TO-THE-TRADE FABRICS FOR TRAVIS BANTON LEADING LADIES

Fabrics is about a lot of things: style, beauty, durability, compatibility with your decor and, of course, your individual taste. Every designer leaves their "trademark" and like Dorothy Drapper, Elsie de Wolfe, and Edith Wharton, and, in turn, the "To-the-trade" fabrics they selected for upholstery to window treatments became timeless. Our subject, Travis Banton, wasn't into decorating homes, but, aesthetically, had few rivals for what he did do with designer fabrics. He produced what all decorators seek to achieve in remarkable cut, exquisite fabrics and understated elegance. Banton decorated the figures from The Ziegfeld Follies to leading ladies in Hollywood; Paramount, Universal and Fox. His purchases included fabrics and accessories. At Hermes he ordered dozens of pairs of exquisite kid gloves and handbags, at fabric houses he bought lames, silks chiffons, velvets, silk crepes, sheer wool crepes and tweeds of all kinds. To highlight the intricate shapes of his designs, Banton usually chose fabrics of medium tones
Marlene Dietrich, flanked by Herbert Marshall(RT) and Melvyn Douglas(LT), is wearing a Faberge-inspired creation d Paramount 1937 "Angel>" The stole of the same beaded chiffon edged with thick bands of Russian sable added the final touch of luxe to this superb and costly garment.

Sketch by Travis Banton for Marlene Dietrich.

Marlene Dietrich in "The Devil is a Woman" Paramount, 1935.

Among Banton's trademarks: polka dots. 1936 gown worn by Frances Drake (He also used men's clothes for women......especially Dietrich).

A design for Claudette Colbert in The Gilded Lily, 1935.



Finally, from this sensational and extraordinary fashion designer, here is a "peek" into Travis Banton's French drawing room which the likes of Cote de Texas would love to put these items in your home.........and in exquisite taste too-!

The drawing room of Travis Banton's Hollywood home reflected his personality and preferences for rare antiques, exquisite lamps and paintings. As it was photographed in black and white, we have to suspect the walls are either black or very very dark grey.....and glossy. The French trips did pay off in fabrics and accessories for us movie goers, but so did he profit from the wonder French furniture, sconces, chandeliers, window treatment (very understated) and paintings.

A la prochaine,
Denise et Gwen

Credits:
"In a Glamous Fashion" by W. Robert Lavine
Special Assistant and Photo Consultant, Allen Florio.

Drapery for Marlene Dietrich

Bonjour mes amis,

Like any window treatment, a costume designing concept first begins on paper, then selection of fabric, then workroom and finally execution. The designer is involved in every step of the way. The end result being a happy client. Today, renting "Desire", we can "see" and appreciate all the effort that went into creating the "drapery" for Marlene Dietrich.

The development of costume design departments in the Hollywood studios was the result of two major factors: There were few fashion sources to draw on in Calilfornia, and special costumes were needed for the epics, period stories, musicals, and Westerns that became staples of the industry. Interior Designers of that time were just as limited. Three Interior Designers come to mind whom we are forever grateful; Edith Wharton, Elsie de Wolfe and Dorothy Drapper. And rightly so, for they are still the arbiters of taste and correct usage in the making of domestic interior rooms of the first rank. Did you know that Elsie de Wolfe was the first to woman to use a business card and invented the term "Interior Designer" under her name?

Travis Banton designed for Paramount beginning in 1925, "The Dressmaker from Paris." He creations were understated and deceptively simple designs elevated motion pictures costumes to the status of high fashion. He had a great sense of exquistie balance in a garment perfectly captured the new sophistication that arrived with the thirties. A Banton gown, with a softness and sultriness that followed a woman's body, was Hollywood design at its most sublime.
Banton's sketch for the gown from "Desire" is itself an expression of the serene, sensuous classicism that dominated fashion llustration during the 1930's.


Marlene Dietrich, here gowned superbly by Travis Banton for Paramount's 1935 "Desire". Swathed, draped, enveloped in chiffon that flowed about her like the rippling waters about a fashion goddess, Dietrich captured the imagination and heart of audiences with an allure that has never been equaled.

Like the drapery for Marlene Dietrich, window treatments adds a new sense of fashion and beauty to a room. They also give full credit to your taste and thanks to your interior designer.

Credits: "IN A GLAMOUS FASHION" BY ROBERT LAVINE and Special Assistant and Photo Consultant, ALLEN FLORIO


A la prochaine,
Denise et Gwen