The House of Worth by Karen M. DePauw

Author:Karen M. DePauw
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2015-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

INTRODUCTION TO SKETCHES

KAREN M. DEPAUW

WHEN THE HOUSE OF WORTH FOUND ITSELF dealing with an ever-increasing foreign clientele, they had to adapt from in-house customer consultations to by-mail presentation of garments. This shift required a new tool of communication. Rather than using sketches solely to work through the design process, couturiers began sending them to patrons as well. This allowed clients to browse in the comfort of their own homes and select garments based on careful consideration.

The sketches presented here were created by the house of Worth and sent to private client Julia Chester Wells in the years 1916 and 1918. With the outlines of the figure and fashion printed first, each sketch was then hand-colored with watercolors and some received hand-written notations. Frequently, the sketches also depict the back view in order to fully represent the garment. Ensembles that contained multiple pieces not easily shown in a single sketch sometimes appear on two separate pages clearly marked as belonging together.

Patrons may have learned of basic style trends through the fashion press, yet the sketches sent to them provided the best opportunity to ascertain information about specific designs from a couture house. The sketches received by Wells often include hand-written descriptions, either in French or English, with a price quote. Some include a number of different prices depending on embellishment choices for the garment, such as with or without fur, or with or without embroidery. Since customers used the sketches to place their order to the atelier, it was necessary that each sketch contained all of the important information, thus many were also accompanied by fabric samples in various colors and weaves. The handwriting on the sketches caused occasional difficulty in determining the year in which they were produced. When a date was in question, careful examination of the envelopes, paper quality, watermarks, and handwriting lead to the understanding of which sketches belonged to which collection.

Although in 1916 and 1918, Jean Philippe Worth was acting lead designer of the house of Worth, it cannot be stated beyond a doubt that the designs presented in these sketches were initially created by him. Couture houses were required to produce two collections each year to show to buyers and private clients. These collections may contain over 200 models each. Even though an establishment like the house of Worth had a lead designer who served as the figure-head of the house and the couturier, they often employed a number of other designers who worked on designs for individual garments. Thus, while the head designer set the tone, multiple designers created each season’s collection.

The clients ordering at home may not have visited the atelier in Paris for years, if at all. Thus, the sketches must serve as both catalogue and salesman. Providing the correct information in a pleasing format was vital to a couture house’s success when it came to foreign customers, and in a time of war, when distant clients reigned supreme, the information provided in each packet became even more important.

The Father of Haute

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