BATTY FOR BANTON

Travis Banton, along with Adrian, created the modern look of glamour while designing costumes for early Hollywood movies. Banton quickly transferred the couture skills he picked up working with Madame Frances and Lucile to the need for drama and visual appeal in the young art of motion pictures. The striking beauty of the Hollywood stars and their magnetism gave Banton what he needed to create classic images of movie glamour.

In this photo of Carole Lombard in Rumba, from 1935, Banton has created a gown of black crepe with a "surplice" treatment at the bodice and mid-section. She also wears a matching wrap with cuffs of silver fox and a hat adorned with paradise feathers.

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Travis Banton has to have designed the sexiest Cleopatra costumes ever seen on film (we'll see about the forthcoming Angelina Jolie version). Here Claudette Colbert models the gown for the 1934 version. With a vision like this who cares about historical accuracy?

                                                                                 

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Travis Banton knew how to be sophisticated - or how to knock your eyes out. Marlene Dietrich usually had exotic roles, and looked great in and preferred dramatic outfits. This costume for Angel, in 1937 was made from chiffon and thousands of hand-sewn sequins and beads, and encrusted with semi-precious jewels. The stole is trimmed in Russian sable.

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Here is another image of Dietrich from Angel. In this costume, Banton has designed a stunning full skirt using graduated sizes of chevron striping. One could not fail to get attention in this beautiful outfit.

                                                                               
Travis Banton shows Marlene Dietrich a costume sketch in this photo where she wears another outfit he designed for Angel.

                                                                                    
Travis Banton came to Hollywood from New York where he had worked for Mme Frances and  for Lucile. He was hired by Paramount Studios to design Dressmaker from Paris in 1925.  The photo above shows Dorothy Seastrom in a Banton creation for the movie. The style is nothing like the flapper modes that were then in vogue, though Erte's influence can be seen. Banton worked for designer Howard Greer for a couple of years before becoming Paramount's head designer.

Here is Cecila Evan as a mannequin or model from The Dressmaker from Paris in a beautiful fringed dress designed by Banton. Dressmaker was based on a scenario by Howard Hawks. It's a curiosity that the director of such "manly" films as Scarface (the original version), The Big Sleep, and Rio Bravo wrote this story and also directed Fig Leaves in 1926, another fashion oriented film with costumes designed by Adrian.

Travis Banton helped create the modern look of glamour - what it was and what it still is today. He also mentored Edith Head. Many of his designs are now fashion icons. They will always remain visually arresting. That's why I'm batty for Banton.

                                                                                   

SUITS HER

Women's suits are making a comeback in the new collections.  But many are more inspired by ordinary men's tailored jackets than the amazing work that was done in the 1940s and 1950s by designers Gilbert Adrian and Irene Gibbons. Adrian and Irene - Hollywood costume designers turned fashion designers with their own labels - created masterpieces of design and tailoring. At a time when a critical demand for high quality women's suits existed, Adrian and Irene showed several suit designs in every collection, each one as exciting and beautiful as the other. Such a high level of design and detail has not been seen since. Adrian's suits featured his favored asymmetry and sense of drama. Irene's showed beautiful lines, clever details, and precious buttons. Both had impeccable tailoring. More, they consistently turned out fresh ideas in suit design.

                                                                           
An Adrian suit could not be ordinary. A woman in an Adrian suit caught one's eye from far away, the suit's interesting silhouette grabbing attention.  The eye stayed fixed, relishing the details as the wearer drew closer. This Adrian suit has both detail and drama, and a mantle and hood that provides mystery.

                                                                                  

                                                                                 
An air of mystery, and boldness, is aided by stripes. The North African inspiration for this Adrian suit from 1947 makes it a magnet for attention. Is there a comparable suit today?

                                                                           
Adrian loved to use tabs, pockets, and buttons for their design value in his jackets. Tabs and flaps added movement and surface interest. He would sometimes put pockets or buttons in various locations on a jacket, disregarding their function.   

                                                                                
In this suit Adrian adorned the jacket and its sleeves with rows of tabs. The tabs were used, like fringe, to show movement. He used tabs, and a longer version that he called slings, on gowns and dresses as well.     
                                                                                                                          

                                                                                       
Adrian could be dramatic or simple, elegant or witty. Even in 1950 he loved broad shoulders on women's garments. The power suits of the 1970s and 1980s were based on his earlier models from the 1930s and 1940s. 

   
                                                                                    
                                       
                                                         
Irene was the other grand artist of suit design. Like Adrian, she left the movie studio to start her own fashion business after having dressed the most glamorous stars of Hollywood.  Here is one of her signature sleek suits from the mid-50s, black with a white mink stole.                      

                                                                                       
Here is another Irene suit of British worsted wool. The high collar and long row of buttons adds distinction to the suit jacket. 

                                                                                      

                                                                                     
Irene used curved darts in this suit to add a feminine touch, along with a kick pleat at the skirt. Here too the buttons are an important feature of the design.   

                                                                                    
This crisply tailored Irene navy blue suit was adorned with a blouse overflowing the jacket, the blouse decorated with a print of violets.   

                                                                                      
This is a three piece Irene suit including a tunic coat. Irene designed the wide tunic to contrast with the slimness of the tubular skirt. The coat was in dark and light walnut color. Costume designer Greg LaVoi has dressed Kyra Sedwick in vintage Irene suits on TNT's The Closer. She looks fabulous wearing them, slim and sexy, distinctive and professional. 

Suits were a staple item in women's wardrobes from the late 1930s through the early1960s. The advice at the time was there was no "better way of looking put together" than in a suit. Wearing a suit is very optional today. But one thing is certain, it's not likely we'll ever see again the likes of the Adrian and Irene suit. 

Adrian V-Line suit