w v v w O ^? *S? ^ ^ ^ ^ 4? *3* O *£? ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft $ ft ft $ ft © ft ft ft ft 9 9 9 ft ft 9 9 9 9 ft ft 9 ft 9 ft THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | RENAISSANCE IN FASHION 194£ | | A SPECIAL EXHIBITION: APRIL 22 -JUNE 30 | *2p SP7 T95 *^9 S£* '*25 x95 *29 '^ *29 t2? ^5* "^ ^^ *2? *2|> *2?*2? "^1 2? ^^ ^5 S^ ?£* $g* *29 *^^^^?^''^1^*^^r'^'^,^t^'^'^'^Q^^^'^,^'^'^'^x2p^J,^ ft* ^? ft* 4v ^S £? ft1 ^r ^? ^r ^r ^r ft* **? ^r ft ft1 ^r ^v ^r ^r ^r v? »? ft* S* w? •? ^? £? ^v ti? S? ft* %? ft* ^w ^r ^r ^tf •? n? a? ft* ft* *ft *ft ^» •? •? ^B FOR RELEASE TUESDAY APRIL 21st

"Renaissance In Fashion, I9I+2", a special exhibition of contemporary

clothes, representing the first complete collaboration of New York's top

designers and fabric manufacturers with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will

open in the Great Hall of the Museum, Wednesday morning, April 22nd and will

continue through June.

According to the President of the Museum, Mr. William Church Osborn:

" 'Renaissance In Fashion, 19^2', as the name of this exhibition, is intended

to imply rebirth of beauty and dignity and of interest in the costume and

fabric arts of this city, this land, and this age. More than that, it has

concretely demonstrated for the first time the tremendous possibilities in­

herent in a working arrangement between the fashion industry and museums.

Planned over twelve months ago, 'Renaissance In Fashion, 19U2' was primarily

created to illustrate the way in which the priceless documents of yesterday

can be used as a basis of the artistic and technical requirements of today.

"Two working committees were created at the outset, one representing

a group of New York couturiers and the other representing the prominent textile

houses specializing in dress fabrics. They chose the Museum's collections of

Renaissance art as a theme for the exhibition because it covered over two

hundred years in history during which painters, sculptors, textile craftsmen,

and architects bequeathed to the world a remarkable legacy of every art form.

By choosing one theme, the Renaissance, the committees felt that there would

be a unity of underlying thought among all those invited to participate.

"Although our country is now at war, and WPB rulings have changed

the fashion prospectus in many ways, we feel that 'Renaissance In Fashion, 19^+2'

can perform a great service by pointing out to the fashion industry a means

whereby creativeness and original design can become even more productive. New

solutions and new ideas will be needed in ever-increasing numbers for the days

that lie ahead. Only by renewing our contacts with the cultural resources of

the past, can we continue to solve the problems of the future."

In addition to tho exhibition of contemporary dresses which will be

displayed on Renaissance pavillions in the Entrance Hall, there will also be a

fabric exhibit, of especially created materials derived from Renaissance

sources. Those contributing to the fabric display are the Glendale Linen |ffifffffffffffffyfffffVffffff¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART I RENAISSANCE IN FASHION 1942. | I A SPECIAL EXHIBITION: APRIL 22-JUNE 30 |

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Company, Hafner Associates, Catoir Silk, A. M. Tenney Associates, S. Stroock

& Co., and American Bemberg Corporation.

The designers' committee, of which Ethel Frankau is chairman, includes

Henri Bendel, Leslie Morris and Mark Mooring of , Fira Benenson

of , Wilson Folmar of Jay Thorpe, Sophie Gimbel of Saks Fifth

Avenue, Valentina, Jessie Franklin Turner, Omar Kiam, Germain Monteil, and

Nettie Rosenstein.

The dresses which will be on display in the Renaissance pavillion3

include both day and evening models. There are twenty-eight in all, each one

borrowing some detail or color from the Renaissance which makes it not only a

beautifully executed piece of modern clothing but an "inspirational dress" in

the fullest sense of the word. The mannequins were designed by Tom Lee of

Bonwit Teller.

Germaine Monteil "Crusader" Black crepe dinner, gold mesh sleeves and bonnet. Inspired by Renaissance knight's jousting costume.

"Titian Lady" Dinner dress, black crepe skirt with front drape..red jacket with doublet sleeves all over embroidered in gold thread and sequins. Pillbox headdress embroidered gold on red velvet.

Rose lame evening gown, low square neck, edged in silver braid...full panniered skirt..silver metal bonnet.

Nettie Rosenstein Lapis Blue Gros Grain dinner dress with wide, vertically seamed skirt. Brief jacket buttoned down front. Chiffon frills outlined in white sequins at throat and sleeves.

Red wool jersey day dress. Set in waist band with full skirt, matching padre sailor with attached drape faced in front with white, forming monk­ like collar. Self gloves, tangerine leather boots.

White sheer Marganza evening gown. Long sleeves and tight-fitting bodice with low square neckline all-over embroidered in gold throad. Matching gold bands of embroidery vertically appliqued over full skirt.

Valentina Celanese dinner dress, full skirt. Round neck emphasized by soft bows from neck to waist and similar bows at sleeves. Gold wool cape.

Omar Kiam Green silk jersey with low square decolletage, wide bell sleeves, draped skirt, with hem faced in red. Renaissance jewel suspended from green silk cord over bossom.

Red wool suit with long tunic jacket. Inset belt at waist, material flared in back. Gold leaf jewelry. Turret effect hat.

Sheer off-white wool evening gown, low round neck, all-over embroidered with gold and blue Renaissance flower design. Headdress of same flowers, worn low in back. a ^v- w* w* w» ^>ay* ^ w*' *vpi^/* »vpi5L/.* «o/-» *\p *vc'»o£/-»*SL/* *vcy«L/* *\J? v\jy »\jy »vp\zy*IQS* »\j^(j^/*iqy^ »\j5J*vzyiay* *\jy *VE>*V£>(*L// i\m *\EJ*\mm/j PO?"t\J5 t\ro i\J5 »\^ (ft ft CJ ^J ft ft> (ft C3 (ft (ft (ft C3 (ft ^J (ft ft* I THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART I ! RENAISSANCE IN FASHION 1942 I I A SPECIAL EXHIBITION: APRIL 22-JUNE 30 | ilffllililllliilTlflWiIIIIliiiiillfili^ •5- Sophie Gimbel Saks Kelly green wool suit, brief jacket, rounded in front, with petal-like lapels. Cuffed sleeves, Jabot-blouse of Persian print. Braided felt halo in the same green.

Striped brocade dinner dress, brief cuffed jacket, with cutaway tail in back, jeweled buttons, in sea-green and rose, Sea green gloves. Skirt has side slit, surmounted by huge bow.

Midnight blue velvet evening dress with tremendous skirt boasting a hip pocket accentuated by self material flowers. Nude colored marquisette yolk emphasizes the rounded neckline outlined in nude colored sequins.

Bergdorf Goodman Leslie Morris Mark Mooring "Lunch" Navy wool suit, with slim hip-length Jacket, slit opening in front to show tucked flesh colored blouse. Braid tie around waist. Navy turban edged in brilliant violet chiffon. Inspired by the Hunt of the Unicorn Tapestries at the Cloisters.

"Cocktails" Navy blue day dress with draped skirt slit in front and sash ending in heavy braid tassels. Cape has attached hood lined with navy mesh and matching long mesh gloves. Inspired by Renaissance coats of mail.

"Dinner" Blue satin jacket embroidered in slik fleur de lis with double wrap-around silk jersey skirt.

Henri Bendel "Francoise" White satin bridal gown with petal motif at neck and repeated in horizontal banding on full skirt. Lace headdress trailing below waist. Designed by Juana de Garzon.

"Marguerite" Crepe daytime dress in electric blue. Full back, fluting on bodice, and buttons in ribbon motifs are typical of the period. Flat pan­ cake hat of felt in matching color., veiling only at the sides. Designed by Juana de Garzon. "Claude" Dinner dress of brocade and Lyons velvet. Brocade in soft multi-colors on a background of cafe au lait; long basque bodice with the design of the brocade repeated in colored thread. Gold snood. Designed by Bertha Stern Simmons.

Fira Benenson Bonwit Teller Natural shantung dinner dress. Puffed shoulders embroidered in Renaissance design of gold bouillon and black cellophane. Pouch pockets derived from Renaissance pouch bags carried then, also embroidered in same design. Brief jacket is fastened by gold angel-head buttons. Black silk four-cornered cap with ostrich trim. Black gloves.

Brown wool dinner dress, rectangular neckline outlined in gold fleur de-lis embroidery, elbow-length puff sleeves, back skirt fullness. White gloves, Brown tiny forward-tilting postillion with mesh veil.

Jay Thorpe Wilson Folmar Tulip print inspired by the Florentine painters makes this long sleeved dinner dress with front fullness, and appliqued print flowers outlining bosom and shoulders.

Red and green geometrical print taken from hand sculptured ceiling of the Old Grand Chamber of the Parliament in Normandy. Full skirt. Looped silk at shoulders and forming headdress. f W W f f t f ^ 1111 ^1r f ^ f t' ^W ^ ft W W t ^ W ¥ tl? 1r W t ^ # 111 ^ t^ t^ ^ ^ f t ^ t * # THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | RENAISSANCE IN FASHION 1942. J I A SPECIAL EXHIBITION: APRIL 22 "JUNE 30 | ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft

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Jessie Franklin Turner Green and gold Persian brocade from a Georgian coat model with gothic wing drape in back. Set in sleeves of epinard Salome velvet.

Pheasant yellow Salome velvet with antique Persian brocade front panel accentuated by jeweled buttons. Carthage blue piping at throat.

Geranium red pleated Tuscana dinner dress with Coptic embroidery on bodice of geranium and Chinese yellow.

Mist blue Tuscana dress with Coptic embroidery trim and Amaranth piping.

Epinard (spinach green) triple voile embroidered in gold and silver with green Salome velvet accents. Antique Persian belt and buttons.

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