Orientalism and Pagoda

Pagode: Costumes Parisiennes, 1914Étienne Drian (French, 1885–1961)Hand-colored print
The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library, Woodman-Thompson Collection (LY62.38.1[20])
The pagoda became the most pervasive and easily recognizable symbol of China in the West. In the teens, dress emulated the tiered form, as the shifting silhouette moved away from the body and became an abstracted tube or cone comparable to the axioms of Cubism and Futurism.

http://http//www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/orie/ho_LY62.38.1[20].htm

A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist, and were often located in or near temples.

In cubist artworks, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form—instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context. Often the surfaces intersect at seemingly random angles, removing a coherent sense of depth. The background and object planes interpenetrate one another to create the shallow ambiguous space, one of cubism's distinct characteristics. ....wikipedia

House of Jenny

Jenny
The house of Jenny was opened in Paris in 1909 by Jeanne Adele Bernard (1872-1961).
The house specialized in elegant, aristocratic evening clothes and day dresses.
Throughout the 1920's Jenny successfully attracted a clientele of American and European women. Here on the right is a picture of a day dress from 1922 featuring the low waist typical of the period.
In 1938, when Jeanne Bernard was 66, she merged the house with the house of Lucile Paray. It finally closed in 1940 when the Germans occupied Paris. Madame Bernard died in 1961 at the age of 89.

JENNY DOMINATES AMERICA.

We will take Jenny as the first in order of the houses to be treated somewhat in detail, for she is, perhaps, directly responsible for the present mode, though she derived her inspiration from the last mentioned silhouette of Le Franch and the “robe-manteau” introduced by Mme. Cheruit just before the war for the Trouville season, and never worn by any one but the famous Mlle. “Canada,” who appeared in the Bois one Sunday morning with great success in the simplest of garments, nothing more than a flaring one-piece dress of pique’, which was opened up the front over a petticoat of tucked organdy so that it really appeared like a long coat, hence its name, “robe-manteau.”
This long coat in various forms is being shown by Jenny over slip dresses of satin and tulle made of satin, of taffetas, of gabardine, of serge, and of linen.
But the success of the present season in Jenny’s tailored suits in a side-pleated godet skirt with a Louis XV. jacket fastened by link rhinestone buttons, giving a peep at a low-cut waistcoat made of gold and white brocade of the softest quality, fastened by six ball buttons of the material, closely ranged.
My favorite of the entire French collection is a black satin belted frock at this house. Its skirt is full but not too flaring nor too short; it buttons with a close row of flat satin buttons, from waist to hem in the middle of the front; the round bodice is cut away in a deep V, to show the cunningest little linen shirtwaist with a turnover collar, and this most Parisian of the entire parade of models is completed by a wide belt made of straps of black patent leather.
Jenny’s evening gowns remind you of clouds and dew drops; they are made of everything that is white and illusive, occasionally touched by a flower in most delicate tones. She uses a great deal of lace and not a little spangling, her skirts are of ruffles, met by a band of beaded lace to which they are flatly fastened; at the other side of this band is fulled another ruffle which in turn is at its lower edge sewed straight to another band, and so on until the length of the skirt is reached, while at the same time flaring godets are arrived at.
Such skirts fall from a round waist, the hips being rather flatly treated; belts are usually of ribbon, plain or embroidered; the favorite corsage is nothing more than a round baby waist, often with short puff sleeves. Many times the décolletage has a garland of flowers.
Sometimes the skirt is formed of a single magnificent flounce of lace which is shirred on horizontal cords at graduated intervals. Nearly all of these skirts have a deep transparent hem to their narrow silk foundation. This hem often reaching half way to the knees.

Allposters.com Edwardian Fashions

Red Haired Mlle. Gabrielle Dorziat Modeling a Green Ball Gown with Pink Roses Designed by Doucet
by Reutlinger



Mlle. Feylne Modeling a Pink Chiffon Robe de Diner with Brown Trim Designed by Drecoll
by Reutlinger

Mlle. Renee Desprez Modeling a Large Wine Colored Hat with Pink Roses Designed by J. Suzanne Talbot
by Reutlinger

Red Haired Mlle. Gabrielle Dorziat Modeling a Robe de Ville Designed by Doucet
by Reutlinger

Woman Modeling Embroidered Green Velvet, Lace Trimmed Toilette de Visite Designed by Drecoll
by Henri Manuel

Woman Modeling Embroidered Rust Colored, Lace Trimmed Chiffon Ball Gown Designed by Doeuillet
by Felix

Mlle. Arlette Dorgere in Park Wearing Sable Cape and Elaborate Feather Hat
by Felix

Woman Wearing Rust Velvet Afternoon Suit with Fur Trim and Muff Designed by Bernard
by Felix

Model Wearing Red Robe D'Interieur, or House Dress with Cream Lace Top Designed by Drecoll
by Felix

Mlle. Marguerite Henriquez Modeling a Pale Gray Robe du Soir with Beading, Designed by Doucet
by Cheri-rousseau & Glauth

Model Wearing Blue Beaded Robe du Soir, or Evening Dress Designed by Paquin
by Boissonnas & Taponier

Mlle. Provost of the Comedie Francaise Modeling a Robe du Soir, or Evening Dress Designed by Doucet
by Reutlinger

Woman Modeling a Pale Blue Afternoon Dress Embroidered with Beads and Designed by Paquin
by Felix

Another article with Jeanne Hallee

New York Branch Library News
Volume I
January to December, 1914

Fairy Tales for Grown-up Readers
“Come with me, ladies and gentlemen who are in any wise weary of London: come with me: and those that tire at all of the world we know: for we have new worlds here. –The Preface to “The Book of Wonder,” by Lord Dunsany.

The monk and the dancer, by Arthur Cosslett Smith

“Monsieur,” he said, “it seems that your friend is famous. She dances at the Folies-Bergeres. She has an apartment on the avenue Friedland. Each fine day she drives a bay cob and a morning cart in the Bois. She drinks two glasses of warm milk at the Pre’ Catelan, and lunches at the Madrid. Her appetite is good. In the afternoon she drives in a Victoria or a brougham, according to the weather. Her servants are English. They wear dark green and no rosettes. They are correctly dressed and do not attempt to speak French. Her brougham horses were given her by an English milord. They are very taking, but the nigh one is unsound. After she has danced in the evening she has supper at Paillard’s. She dances at half-past nine. Her maid is a Frenchwoman, named Nanette. On Tuesdays and Saturdays madame has a masseuse for an hour. On Friday she confesses at the Madeleine. Her costumes for the stage are made in Madrid, those for the carriage and the house she procures from Raudnitz and Jeanne Hallee, and her morning gowns are sent to her from London. Hellstern makes her slippers and he tries them on four times. Next winter she dances in St. Petersburg, and in the spring she goes to America. At the Folies-Bergeres she receives two thousand francs each night and half the gross receptis of each Sunday. She keeps an account at the Credit Lyonnais. Monsieur Vallon makes you his compliments and regrets that he cannot give you more definite information.”

Jeanne Hallee - Paris Articles from NY Times

Hallee's Foulards Please Americans.

Two-in-One Costumes Are the Most Popular Type in Paris Openings.

Youthful Tailored Suits



These have hip length or sleeve length straight jackets and contrasting bodices.



Copyright, 1933, by The New York Times Company. By Wireless to The New York Times.



Paris, Feb. 20-Jeanne Hallee is an old firm under new management, that of Mlle. Anna, formerly with Worth. The style and type of the Hallee collection are different from that of former years, more truly Parisian and youthful, suitable for younger Americans. A particular success this season has been with the three-piece suit and the two-in-one costumes, consisting of a youthful looking draped gown of figured foulard, over which may be worn for the morning a full-length coat of navy blue rep. with a figured crepe bodice revealed at the open front of the coat. The narrow tube silhouette is adhered to in the lines of the coat, which is usually unbelted and trimmed, if at all, with only vertical bands of pin-tucked self-material.

Most popular with American buyers have been two-in-one costumes of the following type: The dress is of foulard, with a bright red ground figured in dull purple. The deeply bloused back of the bodice continues into the sleeve drapery, caught only at the wrist. This sleeve is slashed from shoulder to wrist. The front of the skirt overlaps deeply toward the left side front, leaving one free edge topped with a bow of silk. When a full-length costume coat of navy blue rep is added to this skirt a panel of foulard is hooked over on the outside of the coat at the opening at the left side front, while the front of the coat is cut away entirely above the waist line, revealing an oblong vestee of figured silk. The coat sleeves are full length. This gives a definite example of the most popular type of garment brought out at the February openings, combining chic with practicability and economy.

Tailored suits, particularly youthful in treatment, have hip length or sleeve length straight jackets trimmed with bands of embroidery or fancy trimming of self material about the lower edge. A contrasting georgette bodice is straight of line, semi-fitted and attached to the skirt at the low waistline. The skirt is wrapped about the hips snugly and overlapped at the left front. There is no belt, the sheer bodice and attached skirt of a worsted material forming together a semi-fitted frock of youthful lines. Freedom and grace are afforded through the fact that the suit bodice is usually softly gathered at the neck and also gathered where it is attached to the skirt, though no suggestion of bloused effect marks the straightness of line.

Suits are mainly reps, in high colors, including Lanvin green, snuff, tortoise-shell shades, light grays and beige.

Afternoon and evening dresses show clustered fullness at each side of the front, with a flaring movement, or across the front and sides.

Dancing frocks for young girls are of black taffeta, fashioned with off-shoulder decolletage in the mid-Victorian style, the long bodice to the hip line draped softly to outline the figure, though not tightly; the skirt gathered very full at the front and sides, with extra gathers introduced on each side of the front, where it is corded, a few inches below the top. These frocks are usually sleeveless. A portion of the bodice or a deep lace bertha covers the top of the arm. Clusters in front in bright orange or jade relieve the sombre tone. More formal evening frocks are draped horizontally about the figure, outlining it closely from bust line to hem. The drapery is released either at the back, in huge bustle loops, or at the side front in cascading points.





Paris Shows Modes For Next Season

Straight, Long Skirts in Majority--Blue Prevailing Color--Oriental Designs Favored.

Copyright, 1923 by The New York Times Company. Special Cable to The New York Times.



PARIS, Aug. 4-The American dress buyers' season here is now at its height. Two important houses, those of Patou and Hallee, gave exhibitions for the press this afternoon and evening and during the next two days nearly all the important houses will reveal the secrets of women's wear for next season.

At Patou's show this evening the guests found a surprise awaiting them. While nearly all the other houses which have held exhibitions have shown straight, long skirts, Patou's skirts are full and shorter.
http://www.gbacg.org/costume-resources/original/articles/dressmakers.pdf
These skirts are bordered with fur, such as astrakhan in brown and grey and an abundance of embroidery, Persian, Chinese and other Oriental inspirations. The materials are unique and exclusive. They have been woven for Patou from his own drawings.

There are three Persian patterns. One is a brocade, taken from the design of an old Persian screen. Another was taken from a seventeenth century Chinese lacquer screen of Coromandel. The third subject of Patou's inspiration was a Persian lamb which he found among ancient manuscripts of the Grand Mogul in the National Library. He also uses crepes of the Byzantine period.

These are exclusive materials made by Bianchini. Patou's day colors are brown and gray, and an abundance of the other houses are launching blue he almost ignores it, using green, gold and metal colors.

Jeanne Hallee has a beautiful and essentially wearable collection. She, like the others, favors the straight line, but has drapery at one side or at the centre of the back. Trains adorn her evening gowns, but the day dresses are straight and often bordered with fur. Rough golden seal is frequently used for this purpose, and the dress is then embroidered.

Hallee uses long, tubular, crystal beads, sequins, silk metal thread and chenille for her embroideries, which are strongly influenced by Chinese design. Her full length and three-quarter coats break away from the straight line by showing a modified flare from the knee. The belt is often absent, the waist line being marked by horizontal drapery or the fit of the gown. Blue is a prominent color in the collection, especially a hyacinth shade, that tones with mauve. Shaved lamb trims many gowns and the waist line is set very low.

Jeanne Hallee - Paris (3 Rue Ville L'Eveque) BLOGGER 1.9

Dress, Evening, 1910–1914Jeanne Hallée (French, 1880–1914), DesignerFrenchsilk, glass

The French couturière Jeanne Hallée was known for delicate creations of silk chiffon and/or lace. The bodice is fashioned from handmade Cluny lace over bronzed gold lamé. The collar is embellished with horizontal bands of gold lamé and decorative cut-steel buttons set with rhinestones. The front opening has black chiffon panels sandwiched between the lace and the lamé. The panels form a cummerbund around the back waist.

Jeanne Hallée (1880-1914) ball or presentation gown, 1903, with woven label as part of the waistband, `3 Rue Ville L'Eveque', of ivory satin, the bodice and skirt adorned with silver bugle beaded rose trails, the bodice also inset with chemical lace; together with the remains of a Jeanne Hallée pink satin gown with matching embroidered train and an ivory satin skirt

Dress, 1907Jeanne HalléeBlack silk crepe embroidered with silk floss and ribbon. In an ingenious fusion of Art Nouveau and the palette, line, and specific motifs of chinoiserie, a blue-and-white cloud pattern is isolated at the shoulder in the manner of Manchu court robes

c. 1912 JEANNE HALLEE, Paris Pink Gossamer Silk Chiffon Gown!

Ensemble, Evening, 1913–1914Jeanne Hallée (French, 1880–1914), DesignerFrench(a) silk, metallic thread, glass beading; (b, c) silk, leather, metallic thread;