Marcelle Dormoy

Marcelle Dormoy in 1946

Marcelle Dormoy (1895-1976) was a French couturier, fashion designer, and former model active from 1928 to 1950.[1]

Dormoy started out as a mannequin for Paul Poiret, which she credited with helping her learn to "understand the female body."[2]

Dormoy worked with Vionnet alongside other designers such as Jacques Griffe and Marcelle Chaumont.[3] As première d'atelier, she was head of the workroom at Vionnet until she left to launch her own couture house in December 1928.[4] This date was open to question even while Dormoy was in business, with M.D.C. Crawford stating in 1941 that Dormoy launched "his" (sic) business in 1934,[5] and the mannequin "Freddy" recalling a launch date of 1927 in her 1958 memoirs.[6]

In 1937 Dormoy had her portrait painted by the artist Marie Laurencin, who accepted a fur coat as payment. This portrait was sold by the Swiss auction house Dobiaschofsky in 2013.[1]

Dormoy remained with Jean Patou in Biarritz prior to returning to Paris, France following the German occupation of France during World War II.[7] She continued working during the Occupation, providing clothes to clients such as the actress Edwige Feuillère.[8] In February 1946, Collier's published an article about Feuillère and Dormoy, noting that Dormoy's designs were among the first post-war models "by leading designers" to be bought by American buyers for export back home, despite a poor exchange rate meaning that each design cost $500-600.[8] A picture caption in the article noted that Dormoy's unfussy designs typically featured free-flowing lines.[8]

Dormoy closed her house in 1950, and died in 1976.[1] Her heirs presented a 1948 evening gown that she had designed to the Musée Galliera.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Staff writer. "Dobiaschofsky Auktionen: Frühjahrsauktion 2013 Gemälde, Grafiken und Antiquitäten" (in German). AltertuemLiches.at. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Evening dress, Marcelle Dormoy: Variation on the 'Bengale' model". Palais Galliera, musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Fashion under the occupation, Dominique Veillon, Berg Publishers, 2002, pg. 100.
  4. ↑ Golbin, Pamela, ed. (2009). Madeleine Vionnet. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 0847832783. DECEMBER: Marcelle Dormoy, former première d'atelier, opens her own fashion house
  5. ↑ Crawford, M.D.C. (1941). The ways of fashion. [New York: G.P. Putnam. p. 318. ISBN 0848647831.
  6. ↑ Carlier, Jean (1958). Flying mannequin - memoirs of a star model. Hurst & Blackett.
  7. ↑ Fashion under the occupation, Dominique Veillon, Berg Publishers, 2002, pg. 11.
  8. 1 2 3 Calvosa, Ulrich (16 February 1946). "Paris Model 1946". Collier's. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
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