work in Paris, but she moved to Boulogne, the south west suburb of Paris, where many Russians had taken residence. She began an affair with the famous fashion designer Jean Patou, who was ten years older than her and with a large fortune. They lived with great luxury appearing together in Parisian society events and spending time in Biarritz, Deauville and on the French Riviera. Rumors of a possible marriage between them spread in 1925, but Patou, a confirmed bachelor, was reluctant to change his lifestyle. In 1926, Kitmir's business began to decline. In 1928, as embroidery began to be out of fashion, Maria Pavlovva sold her workshop to Maison Hurel. Having suffered a defeat, but not surrendering, the grand duchess moved to London in the spring 1928 where she started selling her own perfume, Prince Igor, following in the footsteps of Chanel No. 5 and Patou's perfume Joy.Vassiliev, Beauty in Exile, p. 178 Failings in advertising and distribution made that Prince Igor was not a success. Undeterred, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna emigrated to the United States hoping for a new start. On 8 December 1928, she set sail for America from Le Havre. In the United States Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna's arrival in New York City was greeted by the press with great enthusiasm and curiosity. She was photographed and interviewed a great deal. Accompanied by an American friend, she went as far as California spending three weeks in a ranch. In January 1929, while recuperating from an ankle injury she worked on her memoirs which she had been writing for many years. She sent the manuscript to a number of publishers and on 18 April 1929, it