Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case FD, Shelf 16

Fashion Drawing

1953-1954 (published)
Artist/Maker

This is an original artwork for a fashion illustration by Marcel Fromenti for The Lady, a weekly magazine for women published since 1885. At the time it was made, Fromenti was the main artist for The Lady's fashion articles. The glamorous women in his drawings modelled both couture and high-end ready-to-wear garments with equal panache and elegance. Couture dresses and suits by leading Paris and London couturiers such as Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain and Norman Hartnell were drawn with the same flair as designs from British ready-to-wear labels such as Susan Small, Roecliff & Chapman, and Marcus. The articles described the fashion developments of their day in simple, accessible terms that contributed greatly to The Lady's popularity with its readers. Pencil notes record the designers, fabric and colour details, alongside technical instructions to the printers as to how these images should be incorporated into the printed page and at what scale.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink, wash and chinese white
Brief description
Marcel Fromenti. Dress by Susan Small, for The Lady. 1953-54
Physical description
Fashion drawing. Woman in a navy taffeta day dress by Susan Small with puffed sleeves and a mid-calf length full skirt with a deep knife-pleated flounce around the bottom. The bodice buttons down the front, the buttons extending down to mid-thigh height on the skirt. Small white collar with a ribbon bow with long trailing ends. Worn with a chunky bracelet of coins. Pencil notes give fabric and colour details.
Marks and inscriptions
(Inscribed with the designers' names, descriptions in French, and dated on the back)
Credit line
Given by the Editor of 'The Lady'
Object history
Susan Small was a ready-to-wear house founded by Leslie Carr Jones in the early 1940s. It lasted until the late 1970s and was particularly known for evening wear. Its head designer, Maureen Baker, made Princess Anne's wedding dress in 1973.
Summary
This is an original artwork for a fashion illustration by Marcel Fromenti for The Lady, a weekly magazine for women published since 1885. At the time it was made, Fromenti was the main artist for The Lady's fashion articles. The glamorous women in his drawings modelled both couture and high-end ready-to-wear garments with equal panache and elegance. Couture dresses and suits by leading Paris and London couturiers such as Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain and Norman Hartnell were drawn with the same flair as designs from British ready-to-wear labels such as Susan Small, Roecliff & Chapman, and Marcus. The articles described the fashion developments of their day in simple, accessible terms that contributed greatly to The Lady's popularity with its readers. Pencil notes record the designers, fabric and colour details, alongside technical instructions to the printers as to how these images should be incorporated into the printed page and at what scale.
Bibliographic reference
Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1954 London: HMSO, 1963
Collection
Accession number
E.1614-1954

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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