The Twenties

The couture house of Callot Soeurs was founded by three daughters of a Parisian antique dealer who specialized in old fabrics and lace. The principal designer was Mme Gerber, she was an early influence on Madeleine Vionnet, who worked as her toile-maker¹ in the early 1900s.

Callot Soeurs was particularly famous for superb workmanship, especially in evening wear. During the 1900s they produced heavily decorated dresses with tiers of lace and networks of beads. In the 1920s the House still retained its influence, now following the new straight silhouette and continuing a tradition of great luxury and exquisite workmanship.

The chartreuse sleeveless dance dress, c. 1924, with V-neckline, has a bodice of silk chiffon and the skirt of silk satin is cut with three loose panels. The dress is richly embroidered in yellow and green silks and silver beads, with contrasting borders of embroidery in Chinese-style motifs.

Dancing was a popular pastime; the Charleston, the black bottom and the foxtrot were some of the favourites. The applied work of beads, loose panels, fringes and flounces was designed to accentuate the movement of the body when dancing.

Jeanne Lanvin started to work as a milliner at the age of twenty-three. She began making children's clothes for her younger sister and then for her daughter; her designs were so admired that she started to produce them on a commercial basis. By 1909 she had opened the House of Lanvin, Faubourg St. Honoré.

Lanvin departed from the tubular and 'garçonne' styles; after the war she retained the earlier style of full skirts and continued to produce dresses with wide skirts and frills which became known as 'robes de style'. She preferred working with plain fabrics which she would have decorated with embroidery, beads or quilting. The two dresses on display are examples of this kind.

The black silk crêpe evening dress, c. 1922, with long sleeves and gathered skirt is decorated on the bodice and sleeves with lattice-work panels of black and white glass beads, bordered with machine sewn stitches in metallic thread.

The sleeveless black silk chiffon evening dress, with gathered skirt c.1926, features a border design on the skirt of cut-out work and beading in blue, white and silver. The bodice is simply highlighted with a band of silver beads.

Lanvin also created beautiful examples of the 'straight' dance and evening dresses as seen in the fashion plates from La Gazette du Bon Ton (Paris 1924–25).

Madeleine Vionnet was apprenticed at the age of twelve to a Paris dressmaker and later went to London, where she was in charge of a tailor's workroom. In 1901 she returned to Paris, where she worked as a toile-maker to Mme Gerber at Callot Soeurs and then with Doucet, one of the leading couture houses of the late nineteenth century. She opened her own couture house in 1912; it closed for the duration of World War I and reopened in 1918.

Vionnet became famous for her construction of clothes on the bias, producing dresses so supple that they could be slipped on over the head, which eliminated the need for fasteners of any kind. The dress simply took on the shape of the wearer. Her creations were noted for their exquisite needlework, including hand faggoted seams and embroideries in silk and glass beads.

The 'Charleston' dress of cream silk with V-neck and three-quarter length sleeves, c.1924, displays the subtle detailing and decoration typical of a Vionnet creation. The bodice is plain except for two diagonal darts which echo the shape of the neckline. Fringe decoration begins below the hip, with the first row of woven diamond-pattern fringing followed by two plain rows. The dress has a matching slip which bears a Vionnet label in machine chainstitching.

The sleeveless 'dance' dress of bone silk, c.1926, is entirely covered with green glass beads in an abstract design. The beads have been sewn on to the dress on a tambour frame using a crochet hook or chainstitch machine. Each piece of the garment was beaded individually before it was assembled.

The fashion plates from La Gazette du Bon Ton (No. 9, Paris 1924–25), show examples of Vionnet's intricate draping and cutting techniques. The dance dress is overlaid with a draped fringe which clings to the shape of the body and the long evening dress has a full skirt of bias-cut triangles.

Captain Edward Molyneux began his career at the age of seventeen as a designer with the top English design house Lucille, working in London, Chicago and New York until 1914. During World War I he was a captain in the British Army and continued proudly to bear this title. After the war he opened his own couture house in Paris on the rue Royale next to Maxims. To develop his business interests and meet potential clients he opened a nightclub, Le Jardin de Ma Soeur, where the entertainers included the famous Negro dancer Josephine Baker. Molyneux's designs were simple and understated. The peachey-pink dance dress of silk chiffon, c.1926, with long sleeves and skirt flaring from the hips, is complete with matching slip. The bell-shaped sleeves and flared skirt are of needlepoint lace. Harpers Bazaar (October 1928), describes dresses such as this: 'Beside these newlooking models, Molyneux, of course shows quite a number of chiffon and lace gowns, as well as beaded and brocaded evening dresses. Lovely are these in pale shades of chiffon and velvet, such were originally designed for the beautiful Hebe.² These have somehow become Molyneux classics.'

Jean Patou showed his first collection in 1914. During World War I he served four years in the army as a captain of the Zouaves. He reopened his House in 1919 on the rue St. Florentin.

Patou's clothes epitomized the active woman of the 1920s. Sportswear was an important part of his work. In 1922 he dressed Suzanne Lenglen, the leading tennis star at Wimbeldon, in a sleeveless jumper, pleated skirt and orange headband; the new fashion caused much comment but was soon widely adopted. Patou also designed evening wear, concentrating on a soft feminine look. For dance dresses he used fabrics such as chiffon and tulle, preferring them to satin or other opaque materials. 'Anything likely to hinder movement and the rhythm of the dance is to be avoided. Every movement the dancer is likely to make should be emphasized by a corresponding flutter of material', said Patou.

The 'Charleston' dress of geranium chiffon silk, c.1924, has a subtle waistline produced by a series of stitched-down pleats, giving the dress a graceful, fluid look rather than a straight line. The softness is highlighted by the fringe decoration of tassels in a lighter hue than the dress.

By 1929 the fashion silhouette had begun to undergo a change introduced by Patou; the waist returned to its natural position and skirts flowed to between mid-calf and ankle-length, hair was softly waved and curled; the reign of the 'garçonne' was over.