the Fashion Spot - 1895-1937 Callot Soeurs

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1895-1937 Callot Soeurs

I had never heard of them before, but seeing just one example of their work took my breath away.

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Callot Soeurs was a fashion design house opened in 1895 at 24, rue Taitbout in Paris, France. It was operated by the four Callot sisters: Marie Callot Gerber, Marthe Callot Bertrand, Regina Callot Tennyson-Chantrell and Joséphine Callot Crimont. The eldest sister, Marie, was trained in dressmaking and they were all taught by their mother, a lacemaker. The sisters began working with antique laces and ribbons to enhance blouses and lingerie. Their success led to an expansion into other clothing and in 1914 they moved to larger premises on the Avenue Matignon. Marie Callot Gerber, the elder sister was in charge of design, having earlier worked for the Raudnitz and Co., prominent Parisian dressmakers.
Callot Soeurs sold a line of clothing known for its exotic detail. They were among the first designers to use gold and silver lamé to make dresses. During the 1920s they were one of the leading fashion houses in Paris, catering to an exclusive clientele from across Europe and the United States.
In 1928 Pierre Gerber, Marie Callot Gerber's son, took over the business but could not survive in the highly competitive market and in 1937 the business closed.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callot_Soeurs"

met.org

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In the Directoire revival, the waistline was raised in the manner of a century earlier, but with corsetting that had the vestiges of the monobosom. Perhaps even more importantly, the silhouette reflects Europe's examination of Eastern dress, the softness, raised waist, and lower bust stance suggesting "ukiyo-e" prints and other Japanese style. Attuned to the Orientalism of the decade, Callot Soeurs reined the silhouette into a cylindrical wrap, effortless in lingerie-weight fabric. Yet, for its innovations, the work of Callot Soeurs does not stint the couture's roster of technical skills. Here, sequins vary: some are punched into a filigree pinwheel, others are hammered flat; in some instances metal is overlaid onto faceted crystal. But even this ornamentation is not entirely for the pleasure of diversity, but for the calculated and magical effects of such varied surfaces seen in evening and candle lights. Speaking of her training with Callot Soeurs, Madeleine Vionnet coyly commended its quality, saying, "Without the example of the Callot Soeurs, I would have continued to make Fords. It is because of them that I have been able to make Rolls Royces." Indeed, without Callot Soeurs' tunics and soft dresses of the 1910s and 1920s, Vionnet's innovations are unimaginable.

Dress, Evening, 1910–1914
Callot Soeurs (French, active 1895–1937), Couture House
French; Made Paris, France
cotton, silk, metal; L. at center back: 55 ½ in. (148.5 cm).
The Jacqueline Loewe Fowler Costume Collection, Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 1981 (1981.380.2)

Callot Soeurs black silk crepe evening dress with bands of Oriental patterned gold lamé, c.1924. Label: "Made in France/Callot Soeurs/Paris/Nouvelle marque Déposé."

Callot Soeurs linen jacket with inserts of handmade filet lace, c.1910. Label: "Callot Soeurs/Marque & Modèle/Déposés, Paris."

vintagetextiles.com

Day dress, ca. 1924
Callot Soeurs (French, active 1895–1937)
Woven cashmere embroidered with gold thread
Gift of Julia B. Henry, 1978 (1978.288.7a,b)

met.org

i wonder if dries van noten looked up to them too? ;) quite a similar approach when it comes to textiles and even that exotic approach.

thanks linen :flower:

Glad you like it Scott! I can definetily find influences from this in modern day designers.

thanks for bringing them in white linen :flower:

their work is exceptional, i've seen some of their 'doll mannequin' prototype designs some years ago in a fashion exhibit in paris

scott, very sharp eye as usual, Dries seem quite influenced, but its more than the Callot sisters, its the early 1900s esthetics era as a whole which has influenced and shaped his own brilliant fashion vision

^ah i see. i'll be honest,i don't really know much about the fashion from that particular period. i think it gets overshadowed by the Edwardian style, and the more trendy styles of 20's that precedes. funny,that,since it was a new century in tow,obviously progressive.

:heart: Another one of my favorite houses, the Callot sisters. Madeleine Vionnet, who trained at Callot Soeurs, stated, "Without the example of the Callot sisters, I would have continued to make Fords. It is because of them that I have been able to make Rolls-Royces."

My first contribution to WhiteLinen's wonderful thread :flower:

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Callot Soeurs Honey Chiffon Scarf Dress
French, early 1920s
The caftan style dress composed of several irregularly shaped scarf panels sewn separately to gold lace band armature, central gold lace panels front and back, the dress calf length at front, extending to square train at back, separate slip with deep gold lace hem, labeled: Callot Soeurs/Paris/Nouvelle Marque Deposee/Made In France, no. 69120.
Very good condition, small hole in slip back, several pinholes at skirt hem, replacement slip straps.
Estimate $800-1,200

doylenewyork

Thank you for the nice compliments and wonderful contributions :heart:

Ooo gosh thankyou , some of these pieces are beautiful.

That is really unfortunate for the business to fail like that.
The clothes however are excellent. I love the black and gold dress as well as the pale orange draped dress.