gorgeous & rare vintage 1940’s Tina Leser exotic eastern embroidered velvet paneled sculptural masterpiece of a skirt
Tina Leser (1910-1986) was born Christina Wetherill Shillard-Smith, in 1910. Born into an affluent Philadelphia family she was able to travel the world and experience different cultures. She went on to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and then the Sorbonne in Paris.
In 1931, at the age of 21, Tina married Curtis Leser, and they moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. It was here that Tina Leser began her career in fashion. She opened a shop in 1935, where she sold clothing that she designed.
In 1940, Tina went to New York to try to sell her designs and was able to get an order placed with Saks Fifth Avenue for 500 pieces. She continued to live and work in Honolulu until 1942.
Due to WWII, she closed her Honolulu store and moved to New York in 1942 where she continued to run her company. In 1943 she became the head designer at Foreman, where she remained until 1953. She was an avid traveler and she created scores of designs inspired by ethnic clothing from around the world. During the postwar era, India was moving towards independence and very much in the news. Having spent time there during her childhood, she was inspired by their ethnic clothing. She was a master at taking the exotic, and turning it into something elegant, timeless, and entirely original. She was very good at unexpectedly pairing plain and fancy fabrics, trims, and styles and this skirt is a wonderful example of her masterful skills and keen eye for design!
DETAILS
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classic forties flared silhouette
- two straight pleats at the front and seamed at the hips for a figure flattering fit
- fuller swishy back with eastern influenced metallic floral embroidery over a decadent royal blue
- lined in pellon for shape and structure
- diagonal hidden metal zipper
*jacket NOT included
MEASUREMENTS:
Measurements given are ''actual'' measurements of the item taken from the outside of the garment. Please consider your individual comfort and compare measurements accordingly. For more information regarding our sizing, or measurement process please review our
SIZE & MEASUREMENT GUIDES
waist-27" (can easily move the hook-n-eyes at waist if you need a little more, or less room), length-32"
CONDITION:
very good. appears to have been hardly worn. very light soiling that hasn't been treated and is hard to detect. price adjusted accordingly.
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