American Women Designers 1920S –1970S
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American Women Designers 1920s –1970s hese nine women were the most prominent of first- with the top-of-the-line wholesaler Maurice Rentner in the 1930s and generation American women designers whose careers designed under the label Ren-Eta until the late 1940s. In contrast to began between the two World Wars.1 All but one were that of the others, her clothing was more decorative and structured, Tborn in the first decade of the twentieth century.2 Three of them— closer to the aesthetic of the American men designing in the 1940s. Jessie Franklin Turner, Elizabeth Hawes, and Valentina Schlee, Her best-known designs are the classically inspired 1943 evening gowns presided over custom businesses, where they created elegant and that she donated to the Brooklyn collection (fig.00). luxurious made-to-order clothing and in some cases accessories Bonnie Cashin, Carolyn Schnurer, Vera Maxwell, and Claire for affluent private clients with high-style sensibilities. McCardell rose to prominence during the 1940s, when World War II Turner, who began her career designing lingerie, was known for interrupted the flow of materials and inspiration coming from Europe. her sensual tea gowns and evening wear as well as distinctive self- With man power directed toward the war effort, unprecedented hand printed fabrics. Hawes’s gowns had a more formal presence, opportunities for women were created in the American design although she sometimes accented her work with blatantly suggestive business. Working within the structure of the robust ready- to-wear decorative accents (fig. 00). Her designs are often characterized garment industry centered on New York’s Seventh Avenue, they by the elaborate piecing together of luxurious textural materials. honed their innovative skills in response to wartime restrictions Formality aside, comfort, achieved through cut, fit, and fabric choice, and shortages. From the war years and throughout their careers, was a high priority. Valentina combined a minimalist design sense which for a few extended well into the 1970s, these designers took with a penchant for drama in her work. Throughout her career, their cues from their own multifaceted lives and from those of she referenced flat, two-dimensional cuts and clothing forms from their contemporaries, creating day and evening wear based on the traditional cultures. Also the director of her own business, milliner versatility, practicality, and comfort of sportswear. They stripped Sally Victor created innovative and chic yet affordable hats. Like away unnecessary decoration, utilized comfortable easy-care fabrics, Valentina, she and Turner found inspiration in non-Western clothing invented easy-to-use closures, introduced pants for street wear and and decorative traditions. Both had a close early association with created multipiece ensembles that with a quick change could be the research and design services offered by the Brooklyn Museum transformed from day into evening wear, an especially functional Industrial Division, later the Design Lab (see Introduction), and feature for travel. Like their contemporaries in custom fashion, each referenced objects in the Museum’s collections from cultures as diverse was fascinated by the simplicity and graphic nature of traditional as Africa, India, and Central Asia. All of these women, developing clothing forms and patterns. After the war Maxwell, Schnurer, and their skills and professional contacts in the 1920s, had established Cashin traveled extensively to observe other cultures, expanding their businesses in NewYork City by the beginning of the 1930s. creative horizons. Eta Valer Hentz, known professionally as Mme. Eta, a native Collectively, the work of these four originated the uniquely of Hungary, worked as head designer for exclusive ready-to-wear American sportswear aesthetic that was to become the country’s most rather than custom firms, but her clothes were finished with custom important contribution to twentieth-century fashion. 3 techniques. Her career began in New York in 1923. She partnered Owing to the associations that most of these women had with the 32 33 Fig. 1. Fragrance Perfume, Valentina caption copy to come . 1930 (American, born Russia, ca. 1904–1989) Black and white silk slipper satin; label: “Jessie Franklin Turner/290 Park Avenue/ Evening Dress, ca. 1935 NewYork” Ivory silk jersey; label: “Valentina” Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Fig. 2. Evening Dress, caption the Brooklyn copy to come . 1930 Black and Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul white silk slipper satin; label: Peralta-Ramos, 1954 (2009.300.190) “Jessie Franklin Turner/290 Park Avenue/NewYork” The timeless quality of Valentina’s work is here reiterated in her interpretation of classical dress. As if the designer had draped them standing in front of a Greek or Roman sculpture, the curved folds fall in imitation of their counterparts chiseled in marble. The bodice, tightly fashioned with seams and darts, appears deceptively to be fitted to the torso by criss-crossing bands, alluding to the long wrap ties in antique dress that served that function. Brooklyn’s Industrial Division and later the Design Lab, the museum’s anthropologist Diana S. Field, and women’s rights advocate Elinor S. holdings of their works is unparalleled in scope and quality. Maxwell, Gimbel. Cashin, Hentz, Schnurer, and Victor each made multiple donations of In its depth and variety, Brooklyn’s collection of works by these their creations; their cumulative gifts, which were donated over a span pioneer designing women elucidates the early history of twentieth- of forty years starting in 1944, include many of their seminal designs century American fashion and makes palpable their remarkable energy, and represent the full range of their creative output. Not as extensive, imagination, inventiveness, and independence of spirit. but nonetheless important, the McCardell collection was initiated 1 An exception is Eta Hentz, who was less well known. by the designer in 1956 and augmented by others. Undoubtedly 2 Jessie Franklin Turner was born in 1881. Pauline Trigère (1912-2002) was also of this the rarist of the holdings, however, is the singular assemblage of generation and opened a business on New York’s Seventh Ave. in 1942. Her influence on American fashion , however, was felt somewhat later than the women represented here, and works by Elizabeth Hawes, which is widely regarded as definitive. best works are not represented in the Brooklyn collection. Starting with a 1956 gift of several pieces from the designer, the rich 3 Clare Potter (1892-1974) and Tina Lesser (1910-1986) also played a part in array was assembled through large donations by four of her primary developing the American sportswear tradition. clients, most notably Brooklyn Museum trustee Hollis K. Thayer, 34 35 Jessie Franklin Turner (American, 1881 – ca. 1956) Evening Ensemble, ca. 1930 Black and white silk slipper satin; label: “Jessie Franklin Turner/290 Park Avenue/ NewYork” Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the estate of Mary Boocock Leavitt, 1974 (2009.300.511a–c) While this luxurious slipper-satin dress epitomizes the look and drama of 1930s evening wear, the unlikely pairing of versatility with glamour distinguishes it. The slinky white sleeveless garment faced with black is accompanied by two long-sleeved over pieces, one white with black facing and one black with white sleeves, both of which can be worn on top of the dress bodice to modify the silhouette, amount of skin exposure, and proportion of black to white, thereby accommodating the sartorial requirements of any after-hours event. 36 37 Jessie Franklin Turner (American, 1881– ca. 1956) Evening Dress, ca. 1933 Gold lamé Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the estate of Mary Boocock Leavitt, 1974 (2009.300.512) Gold lamé cut on the bias alluringly drapes over the body like liquid metal in this exemplar of 1930s style. Its sensuality is reinforced by the slashed bolero effect of the bodice that exposes areas of the shoulders and arms, leaving the illusion that the wearer’s arms are covered with opera-length gloves rather than sleeves. 38 39 Valentina (American, born Russia, ca. 1904–1989) Evening Dress, ca. 1935 Ivory silk jersey; label: “Valentina” Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1954 (2009.300.190) The timeless quality of Valentina’s work is here reiterated in her interpretation of classical dress. As if the designer had draped them standing in front of a Greek or Roman sculpture, the curved folds fall in imitation of their counterparts chiseled in marble. The bodice, tightly fashioned with seams and darts, appears deceptively to be fitted to the torso by criss-crossing bands, alluding to the long wrap ties in antique dress that served that function. 40 41 Elizabeth Hawes Valentina (American, 1903–1971) (American, born Russia, ca. 1904–1989) “Le Gaulois” Evening Dress, Ensemble, ca. 1942 ca. 1938 Rose and beige wool jersey; label: Purple silk faille; label: “Hawes “Valentina” Incorporated” Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. the estate of Mary Boocock Leavitt, 1974 George B. Wells, 1957 (57.112.5) (2009.300.510a–c) Hawes favored textural fabrics sewn Hawes favored textural fabrics sewn in contrasting juxtapositions over in contrasting juxtapositions over external decorations to create visual external decorations to create visual interest . Distinctive fringes woven interest . Distinctive fringes woven at the edges of this dress’s silk faille at the edges of this dress’s silk faille stripes and the lively geometric stripes and the lively geometric patterns produced by skillful patterns produced by skillful piecing piecing provide all the decorative provide all the decorative effect effect necessary for this evening necessary for this evening gown.