1904-1970 Jean Desses

[DosViolines]

wikipedia

Jean Desses (August 6, 1904 – August 2, 1970), was a world leading fashion designer in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. His designs reflected the influences of his travels, specializing in creating draped evening gowns in chiffon and mousseline, based on early Greek and Egyptian robes.

Born Jean Dimitre Verginie in Alexandria, Egypt, to Greek parents [1][2], he originally set out to study law, but, in 1925, he abandoned his legal studies and began working for Maison Jane, a Parisian couture house where, in 1937, he opened his own couture salon. After World War II, he traveled extensively throughout the world. His work was influenced by his travels, creating draped evening gowns in chiffon, embroidered dresses, sheath dresses with tight jackets and flowing skirts. His fashion was very popular with European royalty and movie stars. Among his clientele were the royal family ladies of Greece, the Duchess of Windsor and society hostess Elsa Maxwell. Valentino worked with Desses for several years in the 1950s and gained much hands-on experience.

In 1963, at age 60, he retired to Greece because of poor health, where he ran a small boutique which he had opened eight years earlier. He passed away in Athens in 1970. In the 1990s, his fashion designs saw a revival with the interest in vintage dresses. Naomi Campbell wore a vintage boned bodice and ruched silk Desses gown in May of 1999 at a Christie's party. Later, in 2001, Renée Zellweger wore a lemon yellow strapless 1950s Desses gown to the Academy Awards.

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Desses Lighter Shades of Pink Gown
French, 1950s
Of draped silk chiffon, strapless hand stay stitched bodice, full skirt with harem hem, four shades radiating from whisper pink to rose pink from left waist to top right bodice and down to right hip, the rays reflected in skirt so left side is same pink as left bodice, skirt hand stay stitched in arc from left hip to right waist, semicircle of whisper pink chiffon twisted, draped across bodice front, stitched to fall over left shoulder as train, size 2/4, labeled: Jean Desses.
Sold for $5,975

doylenewyork

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Dessès Vibrant Pink Draped Gown
French, early 1950s
Silk chiffon, the strapless sheath diagonally ruched and draped releasing into floating panel at right waist with self bow, boned bodice, weighted hem, taffeta lining, size 4, labeled: Jean Desses/Rd.Pt. Champs Elysees/Paris/5455.
Sold to a California bidder for $5,700

doylenewyork

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Desses Numbered Couture Silk Dress, 1950's

Rare find for top couture lovers! This spectacular array of detailed workmanship and dramaticly unique styling, is a fine representation of the work carried out by Jean Desses. His magnificent creations have been worn by celebrities such as Naomi Campbell in May 1999, to attend the party at Christie's, and by Rene Zellweger to the Oscar's in 2001. But these trivial instances, only carry small relevance as to why Desses' garments, are some of the most sought after in the world.

Our dress is a masterpiece of uniqueness- fashioned from charcoal grey raw silk, and dating to the late 1940's or very early 1950's, it bares the most unique detailing, probably ever seen, in a garment from its era. The strap arrangement is the height of this garment's detailing- featuring shoulder straps which bare further straps that wrap around the arm, beneath the arm, and around the bossom. It is very reminiscent of Gaultier's work- and possibly Gaultier drew his inspriation from the early works of Desses!

As this dress makes very apparent, it looks drastically ahead of its era, with an almost timeless style, on a guess one could say it was the 70's work of Chloe, 80's work of Gaultier, or 90's work of Galliano- its true era would probably be one's last guess, but this only adds to its fine designer workmanship!

The gathers and folds to the silk are perfectly positioned, and all intensely constructed to remain in the manner of which when they were first designed- and never loose their shape, nor form. The dress doesn't have the need for surface decoration, as its fine signature Desses fabric construction, creates all the necessary dimension and detailing needed. It has been minimally accented to the center of the bust with a black button. It fastens to the back with a zipper, and is labeled to the black petersham waistband. Fully boned, and having a seperate lining that fastens with a zipper, and weights added to the hemline.

heavenofgowns

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Desses Black/White Point D'Esprit Negligee
French, 1950s
With wide cape collar and revers trimmed with black velvet ribbon and lace, the full skirt with hip pockets and velvet sash at the waist, size 4, labeled: Jean Desses Original by Raymond Negligees Inc/Paris/New York.
Very good condition, some discoloration on collar.

doylenewyork

 

[Miss Dalloway]

WOW

Thanks so much for opening this thread,Dos Violines

 

[liberty33r1b]

i will always remember the yellow Desses dress on renee zellweger at the oscars, it it such a classic!!

 

[Miss Dalloway]

^^Yes me too,and i have to say i LOVED the green one Jennifer Lopez wore last year(?)to the Oscars.It was so statuesque.

 

[Whitelinen]

I am ashamed now --- i have never heard of this designer. Thank you creating this thread, I adore the work. Once again, hurray DosViolines!

 

[SomethingElse]

DosViolines - thanks again for starting this thread!



Fully lined in midnight taffeta. Label reads, "Pret A Porter Jean Desses Paris. Made in France. Execute Par Marie Carine Sur Autorisation Speciale."



Black silk chiffon. More images and details of the dress above at http://www.antiquedress.com/item2826.htm



Purple wool tweed. More images and details of the suite above at http://www.losthorizonvintage.com/suits/70s_jean_desses_suit/index.html

vintageous.com . antiquedress.com . losthorizonvintage.com

 

[eugenius]

As much as I love this dress, I think it looks pretty "flat" on Renee (like most garments she wears..)

style.com

 

[liberty33r1b]

^yes maybe, but that's not really the dress' fault, it's probably her....

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Desses Avocado Silk Chiffon Gown
French, early 1960s
The sleeveless sheath with scoop neck, the fabric drawn and gathered to drape at left side of simulated empire bodice, accented with a bow and floor length trailing band embroidered with coral bead clusters, avocado and gold faceted rhinestones on an abstract ground of silver and gold seed beads marking the edge of faux surplice closure at left front drape, size 4, labeled: Jean Desses/12 Rd.Pt.Champs Elysees/Paris.
Very good condition, tiny hole at front hip.

doylenewyork

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Desses Tricolor Citrus Chiffon Draped Gown
French, 1960s
Sweetheart bodice of peach applied with V-shape celery halter straps suspending peach and celery drape panels at center front, oblique celery drape waistband bifurcating at back to attach to halter and to trim low back skirt, gathered lemon skirt with lemon satin lining, labeled: Jean Desses/17 Avenue Matignon/Paris.

doylenewyork

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Desses Shades of Blue Chiffon Gown
French, Silhouette Collection, Spring/Summer 1951
Boned and draped bodice, straps and gathered skirt of aqua, apron inspired draped weighted swag looping to front hem emanating from center back of navy and cornflower blue panels, rear train of navy, cornflower blue, jade and aqua panels, no label.

The text that accompanied the Silhouette Collection stated "the apron is a favorite theme that keeps coming back day after day...the tucked-up apron of a launderer, the shell form apron...to give the impression of 'wind in the back' - so lively and so young".

doylenewyork

 

[DosViolines]

Jean Desses Strapless Evening Dress
French, circa 1960
Chartreuse silk chiffon, with finely draped sweetheart neckline, narrow long skirt with curved overskirt panel, and, starting at the side of the bodice, long looped drapery of chartreuse and cobalt blue chiffon, labeled: Jean Desses 12 Rd.Pt. Champs-Elysees Paris 6247.

For photographs of a dress like this, see La Femme Chic, Collections Officielles de la Haute Couture de Paris, Hiver 1960-1961, p.103 and L'Art et la Mode, Septembre 1960.

doylenewyork

 

[meowmix]

ooooh beautiful...i love the draping on these strapless dresses. *sigh*

 

[SomethingElse]

Chiné rose print taffeta cocktail dress, circa 1959, detached label, with corsetted inner bodice, with inner and outer taffeta skirts and layers of tulle petticoats, the overskirt draped and caught in place with a massive bow to one side, matching belt.

kerrytaylorauctions.com

 

[SomethingElse]

Beaded and sequined cocktail dress, early 1960s, the taffeta inner-corset labelled and numbered 9649, with deep neckline, tulip shaped skirt with one panel fastening to the left hip which conceals the zip fastening, the cream organza ground covered in loops of crystal seed beads and rows of opalescent sequins.

kerrytaylorauctions.com

 

[DosViolines]

Avedon Sunny Harnett Jean Desses 1954
Vintage Fashion Photography