Evening Velvet Coat By Lucien Lelong Circa 1937

Circa 1937 United States or England Long evening coat in black silk velvet, scarf to tie on the collar closed by two large rhinestone buttons, duchess satin lining, Scratched Reproduction Lucien Lelong, Paris. This is a model license for exporting to England or the United States. Straight cut with cutout effect and batwing sleeves.Some very slight damage to the satin lining at the claw and collar, otherwise clean and flawless. Very good condition of color and conservation. Dimensions: equivalent size 38 France. Height 128 cm, shoulders 38 cm, collar 41 cm, chest 90 cm, waist 84 cm. Lucien Lelong (1889-1958) is a key figure in the history of French Haute Couture. He designed his first collection in 1914 and took over the family business in 1919 to achieve success in the 1920s. In 1934 he launched the first ready-to-wear collection under the “Edition” label. Installed at 16 avenue Matignon in Paris, he created in 1925 the “kinetic” silhouette, that is to say of a flexible, modern, dynamic line. He was the first to imagine, ten years later, luxury ready-to-wear and to think of the unity of a production from clothing to accessories and perfumes, considering fashion as much in its aesthetic dimension as industrial and commercial. It was the same year that he made his first trip to the United States. President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture from 1937 to 1945, he notably trained Christian Dior, Robert Piguet, Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain. in 1945, he organized Le Théâtre de la Mode, directed by Christian Bérard, with lighting by Boris Kochno, sets by Jean Cocteau, Louis Touchagues and Georges Wakhévitch. The wire figurines are by Éliane Bonabel, the jewelry by Van Cleef, the hairstyles are made by twenty hairdressers including Alexandre. One of Lucien Lelong's dolls wears the Earthenware model. This exhibition begins in Paris at the Museum of Decorative Arts, then travels to London, Barcelona, Stockholm, and New York, where it triumphs. His fashion house closed in 1948.