California Design: An exhibit worth seeing

"California Design: 1930 - 1965: Living in a Modern Way" showcases a wide variety of furnishings, graphic arts and life-style accessories. We were happy to see more than a few great iconic fashion pieces such as this Lobster duo designed by Mary Ann De Weese for Catalina Sportswear in 1949.

If you thought this exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art was only about the Eames', you will find that to be only the tip of the design ice berg!

Lobster fashions from the collection of Esther Ginsberg, Golyester Antiques

LACMA Museum exhibition continues through June 3, 2012

Audrey Hepburn: Roman Holiday, 1953, Edith Head design

Costume sketch for Audrey Hepburn for "Roman Holiday", 1953 by Edith Head.

This ball gown always makes an impact. It's possible to re-create this look with a vintage sewing pattern. The fabric selection should have enough body to create the fuller skirt and smooth collar. Brocade, faille or heavy taffeta would create that silhouette.

Part of the beauty of this design is the overall simplicity. By looking through 1950's and 1980's era sewing patterns, similar dress styles with fitted bodices, full skirts and a bertha or portrait type of collar are available. Because 1950's vintage ball gown patterns are more difficult to locate, we are looking at 1980's styles. It may take a bit of creativity to create the collar shape, but overall, the style lines can be found.

Here are a few examples:

Butterick: 4681, Kathryn Connover



McCalls: 7395, Priscilla of Boston, 1981

Fashion Illustration by Berard, c. 1940's gown by Lelong

"Berard" is the signature for Parisian illustrator, Christian Berard (Bebe), who specialized in a romantic, baroque illustration style. Originally he designed costumes and theater settings, later on he would be recruited by the big fashion magazines for his illustrations. Berard would eventually illustrate for both "Vogue" and "Harper's Bazaar" during the 1930's and 40's.

Berard studied painting with Vuillard when young and his brush style evokes the sensitive ink line of Japanese brush work. His signature style has a simple almost abstract qualities. He also explored the bright color contrasts often associated with the war years, such as acid green and plum or gold and dark green. Born in 1902, he died young at age 47 in 1949.

1972: Prom and Party Styles

The two Simplicity patterns shown here date from Spring, 1972 and include textile swatches suggested for each pattern style.

Simplicity 9725 was part of a young looking group called "Young Contemporary Fashion". It included styles that seemed to be currently selling in the market for juniors. Fabric suggestions include 50% polyester/50% rayon blend wovens in a sheer leno stripe weave. The midriff waistline with flutter sleeves was influenced by the vintage 1930's styles popular at that time.

Simplicity 9709 is a bit more mature, from the "Designer Fashion" collection (no name mentioned in this promotional group). It was suggested for patio parties and proms. The black bodice shows up often during this era, worn over bright abstract or floral patterns. The fabrics shown here are 75% acetate/25% nylon in a textured 'terry cloth' texture on a velour knit. Bright solids are paired with very graphic prints inspired by Pucci and patchwork quilts.

Fashion Illustration by Eric, C. 1940's

Another great fashion illustration by "Eric" (Carl Erickson) who was a strong graphic influence from the 1930's through 1950's for the American "Vogue" magazine. There is a mention of Carl Erickson this month in "Vogue" along with a small glimpse of him in a fashion photo of Gertrude Stein by Horst (see February, 2012, page 112).

Asian Inspired: Bonnie Cashin Coat, June 1950

This Asian inspired coat is a very early example of the direction that Bonnie Cashin would explore in the decades to come: simple "T" shaped coat with narrow mandarin collar. Here she uses linen and embellishes it with frog closures in a design for Adler and Adler. Later those frogs would become her signature brass twist locks.

description from "Vogue", June, 1950:
"Sawed-off Chinese coolie coat--new length: white Irish linen, frog closings: three-quarter length sleeves. A summer coat with more than one life to share. First and foremost, a life with a bathing suit; then, perhaps, over a slender skirt in town, slacks at home. Coat by Bonnie Cashin, $30, At Lord & Taylor; Garfinckel's; Neiman-Marcus."


This photo of Bonnie Cashin shows her wearing the same coat, worn casually with pushed up sleeves (a style she favored).



The second image shown here is from the UCLA Special Collections website on Bonnie Cashin

Late 1930's Fashion Illustration by Eric: Carl Erickson

Eric was an American fashion illustrator during the 1930's through mid-1950's. His full name was Carl Erickson (1891 - 1958). He is best known for his full color "Vogue" editorials, that he created during the more than 35 years that he contributed to the magazine.

Eric's style included a sensitive line often created with black brush strokes or charcoal made on rough paper. His portraits of famous clients included Gertrude Stein, Queen Elizabeth and President Roosevelt. He worked from live models, rather than photos. Most of this time he lived in Paris, the fashion center during those decades.

This illustration was cropped and removed from the original magazine issue, so the date is general: about 1938.

Victorian Styled Hats from the late 1930's

These adorable illustrations come from the late 1930's, artist unknown. There is such a sweet Victorian revival style to the look. Victorian influences were wildly popular during the late 1930's and into the 1940's. The classic 1939 movie "The Women" with designs by Gilbert Adrian is a great way to see these quirky little hats in action.

RBW: Count Rene Bouet-Willaumez, Fashion Illustrations: June 1950

The three fashion illustrations here are editorial drawings from the June 1950 issue of "Vogue" magazine painted by Count Rene Bouet-Willaumez (RBW). He was a top fashion illustrator from the pre-WWII era, along with Carl Erickson, better known as "Eric", Christian Berard and Rene Bouche. Having built a strong reputation during the 1930's, RBW would continue to provide drawings for Vogue and Bazaar into the early 1950's.

His loose, Asian inspired brush work illustation style was part of the "Expressionist" movement. He was proficient in creating a dynamic illustration using black india ink on rough cotton paper. The 1950's would mark the end of fashion illustration editorials in glossy fashion magazines. Photography moved quickly into the dominant editorial position.

Drawing from a live model wearing the dress, his technique can be seen in the use of a wet paper to flow on the gray shaded areas. When that had dried, he painted the illustration, probably using a tapered asian paint brush or similar shaped water color brush dipped in deep black india ink. The textured areas are 'dry brush' painted with a brush that has had the ink pressed out, so the brush is damp. This style had a sensitive line that was popular through out the magazine and newspaper industry during this era.