Ziegfeld Follies
Du Bois was born on Staten Island in New York City, the son of René Pène Du Bois, a banker. He started his career as a costume designer when he was 14, by designing four showgirl costumes for the Ziegfeld Follies. He went on to design the costumes for the Broadway revues "Ziegfeld Follies of 1934", his first show and "Ziegfeld Follies of 1936".