Tag Archives: 1920s fashion

The London Couture House of Jean-Philippe

A prominant London couture atelier in the Jazz Age was that of Jean-Philippe based originally at 39 Conduit street, W1, which thrived through the 1920s and into the 1930s. Jean-Philippe was owned and run by the society hostess Mrs Simon Hartog and since the first known listing in the press was in late 1926, one must presume that the establishment was formed in or around 1926.

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La Vie Parisienne: The 513 Art Deco Covers of the Twenties

La Vie Parisienne: The 513 Art Deco Covers of the Twenties by Angelo Luerti

Another superb, full-colour book by Angelo Luerti. This is ultimately a book of pictures: a celebration of the glorious covers of La Vie Parisienne from the Jazz Age of the 1920s; the decade that would be remembered for the exhilarating cosmopolitan, worldly and liberal atmosphere of Paris.

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The London Couture House of Zorene Ltd

A prominant London couture atelier in the Jazz Age was that of Zorene Ltd based in and around Hanover Square, W1. Zorene Ltd was founded in 1919 and thrived through the 1920s and into the 1930s and was described as Court Dressmakers.  It was owned and run by Zoe Florence A. Benn and another lady called Irene, hence the name Zorene.

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Val St Cyr and Baroque Ltd

Val St Cyr and Baroque Ltd

Val St Cyr as the house of Baroque was a major force in the dress-designing world of London in the Jazz Age and beyond. Long forgotten and ignored, Val St Cyr’s  work was nevertheless magnificent and was characterized by being original, idiosyncratic, innovative and daring.

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Merci et Cie the Movie Modiste

Merci et Cie the Movie Modiste

Post World War 1 there was renewed optimism for the British Film industry and various moves were made to improve the quality of productions with effective and original costume design recognised as being of crucial importance. Between 1919-1922 this was evident by the formation of two dress-designing departments at the newly formed Islington studio for Famous Players Lasky, headed by Marcelle de St Martin and the Alliance Studios, headed by Gladys Jackson. But there were various other independent designers rising to the occasion as well. One such person was the fashion designer and costumier Mde de Petier of Merci et Cie (sometimes spelt Mercie) based at 90 Charing Cross Road, whose business was described as ‘milliners.’

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Dolly Tree: A Dream of Beauty

Dolly Tree: A Dream of Beauty by Gary Chapman

A long lost artistic genius of the Jazz Age, Dolly Tree was famous on both sides of the Atlantic, for her extravagant creations that appeared in stage shows, cabaret, couture and film in the glamorous 1920s and 1930s. It is now time for her to be reclaimed as one of the great British dress-designers of the 20th century

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Who was Ninette?

Who was Ninette?

A few years ago I spotted a series of rather simple, yet wonderful adverts that appeared in several theatre programmes from the early 1920s for the fashion house of Ninette. With two outlets in London at 47 Cranbourne Street and 79 Shaftesbury Avenue, Ninette was rather well placed. But who was Ninette? At first, all attempts to locate any further information were elusive, so who was behind this rather wonderful British fashion house that flourished in the Jazz Age but now completely forgotten?

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Hugh Willoughby

The British artist Hugh Willoughby rose to prominence in the new wave of costume designers and illustrators that emerged after the First World War during the Jazz Age. He made a name for himself in London and Paris before moving to the USA in the mid 1920s.

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