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Fashion drawing

Fashion drawing

  • Date:

    1953-1954 (published)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Fromenti, Marcel (artist)
    Bohan, Marc, born 1926 (probably, designer for House of Patou., designer)
    Dior, born 1905 - died 1957 (designer)
    Pierre Balmain, born 1914 - died 1982 (designer)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Pen and ink, wash and chinese white

  • Credit Line:

    Given by the Editor of 'The Lady'

  • Museum number:

    E.1600-1954

  • Gallery location:

    Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D, case FD, shelf 14

  • Image in copyright

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.

Physical description

Three garden party dresses by Jean Patou (probably designed by Marc Bohan), Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain. On the left, a model in a draped and pleated dark crepe dress by Patou with sweetheart neckline and short sleeves, the full skirt smooth at the sides and densely pleated in the front. In the middle, a model carrying a rolled parasol in a light-coloured printed silk pencil-skirted sheath dress by Dior, with short sleeves and a draped portrait neckline. On the right, a Balmain dress with a full, densely pleated skirt and wrap-over bodice with short sleeves. All models wear elbow-length gloves and very large, wide-brimmed hats.

Date

1953-1954 (published)

Artist/maker

Fromenti, Marcel (artist)
Bohan, Marc, born 1926 (probably, designer for House of Patou., designer)
Dior, born 1905 - died 1957 (designer)
Pierre Balmain, born 1914 - died 1982 (designer)

Materials and Techniques

Pen and ink, wash and chinese white

Descriptive line

Marcel Fromenti, for The Lady. 1953-54. Three garden party dresses by Jean Patou, Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1954 London: HMSO, 1963
The full text of the entry is as follows:

"FROMENTI, Marcel

Fashion drawings (on 94 sheets, some joined) based on designs by Balmain, Hartnell, Worth, Dior, Fath and others, for illustration in The Lady, 1953 and 1954.
Each inscribed with the designers' names, description in French, and most dated on the back.
Pen and ink, wash and chinese white.
Various sizes E.1537-1545, 1546(1, 2), 1547-1561, 1562(1, 2), 1583-1587, 1588(1, 2), 1589-1591, 1592(1, 2), 1593-1604, 1605 (1, 2), 1606-1612, 1613(1, 2), 1614, 1615, 1616(1, 2), 1617-1621-1954

Given by the Editor of The Lady"

Materials

Pen and ink; Wash; Chinese white

Categories

Illustration; Drawings; Fashion; Fashion plates; Women's clothes

Collection code

PDP

Qr_O585863
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