lachasse
which could explain why, two years after lachasse closed, miss virginia resurfaced .
( incsoc) – although donnellan had been aligned with incsoc since 1950 as head of lachasse .
a model wears a spanish style evening dress designed by lachasse. 1968. (core number: anb6545r )
three 1960' s couture' lachasse' ladies suits. a green blue and black printed light weight silk su
a model wears a spanish style evening dress designed by lachasse... . stock footage video | getty images
three 1960' s couture' lachasse' ladies suits. a green blue and black printed light weight silk suit .
, he joined the fashion house of lachasse as chief designer – he was named head of its operation from 1941 .
on page 109 is miss virginia lachasse, dressed in a smart wool coat and necklace and looking just like a lady .
who also promoted the use of british wools and tweeds for these clothes. certain other factors played a significant role in establishing lachasse
chief lachasse earned his bachelor’s degree from california state university, los angeles, and his master’s in public administration from the university of southern california .
his early experiences at lachasse, a firm which specialised in tailoring, never left him: the amies name was always based on his tailored clothes rather than his dressmaking. amies was ambitious and, by 1935, he had become lachasse' s managing director as well as design supremo .
founded: by fred singleton as couture sportswear branch of gray, paulette and singleton, 1928; company incorporated as lachasse ltd. , 1946 .
fashion. london, england. january 1960. a coat in stone wool, tied at the waist, from the lachasse spring summer collection .
fashion. london, england. january 1960. a short printed blue silk chiffon dress in mauve and tourquoise from the lachasse spring summer collection .
michael krulik, solutions specialist, avid, interviews with suzanne lachasse reporting for the catania group at the digital cinema society 4k event. shot on an ipadpro .
lachasse ltd. was often referred to as london' s tailoring stable and it saw a succession of british designers who completed their training there after digby morton established the couture house in 1928. the house of lachasse was renowned primarily for its tailored suits which, in the tradition of british tailoring, were said to mature like vintage wine. lachasse was representative of the distinctive type of british tailoring that evolved from the masculine style as opposed to the softer dressmaker tailoring employed in paris .
lachasse ltd. was often referred to as london' s tailoring stable and it saw a succession of british designers who completed their training there after digby morton established the couture house in 1928. the house of lachasse was renowned primarily for its tailored suits which, in the tradition of british tailoring, were said to mature like vintage wine. lachasse was representative of the distinctive type of british tailoring that evolved from the masculine style as opposed to the softer dressmaker tailoring employed in paris .
lachasse was exclusively a couture house until 1981 when peter lewis - crown opened a mini - boutique on the premises. he was also responsible for introducing more dresses and feminine clothes to the house, once famed principally for its tailored suits. former attempts to introduce eveningwear had been unsuccessful. hardy amies describes lachasse' s la soir
the lachasse family: sadly i just learned of scotts passing. he was a delight to talk with about his hank and my sammy. i am so sorry ,
scott lachasse joined the burbank police department as interim chief in january, 2010 and was named permanent chief in april, 2013. chief lachasse worked for the los angeles police department from 1970 - 2002, most recently holding the position of deputy chief. in this capacity, he managed almost 1, 600 personnel in south los angeles .
sir hardy' s own fashion career began at the house of lachasse, where, by his own admission, many of his designs were
extravagant and hideous
.
hardy amies joined the house of lachasse after morton' s departure in 1934, learning about the construction of tailored suits by examining copies of morton' s models. michael donellan followed amies to lachasse where he trained until he established his own house in 1953. originally a milliner, donellan was the only designer to have his name on the label, which read
michael at lachasse .
the irish - born designer was also likened to balenciaga because of his strong, uncompromising signature. in the postwar period lachasse enjoyed a sizeable export trade, particularly with america. the firm used to send a doll called virginia around the world, dressed in the latest clothing by lachasse, and took orders for her couture outfits. as a member of the incorporated society of london fashion designers (islfd), the house also partook in the export and publicity ventures organized by the islfd .
hardy amies joined the house of lachasse after morton' s departure in 1934, learning about the construction of tailored suits by examining copies of morton' s models. michael donellan followed amies to lachasse where he trained until he established his own house in 1953. originally a miliner, donellan was the only designer to have his name on the label, which read
michael at lachasse .
the irish - born designer was also likened to balenciaga because of his strong, uncompromisig signature. in the postwar period lachasse enjoyed a sizable export trade, particularly with america. the firm used to send a doll called virginia around the world, dressed in the latest clothing by lachasse, and took orders for her couture outfits. as a member of the incorporated society of london fashion designers (islfd), the house also partook in the export and publicity ventures organized by the islfd .
he worked at mayfair couture house lachasse, where he was appointed managing director aged just 25, and for the house of worth, before setting up on his own in 1945 .
company history: chief designers include digby morton, 1928 - 33, hardy amies, 1934 - 39, michael donellan, 1941 - 52; peter lewis - crown (born, 1930) joined lachasse as apprentice, 1948; became director, 1964; later became designer and sole owner; lachasse has also produced clothes for theatre, film and television productions .
the real virginia always wondered what happened to her. virginia harvey was a 19 - year - old model for the british fashion house lachasse when she became a model for the doll .
by the age of 25 he was running the couture house, lachasse. he joined the intelligence corps during the second world war, heading a special forces mission to belgium in 1944 .
fashon. london. january 1960. from the lachasse spring summer collection a black and white patterned dress worn with a sombrero. the model sits on a stool infront of several cars .
suit lachasse 1948 - 9 london wool, silk crepe de chine, and silk jersey museum no. t. 214 - 1976 worn by mrs ralph dent and given by mrs m. webster
fromenti, marcel (artist) donéllan, michael, born 1915 - died 1985 (designer) dior, christian, born 1905 - died 1957 (designer) lachasse ltd. (designed for )
the fashion for sportswear during the 1920s was the ideal environment for digby morton to establish the london house of lachasse, which specialized in the tailored sporting suit for women. morton was brought in as chief sportswear designer of a dress establishment owned by businessman fred singleton. morton later claimed his decision to call the new house lachasse was because at that time british women would not consider anything but french labels in their wardrobes .
lachasse was exclusively a couture house until 1981 when peter lewis - crown opened a mini - boutique on the premises. he was also responsible for introducing more dresses and feminine clothes to the house, once famed principally for its tailored suits. former attempts to introduce eveningwear had been unsuccessful. hardy amies describes lachasse' s la soirée department as
un - epoch - making
and it was closed down, with many of the evening gowns unsold. while lachasse can make no claims to breaking any fashion barriers, it is one of the longest - surviving couture houses and continues to attract an international clientéle to its kensington premises .
marcel fromenti. skirt suit by lachasse called
michael
( possibly by michael donéllan) and coat - and - dress ensemble by christian dior called
james
, drawn for the lady. 1953 - 54
harvey exchanged christmas cards with her old friends at lachasse each year, and she never stopped asking them about the doll. she told them she' d really like to have it, if it ever turned up .
harvey married texas architect millard harvey in 1958 and stopped working for lachasse. the couple eventually settled outside of washington, d. c. , and raised a family. in 1995, they moved to kill devil hills .
dolls through the ages organizers wanted a modern doll dressed in the latest fashions to go with all the old ones. they contacted lachasse, which agreed, casting their top model for the project and putting together the elaborate wardrobe .
lachasse was founded in 1928 by frederick shingleton with digby morton as head designer until 1933. hardy amies succeeded morton from 1933 - 39, followed by michael donéllan (1940 to 1953). between 1953 - 64, the house was headed by mr. owen, and from 1964 until its closure in 2006, lachasse was headed by peter lewis - crown. although lachasse produced evening dresses, it was principally known for its stylish tailored daywear. until 1981, when boutique and ready - to - wear lines were offered, the house operated on an exclusively couture basis, making all garments to order. its 78 - year run made it one of the longest surviving london fashion houses .
founded: by fred singleton as couture sportswear branch of gray, paulette and singleton, 1928; company incorporated as lachasse ltd. , 1946. company history: chief designers include digby morton, 1928 - 33, hardy amies, 1934 - 39, michael donellan, 1941 - 52; peter lewis - crown (born, 1930) joined lachasse as apprentice, 1948; became director, 1964; later became designer and sole owner; lachasse has also produced clothes for theatre, film and television productions. collections: victoria & albert museum, london; costume gallery, castle howard, york; costume museum, bath, england. company address: 29 thurloe place, london sw7 2hq, england .
founded: by fred singleton as couture sportswear branch of gray, paulette and singleton, 1928; company incorporated as lachasse ltd. , 1946. company history: chief designers include digby morton, 1928 - 33, hardy amies, 1934 - 39, michael donellan, 1941 - 52; peter lewis - crown (born, 1930) joined lachasse as apprentice, 1948; became director, 1964; later became designer and sole owner; lachasse has also produced clothes for theatre, film and television productions. collections: victoria & albert museum, london; costume gallery, castle howard, york; costume museum, bath, england. company address: 29 thurloe place, london sw7 2hq, england .
miss virginia lachasse was in a big glass box at the museum looking exactly as harvey remembered. the little clothes lay around her, and the tiny purses and stockings and cigarettes, and there was no doubt now that it was exciting .
but his success at lachasse left him chafing at the fact that the firm was not his, and he could therefore never exert full control. he determined to rectify the situation, but his plans were scuppered by the outbreak of war in 1939 .
the early success of lachasse owed much to the popularity of sportswear during the 1920s, as advocated by coco chanel who also promoted the use of british wools and tweeds for these clothes. certain other factors played a significant role in establishing lachasse— digby morton presented his first collection there in 1929, the year of the wall street crash, which saw a dramatic fall in the number of american buyers at the paris couture houses. many overseas buyers turned to london, attracted by the new generation of couturiers and the lower prices .
the early success of lachasse owed much to the popularity of sportswear during the 1920s, as advocated by coco chanel who also promoted the use of british wools and tweeds for these clothes. certain other factors played a significant role in establishing lachasse digby morton presented his first collection there in 1929, the year of the wall street crash, which saw a dramatic fall in the number of american buyers at the paris couture houses. many overseas buyers turned to london, attracted by the new generation of couturiers and the lower prices .
spadea was another of the mail order companies. these patterns are among the most prized by collectors. many of the important and popular designers of the 1950s and 1960s designed patterns for spadea, including ceil chapman, jo copeland, suzy perette and lachasse of london .
amies' s first fashion statement was his own uniform as an intelligence officer in the british army. using the skills inherited from his mother, a seamstress, he went on to work first for the house of lachasse and then to create a couture house under his own name .
e department as
un - epoch - making
and it was closed down, with many of the evening gowns unsold. while lachasse can make no claims to breaking any fashion barriers, it is one of the longest - surviving couture houses and continues to attract an international client
on return to england in 1930, amies secured a trainee position with weighing machine manufacturer avery ltd. in birmingham. it was, however, in 1934, at the age of 25, without any formal training, that he became managing designer for the fashion house lachasse of london .
amies began working for the couture house lachasse in the early 1930s, and by decade' s end, he was designing the firm' s whole collection. he served in the intelligence corps during world war ii, then returned to london to open his own fashion business on savile row .
as princess and for decades as monarch, elizabeth also patronised sir hardy amies, who began as a designer at lachasse, which was famous for elegantly tailored suits, and went on to become one of the most successful menswear designers, launching the first recorded men' s catwalk show in 1959 .
by 1939 sales at lachasse had doubled but amies' s appeals to design in his own name were rebuffed. restless and frustrated, he saw world war ii as an escape. he joined the intelligence corps, transferring in 1941 to the belgian section of the special operations executive, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. amies designed throughout the war, contributing to government - backed export collections and, after resigning from lachasse, selling through the london house of worth. he was a founding member of the incorporated society of london fashion designers and served as the society' s chairman from 1959 to 1960 .
scott david lachasse age 26, of newhall, california, died suddenly on saturday, january 10, 2009 at his newhall home. scott was born on june 22, 1982 in pasadena, california and graduated from peachland elementary, placerita middle and hart high schools. he was attending the college of the ...
joined drawing of two models in outfits by lachasse and christian dior. on the left, a model in a lachasse suit with a slim black pencil skirt and a light coloured jacket with wide turned - back sleeve cuffs, fitted bodice, belted waist, and a deep, flaring peplum with double - breasted buttons below the waist on the peplum. the model wears the lapels of her jacket turned up and wears long black gloves, a wide - brimmed black straw hat, and a tightly rolled umbrella. this suit is called
michael
, but this may be a reference to its being designed by michael donéllan, the house designer for lachasse before opening his own fashion house in 1953. on the right, a coat and dress ensemble called
james
by christian dior. the loose, collarless swing coat with dark contrast binding at the edges of the sleeves and facings is worn open over a simple fitted sheath dress with a pencil skirt .
he did a few casual jobs on his travels, including selling scales and wall tiles before returning to the uk, where his course was set. he saw a photograph of a lady wearing an evening gown designed by a company called lachasse and wrote to them commenting on the draping effect. they came back and offered him a job .
it was amies' s facility with the written word that secured him his first job in fashion. his vivid description of a dress, written in a letter to a retired french fitter and brought to the attention of the owner of the mayfair couture house lachasse, made a strong impression. the wearer of the dress was the owner' s wife .
joined drawing of two models in outfits by lachasse and christian dior. on the left, a model in a lachasse suit with a slim black pencil skirt and a light coloured jacket with wide turned - back sleeve cuffs, fitted bodice, belted waist, and a deep, flaring peplum with double - breasted buttons below the waist on the peplum. the model wears the lapels of her jacket turned up and wears long black gloves, a wide - brimmed black straw hat, and a tightly rolled umbrella. this suit is called
michael
, but this may be a reference to its being designed by michael donéllan, the house designer for lachasse before opening his own fashion house in 1953. on the right, a coat and dress ensemble called
james
by christian dior. the loose, collarless swing coat with dark contrast binding at the edges of the sleeves and facings is worn open over a simple fitted sheath dress with a pencil skirt. 1 of 94 sheets of fashion drawings. inscribed with the designers' names, descriptions in french, and dated on the back .
lachasse was founded in 1928 by frederick shingleton. digby morton was the head designer from 1928 - 1933, followed by hardy amies from 1933 - 1939. michael (later of carlos place) was the designer from 1940 to 1953. the company was renowned for stylish tailored daywear and was headed by peter lewis - crown from 1964 until it closed down in 2006 .
absolutely gorgeous 1950s dress in soft red, pink, green and orange printed chiffon from english label lachasse. this piece is extremely feminine and full of pretty details with sheer top section, bow at the back and attached belt woven through the pleats of the skirt. it is fully lined in magenta silk and fastens at the back with a zip. in excellent condition .
having worked in selfridges and liberty, he became a sketch artist at jay' s fashion store, sketching paris designs for clients. in 1928, he was recruited as a designer to a new london couture house, gray paulette & shingleton. he came in on his own terms, using his own staff and designs, and suggested the rebranded name lachasse, as it sounded chic .
in early 1934, with no previous experience, he succeeded the designer manager, digby morton, who had left lachasse to set up his own house. amies later said that many of his early designs were both hideous and extravagant, but in 1937 he scored a success with a tweed suit called
panic
. by the time war intervened, he was designing the whole collection .
charles undertook an apprenticeship designed to fit him to be a designer for a leading paris couture house. molyneux, an exceptionally successful couturier in both london and paris in the interwar years had begun by doing drawings for lucile, as had hartnell. hardy amies, who was to become the royal couturier after the war, had trained before the war with the london couture house of lachasse where his mother was a
fromenti did not usually draw paris and london designs on the same sheet. these two outfits, one by the london couture house lachasse, and the other by christian dior of paris, were drawn on separate pages, and afterwards joined by the publisher. the lachasse suit, which is called
michael
, features a slim black pencil skirt with a light - coloured jacket with deep flared peplum, tightly belted waist and fitted bodice. this tightly cinched silhouette was made popular by designers such as christian dior in the late 1940s, although the dior outfit, which is called
james
, shows how paris couturiers had moved on. whilst the dior outfit features a simple, fitted sheath dress, it is worn with a loosely fitted, collarless swing coat showing the more natural, relaxed silhouette towards which parisian tailoring was moving .
lachasse closed and he joined up. his linguistic skills proved valuable, and he moved up the ranks in the intelligence corps to the rank of lieutenant colonel. and he did not give up designing. the government allowed couturiers time off to continue work in fashion, specifically for its own utility scheme to produce well - designed clothes in accordance with its imposed wartime restriction, and to create luxury couture to sell abroad for dollars for the war effort .
three 1960' s couture' lachasse' ladies suits. a green blue and black printed light weight silk suit. fully lined in silk. 30
waist. approx size 10 / 12. a gold coloured light weight linen suit, fully lined in silk. size 10 / 12. a further apricot linen three piece suit. 30
waist. size 10 / 12. the suits are all labelled' la chasse london'. (7 )
according to peter lewis - crown, who joined lachasse in 1949 and became the couture house' s owner, its three main designers, all of whom left their mark, were digby morton, who popularized donegal tweed for womenswear; hardy amies, who gave the tailored suit a geometrical approach by using the fabric selvedge around the body instead of downwards, and michael donellan, who made the tailored suit an acceptable mode of dress from morning through to evening .
after five years at lachasse, morton established his own couture house in 1934. in 1939 he was invited to design the women' s voluntary service uniform and during world war ii was an active member of the incorporated society of london fashion designers, established in 1942 to promote exports of british fashion. morton also designed a collection of garments for the british government' s utility clothing scheme (no - trim standards for wartime clothing and household goods), which went into production anonymously in 1942 .
chief lachasse is a member of several organizations including the international association of chiefs of police, fbi national academy associates, california peace officers association, william h. parker los angeles police foundation, chief special agents association, california police chiefs association, challengers boys and girls club board of directors, peace officers association of los angeles county executive board, and los angeles police museum board of directors. he also provides instruction nationally and internationally to public officials and law enforcement officers on the command of critical incidents .
through raw talent, drive and expert timing, amies made lachasse one of the most sought - after names for any smart shop on both sides of the atlantic, and by 1940 he himself was considered one of london’s finest couturiers. his designs managed miraculously to marry english restraint with gallic verve, something notably lacking in his contemporaries. like hartnell in the 20s, he had his finger on the pulse of fashion, and knew instinctively what his clientele were looking for. unlike his contemporary chanel or futuristic 60’s designer courreges, his talent was not for invention, but innovation .
my lords, i congratulate the noble baroness, lady whitaker, on securing this important debate on design. i have enjoyed it thoroughly. what follows is what my government say, and i am delighted to repeat it, but it is lovely for me to hear the expertise expressed on all sides of the house, including from former education ministers. that is my personal comment. as regards the
paris model
on the other side of the chamber, i am terribly grateful that i am wearing my suit made for me by lachasse 24 years ago. it is still going strong. good design definitely counts .
at this stage amies had had no formal training, although those sessions on his mother’s knee had clearly paid off: within a year of joining lachasse in 1934 he was managing designer. with the advent of the second world war his life took an interesting turn. in1943 he joined the belgian section of the special operations executive. his aptitude for languages was such that he worked with the belgian resistance using the name of fashion accessories as code words. his uniform, naturally, was specially tailored on savile row. however the dilettante exterior concealed a far tougher interior. a training report concluded: “this officer is far tougher both physically and mentally than his rather precious appearance would suggest. ”
after demobilization, amies set up his own house in november 1945 at 14 savile row, in the heart of london' s tailoring district. staff from lachasse, worth, and miss gray joined him, bringing their clients and skills and enabling amies to establish a reputation for all - around excellence. although nearly forty, he was considered young in couture terms. amies played on this, promoting himself and his house as vigorous, youthful, and progressive. in 1950 he was among the first london couturiers to set up a boutique line aimed at export buyers, selected provincial retail buyers, and the general public. within two years the new business was half the size of the couture business .
amies worked in france and germany and came home fluent in the language of both countries. although he had no experience in fashion - his job in germany was with the weighing - machine firm, avery' s - a letter he sent to an aunt, describing a fellow guest' s dress at a dinner party, landed him his first job in fashion. the dress described was worn by the wife of the owner of the fashionable sportswear firm of lachasse, whose designer, digby morton, had recently left to set up his own fashion house. amies - totally untried - took over his role, although what he was to do was never actually spelt out to him. the year was 1933 .
born edwin amies, the designer set up his savile row couture house under the name hardy amies in 1945. after designing for the houses of lachasse and worth, amies was financially backed by actress and ex - wife to cary grant, virginia cherrill. amies continued the longstanding tradition of the english tailor - made and established himself as an expert tailor of both mens and womenswear. in 1950, amies received his first royal commission, dressing queen elizabeth for a state trip to canada. five years later, the designer would succeed norman hartnell, receiving the royal warrant as dressmaker to the queen. today, amies remains the sole surviving english house of the postwar years after claire malcolm revived the label in january of 2012 .
was clearly his destiny. a chance letter describing a dress worn by miss gray led to the offer of a job as designer at lachasse, a sportswear shop owned by miss gray' s husband, fred shingleton. in late 1933, amies was invited by mr. and mrs. shingleton (miss gray) to join their party at a dance given in aid of the middlesex hospital. at christmas 1933, amies wrote a letter to mlle. louise probet - piolat (aunt louie), a friend of his mother, describing the dress worn by mrs. shingleton at the dance. aunt louie in turn wrote to mrs. shingleton, reporting
how vivid she found my description .
mrs shingleton threw the letter across the table to her husband and said ,
you ought to get that boy into the business in digby morton' s place
( amies 1954, pp. 52–53). undeterred by his complete ignorance of practical dressmaking, amies boldly grabbed the opportunity .
a model in a tweed slip and wide belt suit designed by digby morton .
ask anyone for irish fashion luminaries of the past, and you' ll get names like sybil connolly, doyenne of tweed and linen, and carmel snow, pioneering editor of' harper' s bazaar' .
almost nobody mentions digby morton, who is undoubtedly the counrty' s most influential fashion export (until philip treacy, lainey keogh and the current crop came along) .
for three decades – 1930s to 1960s – he was among the top 10 designers in london, where his architectural approach helped change the shape of fashion. women who like sharp suits and clean tailoring owe him a debt of gratitude .
morton was a dubliner, the son and grandson of accountants with guinness, but after graduating from the dublin school of art in 1923, he moved to london. he made his career in britain and america, which is maybe why he' s largely forgotten here .
his debut collection was suitably irish, but with a twist – ardara tweeds in unusual colour combinations, like pale lime green and duck egg blue with dark brown. under his expert cutting and tailoring – he reduced decoration to a minimum to allow the cut speak for itself – hitherto stuffy country tweeds became fashionable town wear. his preference for uncluttered design was also reflected in his dislike of evening - wear, which he referred to as
debutante clothes
.
in 1934 he set up his own design house under his name in kensington. it became one of the leading brands for tailored sportswear, which was coming into vogue .
in 1936 he married phyllis painting. as' anne seymour', she was editor of' woman & beauty'. during the war, he helped design the uniform for the wrvs. he re - opened his couture house after the war and grudgingly began to introduce evening - wear – but strictly tailored, no meringues .
he was quick to see that couture' s days were numbered; the future lay in ready - to - wear. not all designers could make the transition but morton had great success. he always said that he felt constrained by couture, and that his real design career began when he started designing clothes for the average woman .
his first success in america came in 1953 when the hathaway company, manufacturers of top quality men' s shirts, asked him to design a women' s collection. by copying the cut of men' s shirts, with slight adjustments for the female form, morton created the collection in brilliant colours and patterns, with contrasting bowties. the success of this venture earned him the title of' daring digby' by' time' magazine .
in 1957 he closed his london couture house and set up the company reldan - digby morton with nadler, a large fashion producer, owned by cyril kern .
morton' s ready - to - wear designs for reldan - digby morton introduced ready - made garments with a couture image to the british public and were equally successful in america. the more adventurous designs – bright yellow - and - black striped suits and jet black beach coats – appealed to a market of playboys and dandies .
unsurprisingly given his reaction to overt decoration and frills, menswear always appealed to morton, and in 1963 he designed his first menswear collection in trevira cloth for the cologne fair .
one of his most widely publicised garments was the mesh - over - flesh vestshirt, which featured string vest fabric with formal shirting. other designs played on the traditional male suit, with unusual features such as curved side slits on formal trousers .
for the next 10 years, until his retirement in 1973, morton concentrated on menswear, but it' s as a designer of cool, tailored, uncluttered womenswear that he' s celebrated .
' i thought i would end up with my head on a spike for beatrice' s hat' - irish milliner philip ...
hat - maker for the royals philip treacy has said he thought he would end up with his
head on a spike
for his design worn by britain' s princess beatrice at the royal wedding in 2011 .
bairbre power i always extol the virtues of a great statement hat to lift glamorous occasion wear and make it ladies' day - ready .
virgil abloh, the designer behind cult fashion label off - white, showed his first collection for louis vuitton this season in front of a 2, 000 - strong crowd of invited guests in the garden of paris' palais - royal .
meghan markle displays chic summer look in sleeveless yellow dress - and a sleek ...
pippa middleton gives a lesson in masterful maternity dressing - but this €750 sundress ...
tess daly stuns in blush pink suit combination at wimbledon - but it' s her accessories that ...
happy 4th of july: here are 10 meghan markle - approved american brands you should ...
stay on top of the latest fashion, beauty and celeb gossip in our style newsletter .
' i thought i would end up with my head on a spike for beatrice' s ...
hat - maker for the royals philip treacy has said he thought ...
virgil abloh, the designer behind cult fashion label off - white, ...
happy 4th of july: here are 10 meghan markle - approved ...
there' s a new ladies day in town at the galway races - and it ...
imelda may adds some edge to her silk mini - dress with a pair of ...
kaley cuoco' s dramatic reem acra wedding gown took 400 hours ...
well groomed: 22 stylish suits for a summer wedding (and where ...
world cup or' love island'? give me the footie any day but i ...
this victoria' s secret model just said yes to the most ...
video: khloe kardashian, kendall jenner and kylie jenner put on a leggy ...
kim kardashian showed off her curves at the launch of her new perfume, fleur ...
the launch of christian dior' s new look in 1947 marked the beginning of a momentous decade in fashion history, one that dior himself called the' golden age'. celebrating the end of war and the birth of a new era, it set a standard for dressmaking and high fashion that has rarely been surpassed .
in paris, couture houses such as balenciaga, balmain and fath attracted worldwide attention for elegance and glamour. london was renowned for formal state gowns by court dressmakers and impeccable tailoring by designers like hardy amies .
evening dress by cristóbal balenciaga, about 1955, paris, france. museum no. t. 427 - 1967. © victoria and albert museum, london
the production of couture was important to the prestige and economy of both france and britain. while traditionally catering for wealthy private clients, the couture houses also sought new markets. as the decade progressed, they created perfumes, opened boutiques and licensed their designs to foreign manufacturers. by the late 1950s, the leading couture houses had become global brands .
dior' s death in 1957 brought this golden age to an end. with the changing social and economic climate fashion moved from the fitting rooms and ateliers into the streets and boutiques. yet its legacy of artistry and craftmanship survives in the remaining grand houses of paris and the bespoke workshops of savile row .
in 1939, there were seventy registered couture houses in paris, including the grand establishments of chanel, schiaparelli and balenciaga. this flourishing industry was disrupted by the wartime occupation of paris. private clients dispersed, international sales almost ceased and many couturiers closed. the germans planned to move couture to berlin but lucien lelong, president of the chambre syndicale de la couture parisienne, objected, saying,' it is in paris or it is nowhere' .
eglantine; théâtre de la mode, fashion illustration, roger worth, about 1944, paris, france. museum no. e. 22248 - 1957. © victoria and albert museum, london
in 1945 - 6, the paris couturiers created the théâtre de la mode, a touring exhibition of nearly two hundred dolls in sets, created by artists such as christian bérard and jean cocteau. the théâtre brought together a community that even as late as 1946 was still suffering hardship:' beautiful models huddled around little stoves. skilful midinettes (seamstresses) bulged with sweaters... there was still not enough electric current to run all the machines or to burn the lights long.' the théâtre toured to britain, scandinavia and the usa, raising funds for war victims and promoting french fashion .
dior launched his couture house on 12 february 1947 and became an overnight sensation. his voluptuous collection was the antithesis of masculine wartime fashions. instead, the designs featured sloping shoulders, a full bust and a cinched - in waist above full, long skirts. it was christened on the spot by carmel snow, editor of american harper' s bazaar, as the' new look'. london couturier john cavanagh described the style as' a total glorification of the female form' .
' the new look' jacket by christian dior, 1947, paris. museum no. t. 109 - 1982. © victoria and albert museum, london
the amount of fabric required to create a new look garment caused outrage in london, as rationing was still in place. the collection was shown in secret to queen elizabeth ii and other members of the royal family at the french embassy in london. although initially condemned by the british board of trade, the new look gained widespread popularity, particularly after princess margaret adopted it, attracted by its femininity and youth .
find inspiration in our incredible range of exclusive gifts, jewellery, books, fashion, prints & posters and much more ...
we use cookies to enhance your experience on v & a; websites. read our cookie policy to find out more .
this is an original artwork for a fashion illustration by marcel fromenti for the lady, a weekly magazine for women published since 1885. at the time it was made, fromenti was the main artist for the lady' s fashion articles. the glamorous women in his drawings modelled both couture and high - end ready - to - wear garments with equal panache and elegance. couture dresses and suits by leading paris and london couturiers such as christian dior, pierre balmain and norman hartnell were drawn with the same flair as designs from british ready - to - wear labels such as susan small, roecliff & chapman, and marcus. the articles described the fashion developments of their day in simple, accessible terms that contributed greatly to the lady' s popularity with its readers. pencil notes record the designers, fabric and colour details, alongside technical instructions to the printers as to how these images should be incorporated into the printed page and at what scale .
nb: this description is for e. 1572: 1 & 2 - 1954. the record is for one of two parts .
please let us know how you intend to use the images you will be downloading .
mcdowell, colin, mcdowell' s directory of 20th century fashion, london, 1984 .
lambert, eleanor, world of fashion: people, places, resources, new york & london, 1976 .
ginsburg, madeleine, and prudence glynn, in fashion, london, 1977 .
mulvagh, jane, vogue history of 20th century fashion, london, 1988 .
morton transformed the classic tweed suit into a fashionable garment through the carefully planned placing of seams that gave a more decorative line to the native irish tweeds he used. sir hardy amies acknowledges that morton' s intricate cutting technique and designs made the ordinary country tweed suit into a fashionable garment, worn confidently in town as well as the country. morton' s first collection, in 1929, featured ardara tweeds, large herringbone wools, and diagonal stripes and checks in the then - unusual color combinations such as pale lime green and duck egg blue with dark brown. morton used french printed silks by rodier for blouses and linings which were clean cut and spare for detail, and far removed from what he called
postmistress blouses .
morton' s belief that british women could not successfully wear conspicuous clothes was evident in designs where he endeavored to
translate the trends of feminine fashion into the masculine medium of tailoring .
his theory was that it was more difficult to eliminate details than to decorate garments, which resulted in simple lines that relied for effect upon his use of fabrics. morton' s preference for uncluttered designs was also reflected in his dislike of designing eveningwear, which he referred to as debutante clothes. when he began to introduce eveningwear into his collections in the late 1940s his designs were based on the tailored evening dress .
morton became more closely involved in the field of ready - to - wear clothing in the postwar period and enjoyed particular success in the american market during the 1950s. in 1953 he was asked to design the lady hathaway shirt collection for the hathaway company—a manufacturer of top quality men' s shirts. by copying the cut of men' s shirts, with slight adjustments for the female form, morton created the collection in brilliant colors and patterns with contrasting bowties. the success of this venture earned him the title of daring digby by time magazine. this may have prompted morton to close his couture house in 1957 and enter the field of ready - to - wear on a full - time basis. morton always acknowledged he felt constrained by couture, and his real design career began when he started designing clothes for the average woman .
in 1958 morton formed the company reldan - digby morton with nadler, a large fashion producer owned by cyril kern. morton' s ready - to - wear designs for reldan - digby morton introduced ready - made garments with a couture image to the british public. the collection of separates was renamed togethers and produced at the company' s high wycombe, buckinghamshire factory. they were also successful in america where some of the more adventurous designs such as bright yellow - and - black striped suits and jet black beach coats appealed to a particular market .
in 1963 morton began designing menswear, an area that had always appealed to him—he had personally adopted the neo - edwardian style so fashionable for men in the 1950s. morton designed his first menswear collection in trevira cloth for the cologne fair, one of the most widely publicized garments of which was the mesh - over - flesh vestshirt which featured string vest fabric with formal shirting. other designs played on the traditional image of the male suit, with unusual features such as curved side slits on formal trousers .
primarily a designer of tailored clothes, digby morton was recognized for his use of traditional fabrics in unusual color combinations. his couture designs for women reflected his belief that the british couture customer required unobtrusive suits in good tweeds that were wearable rather than dramatic .
clear skies. low 62f. winds ene at 5 to 10 mph. .
virginia harvey, the inspiration for a 24 - inch doll, lives in kill devil hills and has scrapbooks featuring her counterpart. (chris curry | the virginian - pilot )
sculpted from wax, she stood two feet high, had high brows and feathery lashes .
she looked just like a lady, and people remarked on that likeness, but what they really talked about was her haute couture wardrobe .
miss virginia had suits of tweed and silk, a dyed - mink coat and sequin ed sweater, a silk cocktail dress and a pleated skirt of fine wool. she had an embroidered satin evening gown and sparkling tiara, hats in silk jersey and glazed straw, nylon stockings and satin and lace lingerie. she was also well accessorized, with handbags, jewelry, a tiny cigarette case and two pairs of leather gloves .
miss virginia was created for a 1954 exhibition in london called dolls through the ages that raised money for the blind. she was a hit, showing up in newspapers and magazines and coined the
world' s smallest mannequin .
by the end of the decade, though, the doll - lady disappeared .
harvey, whose last name was woodford then, remembers having a cast made of her face, and that the doll was sculpted to scale based on her own measurements. whether having her own doll was very exciting is hard to say .
it was an exciting time for fashion, though .
everything had been so austere
during world war ii, harvey said. the new designers
changed the way everyone dressed .
the fashions were lady - like, which harvey loved, and she bought some of the garments she modeled. some were too expensive, though, and didn' t fit her lifestyle .
they said,' no, no, you can' t have it. it' s a national treasure,'
harvey recalled .
nobody knew where it was, even though it was a national treasure. i think it was under someone' s desk in a box somewhere .
harvey got the call from her cousin in october. the doll was on display at the victoria and albert museum in london and would be there through january. then it would return to the fashion museum in bath .
the harveys had recently returned from a three - week trip to england and hadn' t planned to return for a couple of years .
but harvey' s cousin was insistent, and so was her daughter. liz konstanzer had grown up looking at her mother' s scrapbook from her modeling days. in magazine and newspaper clippings, the slender and lovely virginia woodford wears perfectly cut suits and dresses and evening gowns. she talks about parties, her christmas plans and what she is looking for in a husband. and there are little virginia and real virginia pictured side by side, again and again .
harvey and konstanzer, who also lives on the outer banks, made the trip together .
to think of something you did at 19, and you have a whole other life, and suddenly it' s back and looking wonderful ,
harvey said recently, sitting at her kitchen table with millard .
spread out in front of her was the old scrapbook, the black pages faded and the articles yellowed. there was another book, a new one from the museum, called
the golden age of couture .
kristin davis, (252) 441 - 1623, kristin. davis @ urltoken
no name - calling, personal insults or threats. no attacks based on race, gender, ethnicity, etc. no writing with your caps lock on – it' s screaming. stay on topic and under 1, 500 characters. no profanity or vulgarity. stay g - or pg - rated. read the full rules here.
lachasse was a british couture firm operating from 1928 until 2006 , making it one of the longest surviving high fashion houses in london . part of the incorporated society of london fashion designers ( incsoc ) , it is notable for being a major training ground for british couturiers , numbering digby morton , hardy amies and michael donnellan among its chief designers . later it would train further designers , with names such as stephen jones and john galliano passing through the couture house as trainees on their way to successful solo careers . during the heydey of couture , lachasse 's customers included princess marina and countess mountbatten . 
lachasse was a british couture firm operating from 1928 until 2006, making it one of the longest surviving high fashion houses in london. part of the incorporated society of london fashion designers (incsoc), it is notable for being a major training ground for british couturiers, numbering digby morton, hardy amies and michael donnellan among its chief designers. later it would train further designers, with names such as stephen jones and john galliano passing through the couture house as trainees on their way to successful solo careers. during the heydey of couture, lachasse's customers included princess marina and countess mountbatten.
lachasse was a british couture firm operating from 1928 until 2006, making it one of the longest surviving high fashion houses in london. part of the incorporated society of london fashion designers (incsoc), it is notable for being a major training ground for british couturiers, numbering digby morton, hardy amies and michael donnellan among its chief designers. later it would train further designers, with names such as stephen jones and john galliano passing through the couture house as trainees on their way to successful solo careers. during the heydey of couture, lachasse's customers included princess marina and countess mountbatten.