1 LUCIEN LELONG Antique French Paris Fashion House of illustration drawings ske

Description: Welcome to The Textile Trunk ~ Please follow us on Instagram we are @textiletrunk ~ I'm absolutely thrilled to present this exceptional , original fashion drawing / illustration created in the 1920s for the house of Lucien Lelong, haute Couture, Paris. This is the work of one designer employed by the most famous houses of high fashion of the 20's in Paris (CHANEL, PATOU, LANVIN, LELONG, DOUCET, VIONNET, MOLYNEUX, CHERUIT, PAQUIN, PREMET, JENNY, PIGUET, WORTH, ROLANDE, MILLER, DRECOLL, BOULANGER, RENEE, MADELEINE & MADELEINE, etc.). The "G" penciled in the upper right corner of the drawings corresponds to the attributed artist . As usual at the time, the model's silhouette is mimeographed, but the clothing is drawn with ink and then finely rendered with gouache and watercolor. These sketches were then used to guide craftsmen in the workshop constructing the garment. In the lower left corner or at the back of the drawings is also included the "coded" name of the house to which they are intended. These are "LL", "L Le", "Le" ou "Le Lelon" for Lucien Lelong. This type of mock-up is the work of designer-creators whose talents were employed by most high fashion houses of the Roaring Twenties. These companies needed the help of artists either because, like Chanel, they did not draw themselves or because the scale of the biannual collections at the time (between 300 and 400 models twice a year!) required the their help. As per custom, the artists' identities remained in the shadows. You will see notations meant as instructions for the workshop such as fabric type, cut, and texture. These rare and wonderful finds were purchased in France and heavily researched with great help and thanks to Laurent Cotta, an Art and fashion historian. Laurent Cotta has been Director of the Contemporary Creation Department at the Palais Galliera for 12 years. With his great help we unraveled the mystery of the coding system of each of these rare documents. Each sketch has been executed on paper and I've backed them in black construction paper to help the illustration stand out. They are not in any way adhered to the black paper, just wanted them to stand out in the photographs more clearly. They are each housed in a plastic envelope to protect the illustration. Ideal for any museum, private collector or ideal too for reproduction. I'm afraid due to the nature of these designs being highly sought after for reproduction, I'm not able to take returns on this purchase. ( please see my reviews to buy in confidence) For more information, please see below condition ~ Measurements : This illustration measures approximately 10.5 inches by 5.25 inches Condition: These illustrations are in wonderful condition . Some have some marks, foxing and perhaps some small tears on a few. Please use the zoom feature to view the exact condition closely. Please ask any questions before purchase as I'm happy to supply any further information. Lucien Lelong: ( taken from The Fashion Designer Encyclopedia) While Lucien Lelong dressed many a fashionable lady during the 1920s and 1930s, he is most remembered for his heroic diplomatic efforts to sustain Parisian couture during World War II. He was, in every respect, a hero of both world wars fought during this century. He received his call to serve during World War I two days short of showing his first collection at his father's already established dressmaking shop. He served from 1914 until 1917 when he was severely wounded. He was one of the first seven Frenchmen to be decorated with the Croix de Guerre for his heroism. In 1918, after recuperating, he rejoined his father's firm. By 1923 he was designing under his own name. As a contemporary of such designers as Chanel, Vionnet, Molyneux, Lanvin, and Patou, he designed for café society during the 1920s and 1930s. His designs were characterized by classic lines, following the major silhouettes of each period. He was not particularly innovative, choosing rather to concentrate on fine workmanship and fabrication. He was, however, the first designer to introduce a lower priced line—he called it Édition—to cater to less wealthy clients in 1933. During the height of his career he employed 1,200 workers. His election as president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in 1937 proved to be his greatest challenge and contribution to fashion. Faced with threats to move the entire couture to Berlin and Vienna, Lelong negotiated, cajoled, and lied to the Germans throughout the occupation of Paris. "One of the first things the Germans did was break into the Syndicate offices and seize all documents pertaining to the French export trade. I told them that la couture was not a transportable industry, such as bricklaying." When not one foreign buyer appeared in Paris after war was declared, Lelong sent an emissary to New York with gowns and models to prove couture was still a viable industry. In January 1940, despite having to be routed through Italy, 150 buyers appeared for the showings. By 1941 the Germans had issued textile cards, comprised of a point system, to every design house. It was obvious that compliance with these regulations would spell the end of Paris couture. Lelong, through difficult negotiations, obtained exemptions for 12 houses. "Unfortunately the Germans noticed at the end of six months that 92 houses were operating, which led to more discussions. Finally we succeeded in keeping 60." Madame Grés and Balenciaga both exceeded their yardage requirements one season and were ordered to close for two weeks. Banding together in a show of unity and force, the remaining houses finished these two collections so they could be shown on time. Lelong is credited with saving over 12,000 workers from deportation into German war industries. "Over a period of four years, we had 14 official conferences with the Germans…at four of them they announced that la couture was to be entirely suppressed, and each time we avoided the catastrophe." Paris couture had won its own, private war. Lelong, much as Hattie Carnegie did in the United States, employed talented young designers and gave them the opportunity to grow professionally. Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Hubert de Givenchy, Jean Ebel, Serge Kogan, and Jean Schlumberger were all employed by Lelong at one time or another. "It was from Lucien Lelong that I learned fabrics have personality, a behavior as varied as that of a temperamental woman," said Christian Dior. Exhausted from his efforts during the war and his earlier wounds, Lelong retired in 1948 and died a decade later near Biarritz. He showed a total of 110 collections during his career, and though closed his couture business, he continued the fragrance business. While Lucien Lelong's clothes were elegantly conceived and executed, he will be remembered as fashion's leading diplomat during the German siege on Parisian couture. More than half a century after Lelong retired, his exquisitely designed perfume bottles are among the most collected in the world. The fragrances themselves are still popular today, continuing the Lelong legacy. —Mary C. Elliott;

Price: 175 USD

Location: Charlotte, Vermont

End Time: 2025-01-10T22:33:07.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD