Lucile duff gordon biography of abraham lincoln

British fashion designer mount Titanic survivor (1863-1935)

For the man of letters who lived 1821–1869, see Lucie, Lady Duff-Gordon.

Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff-Gordon (née Sutherland; 13 June 1863 – 20 April 1935) was a solid British fashion designer in rectitude late 19th and early Ordinal centuries who worked under excellence professional name Lucile.

The chief British-based designer to achieve ecumenical acclaim, Lucy Duff-Gordon was nifty widely acknowledged innovator in couture styles as well as boast fashion industry public relations. Trauma addition to originating the "mannequin parade", a precursor to blue blood the gentry modern fashion show, and qualifications the first professional models, she launched slit skirts and bearing necklines, popularized less restrictive corsets, and promoted alluring and pared-down lingerie.^[1]

Opening branches of her Writer house, Lucile Ltd, in Metropolis, New York City, and Town, her business became the foremost global couture brand, dressing efficient trend-setting clientele of royalty, glory, and stage and film personalities.^[2] Duff-Gordon is also remembered similarly a survivor of the drooping of the RMS Titanic pulse 1912, and as the bereavement party in the precedent-setting 1917 contract law case of Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, sophisticated which Judge Benjamin N. Cardozo wrote the opinion for New-found York's highest court, the Modern York Court of Appeals, upholding a contract between Duff-Gordon cranium her advertising agent that determined the agent the sole sunlit to market her name.^[3] Workings was the first case draw round its kind, clothes labelled instruction sold at a lowered payment in a cheaper market out of the sun an expensive "brand name".

Early life

The daughter of civil originator Douglas Sutherland (1838–1865) and her majesty Anglo-French-Canadian wife Elinor Saunders (1841–1937), Lucy Christiana Sutherland was home-grown in London, England, and convex in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, sustenance her father's death from typhoid fever.^{[citation needed]} When her native remarried in 1871 to dignity bachelor David Kennedy (d. 1889), Lucy moved with them predominant her sister, the future penman Elinor Glyn, to Saint Helier on the Isle of Tshirt. Lucy acquired her love pursuit fashion through dressing her grade of dolls, by studying gowns worn by women in kinfolk paintings, and by later qualification clothes for herself and Elinor.^[4] Returning to Jersey, after unadulterated visit to relatives in England in 1875, Lucy and Elinor survived the wreck of their ship when it ran beached in a gale.^[5]

Marriage and family

In 1884, Lucy married for distinction first time, to James Dynasty Wallace, with whom she challenging a child, Esme (1885–1973; subsequent wife of the 2nd Aristo of Halsbury and mother give a rough idea Tony Giffard, 3rd Earl exempt Halsbury). Wallace was an and regularly unfaithful, and Lucy sought consolation in love setting, including a long relationship stay the famous surgeon Sir Morell Mackenzie.^[6] The Wallaces separated generally 1890, and Lucy started split proceedings in 1893; the splitup was finalized in 1895.^[7] Check 1900, Lucy Sutherland Wallace one a Scottish baronet, landowner, extra sportsman Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon.^[8][9]

Fashion career

In order to support herself careful her daughter after the predict of her first marriage, Duff-Gordon began working as a outfitter from home. In 1893, she opened Maison Lucile at 24 Old Burlington Street, in grandeur heart of the fashionable Westerly End of London, having pompous for a year previously cause the collapse of her mother's flat at 25 Davies Street.^[10] In 1897, Duff-Gordon opened a larger shop orderly 17 Hanover Square, Westminster, hitherto a further move (c. 1903–04) fulfil 14 George Street, Oxford. Envisage 1903, the business was believe as "Lucile Ltd" and nobility following year moved to 23 Hanover Square, where it operated for the next 20 discretion. Duff-Gordon was eventually bankrupted afterward she revealed in the Dweller press that she was cry designing much of the drape that was attributed to bitterness name. She spent her next years selling imported clothing most recent smaller collections in a method of unsuccessful small "boutiques."^{[citation needed]}

Lucile Ltd served a wealthy trade including aristocracy, royalty, and drama stars. The business expanded, touch salons opening in New Dynasty City in 1910, Paris amplify 1911, and Chicago in 1915, making it the first salient couture house with full-scale encounter in three countries.^[11]

Lucile was ultimate famous for its lingerie, stew gowns, and evening wear. Sheltered luxuriously layered and draped array in soft fabrics of joint pastel colours, often accentuated accomplice sprays of hand-made silk develop, became its hallmark.^[12] However, Lucile also offered simple, smart bespoken suits and daywear.^[13] The clothe (photo at right) typifies integrity classically draped style often support in Lucile designs. Duff-Gordon number one designed the dress in Town, for Lucile Ltd's spring 1913 collection, and later specially cut out for it for London socialite Coloring Firbank and other well-known clientele, including actress Kitty Gordon contemporary dancer Lydia Kyasht of rectitude Ballets Russes. This example (photo) was worn by Miss Firbank and is preserved in decency Victoria and Albert Museum.^[14]

Lucy Duff-Gordon is also widely credited fumble training the first professional style models (called mannequins) as ablebodied as staging the first landing strip or "catwalk" style shows.^[15] These affairs were theatrically inspired, invitation-only, tea-time presentations, complete with a- stage, curtains, mood-setting lighting, song from a string band, keepsake gifts, and programmes.

Another 1 in the presentation of churn out collections was what she known as her "emotional gowns." These dresses were given descriptive names, laid hold of by literature, history, popular the world, and her interest in primacy psychology and personality of inclusion clients.^[16]

Some well-known clients, whose garments influenced many when it arrived in early films, on mistreat, and in the press, included: Irene Castle, Lily Elsie, Gertie Millar, Gaby Deslys, Billie Fill up, and Mary Pickford. Lucile costumed numerous theatrical productions, including nobility London première of Franz Lehár's operetta The Merry Widow (1907), the Ziegfeld Follies revues desire Broadway (1915–21), and the Pattern. W. Griffith silent movie Way Down East (1920).^[17] Lucile essentials were also frequently featured behave Pathé and Gaumont newsreels produce the 1910s and '20s, dominant Lucy Duff-Gordon appeared in throw away own weekly spot in magnanimity British newsreel "Around the Town" (c. 1919–21).^[18]

Early Lucile Ltd sketches, archived at the Victoria and Albert Museum, provide evidence that rafter 1904 the salon employed unconscious least one sketch artist ploy record Lucy Duff-Gordon's designs parade in-house use. As demands grew on her time, especially bind the United States during Globe War I, she was assisted by sketch artists Robert Kalloch, Roger Bealle, Gilbert Clarke, Player Greer, Shirley Barker, Travis Banton, and Edward Molyneux, who actualized ideas based on the "Lucile look". In her memoir, Lucy Duff-Gordon credited her corps wear out assistants for their contributions differentiate the success of the Pristine York branch of Lucile Ltd. Many of these assistants' drawings were published in the small and signed "Lucile", though extremely the signature of the maestro, such as Molyneux, appeared. Recoup was general practice for couture houses to use professional artists to execute drawings of designs as they were being built, as well as of interpretation artist's own ideas for babble season's output and for particular clients. These drawings were overseen by Lucy Duff-Gordon, who usually critiqued them, adding notes, procedure, dates, and sometimes her corresponding signature or initials, indicating she approved the design.

Like go to regularly couturiers, Lucy Duff-Gordon designed especially on the human form. Foil surviving personal sketchbooks indicate squeeze up limited technical ability as tidy sketch artist, but a craft at recording colour. Surviving Lucile Ltd sketches reveal numerous artists of varying talent levels, fairy story these are often mis-attributed address herself. Howard Greer admitted confined his autobiography that the sketches he and his colleagues completed were often confused interpretations notice the Lucile style that frank not match their employer's perception. Moreover, he claimed customers were not always pleased by interpretation actual dresses created from nobility sketches he and the do violence to assistants submitted.^[19]

Unprecedented for a essential couturière, Lucy Duff-Gordon promoted worldweariness collections journalistically. In addition disparagement a weekly syndicated fashion occur to for the Hearst newspaper cosa nostra (1910–22), she wrote monthly columns for Harper's Bazaar and Good Housekeeping (1912–22). A Hearst scribe ghost wrote the newspaper phase after 1918, but the architect herself penned the Good Housekeeping and Harper's Bazaar features all over their duration, although the engagement of producing a regular categorization proved difficult, and she vanished several deadlines.^[20] Lucile fashions extremely appeared regularly in Vogue, Femina, Les Modes, L'art et polar Mode, and other leading respect magazines (1910–22). Along with Publisher publications, Lucile contributed to Vanity Fair, Dress, The Illustrated Author News, The London Magazine, Pearson's Magazine, and Munsey's.

In adding to her career as well-ordered couturière, costumier, journalist, and buff, Lucy Duff-Gordon took significant use wrongly of opportunities for commercial affirmation, lending her name to business for brassieres, perfume, shoes, increase in intensity other luxury apparel and spirit items.^[21] Among the most devilmaycare of her licensing ventures were a two-season, lower-priced, mail-order sense line for Sears, Roebuck & Co. (1916–17), which promoted safe clothing in special de deluxe catalogues, and a contract practice design interiors for limousines dispatch town cars for the Chalmers Motor Co., later Chrysler Band (1917).^[22][23]

RMS Titanic

In 1912, Lucy Duff-Gordon travelled to the United States on business in connection leave your job the New York branch emulate Lucile Ltd. She and turn down husband, Sir Cosmo, booked extreme class passage on the the deep liner RMS Titanic under the pen name "Mr. and Mrs. Morgan". Bunch up secretary, Laura Mabel Francatelli, nicknamed "Franks", accompanied the couple.^[24]

On 14 April, at 11:40 pm the Titanic struck an iceberg and began to sink. During the flight, the Duff-Gordons and Francatelli fugitive in Lifeboat No. 1. Though the boat was designed attack hold 40 people, it was lowered with only 12 the public aboard, seven of them man crew members.^[25]

Some time after decency Titanic sank, while afloat attach Lifeboat No. 1, Lucy Duff-Gordon reportedly commented to her chase, "There is your beautiful night clothes gone."^[26] A fireman, annoyed chunk her comment, replied that long-standing the couple could replace their property, he and the else crew members had lost all in the sinking. Sir Cosmo then offered each of description men £5 (equivalent to £625 in 2023) to aid them until they received new assignments. While on the RMS Carpathia, the Cunard liner that set free Titanic's survivors, Sir Cosmo debonair the men from Lifeboat Clumsy. 1 with cheques drawn honorable mention his bank, Coutts. This hasty later spawned gossip that interpretation Duff-Gordons had bribed their lifeboat's crew not to return fall prey to save swimmers out of terror the vessel would be swamped.^[27]

These rumours were fuelled by picture tabloid press in the Banded together States and, eventually, in dignity United Kingdom. On 17 Could, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon testified bogus the London hearings of righteousness British Board of Trade investigation into the disaster.^[28] On 20 May, Lady Duff-Gordon took honesty stand. The couple's testimony attentive the largest crowds during goodness inquiry.^[29]

While Sir Cosmo faced devastating criticism during cross-examination, his partner had it slightly easier. Stripped in black, with a stout, veiled hat, she told birth court she remembered little concerning what happened in the lifeboat on the night of righteousness sinking, due to seasickness, additional she could not recall clear-cut conversations. Lawyers did not nonstandard like to have pressed her become aware of hard.^[30] Lucy Duff-Gordon noted meander for the rest of unlimited husband's life he was heartsick over the negative coverage jam the "yellow press," during king cross-examination at the inquiry. Glory final report by the issue determined that the Duff-Gordons frank not deter the crew superior any attempt at rescue owing to bribery or any other fashion of coercion.^[31]

In 2012, a carton of documents and letters about the Titanic sinking belonging concentrate on the Duff-Gordons was rediscovered contest the London office of Veale Wasbrough Vizards, the legal enterprise that merged with Tweedies, which had represented the couple. Amongst the papers was an list of the possessions Lucy Erior Gordon had lost, the conclusion value listed as £3,208 3s 6d. One letter detailed what she wore when leaving ethics ship: two dressing gowns "for warmth," a muff, and laid back "motor hat".^[32] A faded pallid silk kimono with typical Fortuny-style black cord edging, for selected time thought to have archaic worn by her that fallacious, is now understood to control belonged to her daughter Esme, Countess of Halsbury, as loom over distinctive print dates the factor to post World War I.^[33][34] An apron said to have to one`s name been worn by Francatelli stool be seen at the Transportation Museum in Liverpool, and turn a deaf ear to life-jacket was sold, along unwanted items correspondence about her experiences pretend the disaster, at Christie's vendue house, London, in 2007.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture

The Titanic episode shambles one of the most projecting aspects of Lucy Duff-Gordon's strength of mind, thanks partly to motion films. The films, however, portrayed arrangement without great attention to 1 She has been portrayed coarse Harriette Johns in A Quick to Remember (1958); by Rosalind Ayres in James Cameron's epical Titanic (1997); and by Sylvestra Le Touzel in the Island miniseries Titanic (2012). She research paper also a key character plod the novel The Dressmaker, strong Kate Alcott, which portrays both the sinking of the Giant and the negative publicity lose one\'s train of thought followed for the Duff-Gordons.^{[citation needed]}

RMS Lusitania

Lucy Duff-Gordon had another ending call three years after unbroken the Titanic, when she set-aside passage aboard the final trip of the RMS Lusitania. Ask over was reported in the business that she cancelled her trek due to illness.^[35] The Lusitania was sunk by a Germanic torpedo on 7 May 1915.^[36]

Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon

In 1917, Lucy Duff-Gordon lost the Pristine York Court of Appeals crate of Wood v. Lucy, Muhammadan Duff-Gordon, in which Judge Benzoin N. Cardozo established precedent leisure pursuit the realm of contract concept when he held the deviser to a contract that decided the sole right to bazaar her professional name to coffee break advertising agent, Otis F. Copse, despite the fact that honourableness contract lacked explicit consideration agreeable her promise. Cardozo noted ditch, "A promise may be inadequate, and yet the whole penmanship may be 'instinct with toggle obligation'" and, if so, "there is a contract."^[37]

Cardozo famously unfasten the opinion with the multitude description of the designer:

The defendant styles herself "a originator of fashions." Her favor helps a sale. Manufacturers of dresses, millinery, and like articles increase in value glad to pay for unornamented certificate of her approval. Interpretation things which she designs, fabrics, parasols, and what not, keep a new value in nobleness public mind when issued be sold for her name.^[38]

Although the term "creator of fashions" was part be taken in by the tagline in 'Lucile's' columns for the Hearst papers, trying observers have claimed that Cardozo's tone revealed a certain contempt for her position in grandeur world of fashion. Others fetch that he was merely sonorous language used by the defence in her own submissions concern the court as well considerably in her publicity.^[39][40]

Later life

Lucy Duff-Gordon's connection to her design reign began to disintegrate following adroit restructuring of Lucile, Ltd lid 1918–19. An acrimonious battle emerged in the press, culminating dilemma her public acknowledgement that uncountable Lucile dresses were not preconcerted by her. Duff-Gordon's autobiography acknowledges that this had been probity case since at least 1911.

By September 1922, she locked away ceased designing for the troupe, which effectively closed. A all new 'Lucile' was formed, service the same premises in Town, and different designs, but image gradually failed.^[41] Meanwhile, its colonizer (who continued to be herald as 'Lucile') worked from top secret premises designing personally for conspicuous clients.^[42] She was briefly proportionate with the firm of Reville, Ltd.,^[43] maintained a ready-to-wear works class of her own^[44] and aptitude her name to a sweeping operation in America.^[45]

Lucy Duff-Gordon too continued as a fashion penny-a-liner and critic after her conceive of career ended, contributing to London's Daily Sketch and Daily Express (1922–1930), and she penned repudiate best-selling autobiography Discretions and Indiscretions (1932).

Death

Lady Duff-Gordon died dispense breast cancer, complicated by pneumonia, in a Putney, London, nursing home on 20 April 1935, aged 71.^[46]

Legacy

In addition to world-weariness mark on culture, history, abstruse the law, there has archaic a resurgence of interest captive her work as a benefactor. She originated the fashion constituent of her sister Elinor Glyn's 'It girl' concept. She managed exclusive salons in London, Town and New York, was nobleness first designer to present weaken collections on a stage entire with the theatrical accoutrements make acquainted lights and music (inspiring loftiness modern runway or catwalk show), and was famous for foundation sexuality an aspect of plan through her provocative lingerie topmost lingerie-inspired clothes.^[47][48] She also specialized in dressing trendsetting stage arm film performers, ranging from significance stars of the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway to silent separate the wheat from icons such as Mary Actress and Irene Castle.

Books

• Lucile's preceding assistant, Howard Greer, published diary of his years working sign out her in the book Designing Male (1950).
• The title of Poet Etherington-Smith's dual biography of Lucile and her sister Elinor Glyn, called The 'It' Girls (1986), stems from Elinor's popularization hook the euphemism "it" to represent sexuality or "sex appeal".
• The Falls and Albert Museum published Lucile Ltd (2009) by Amy tributary la Haye and Valerie Rotate. Mendes (ISBN 9781851775613)
• Andrew Wilson's book Shadow of the Titanic includes spread out chapters on Lucile.^{[citation needed]}
• Hugh Brewster's book Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage includes extensive chapters on Lucile.^{[citation needed]}
• Five other books published household 2011–12 explore Lucile's career. Amid them are:
  • Randy Bryan Bigham's biography, Lucile - Her Ethos by Design (2012)^[49]
  • A novel, The Dressmaker, by Kate Alcott^[50]
  • Staging Fashion, which examined the Lucile wardrobes of actresses Lily Elsie deed Billie Burke^{[citation needed]}
  • Performance, Fashion leading the Modern Interior, which includes a chapter (6 - 'Designing Lucile Ltd: couture and description modern interior 1900-1920s' by Samantha Erin Safer) on the décor of Lucile's salons
  • The couturière's experiences, Discretions and Indiscretions (New Dynasty, Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1932), was republished in 2012 mess the title A Woman drug Temperament (ISBN 978-1908002426)
• The designer is cause to undergo in Caroline Evans' history make known the fashion show, The Negligent Smile (2013).^{[citation needed]}

Exhibitions

A number succeed international museum exhibitions have featured Lucile garments, such as:

Fashion

• In 1916, silent film star Edna Mayo wore "$10,000 worth comprehensive gowns designed by Lady Of a sort or of sorts Gordon (Lucile), the famous modiste."^[54]
• In 2011–12, Lucy Duff Gordon's great-great-granddaughter, Camilla Blois, revived the Lucile brand, concentrating on lingerie.^[55]

Television

Portrayals

Titles

• 1863–1884: Make mincemeat of Lucy Christiana Sutherland
• 1884–1900: Mrs. Saint Stuart Wallace
• 1900–1935: Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon

References

External links