Tina Leser
Tina was more than just a swimwear designer but its is perhaps what she is best known for. Here, we take a look at her entire fashion career.
Christina Wetherill Shillard-Smith was born in Philadelphia in 1910 and adopted by an affluent family. She studied art in Philadelphia and Paris before marrying Curtin Leser at the age of 21 and moving to Hawaii.
In 1935, she had divorced her husband and opened a shop for her clothing designs which consisted of sportswear, daywear and gowns. She hand blocked designs onto sailcloth. She also handprinted fabric to order for customers’ special requests. In 1940, she went to New York to sell her designs and Carmel Snow of Harper’s Bazaar helped her get a 500 piece order with Saks. She opened up a business in New York the following year. After the bombing of Pearl Harbour, she closed her Hawaii shop. In 1943, she became a designer at Edwin H. Foreman where she became famous.
She looked for inspiration in such varied places as the United States countryside, Mexico, Hawaii and Guatemala. She added sequins to Mexican flannel jackets and used Guatemalan handwoven cloth and blanket fabric to make playsuits and dresses. She was inspired by Hawaiian sarongs and wrap skirts to make new one strap bathing suits in Hawaiian fabrics. She reimagined the coveralls adopted by American women factory workers during the war into attractive flannel and plaid versions.
Having spent time in India as a child, she was inspired by the country’s move towards independence in the later 40s and began incorporating Indian fabrics and shapes into her designs.
She remarried in 1948, to James Howley. They travelled around the world for their honeymoon (nice for some!). It led to her designing a multicultural collection in 1949. Kimonos from Japan, silk pyjamas from China, a priest’s coat from Thailand, Indian embroidery, Italian peasant clothing, antique French fashion plates and English porcelain all influenced her designs.
She continued to reference ethnic clothing in the following years, including incorporating multiple elements in one garment such as using an American gingham tablecloth fabric to make an Asian influenced shape, such as a kimono. She also liked to mix casual and formal, such as using a gingham fabric for an evening gown or elaborately embroidering a bathing suit.
She also used fabrics from the best fabric companies including Fuller’s who had a line designed by prominent artists such as Picasso and Miró.
She left Foreman in 1953 to form her own company ‘Tina Leser Originals’, where her casual yet sophisticated designs were popular with hostesses. Many of Leser’s ads during the 1950s show a relaxed hostess curled up in a pair of her slacks and a comfortable tunic. She also was a prominent designer of the toreador/capri pants in the 50s and is credited with the concept of the sweater dress after bringing out a knee length cashmere sweater in 1957.
She designed for GaBar swimsuits for many years and revolutionized swimwear by incorporating bathing suits into a complete ensemble with cover-ups, skirts, wraps and shorts.
We currently have a vintage 1960s Tina Leser Original for GaBar swimsuit in the shop! It features primary colour geometric shape details, which reminded us of YSL's Piet Mondrian designs!
She closed her business in 1964 but opened it again 2 years later with another collection inspired by India. She closed for good in 1982 and passed away in 1986.
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De Weese Designs
Kanas-born Mary Ann Deweese began her fashion career with Los Angeles Knitting Mills in 1934. She soon left to design for another California clothing company Sandeze, where she stayed for three years. She then joined the well known brand Catalina as head designer, where she spent 12 years. See our previous blogpost on Catalina HERE.
She also designed swimsuits for leading Hollywood stars of the day in conjunction with studio costume designers.
She was famously responsible for the swimsuits worn in the Miss America Pageant for many years.
She innovated by using textures in her designs in unique ways such as jacquard knits and appliqué stretch cottons. She also made good use of rhinestones!
She designed matching ‘his and hers’ swimwear for couples known as ‘sweetheart’ swimwear in the 1940s.
She launched her own company in 1951, ‘Deweese Designs’, which specialized in swimwear, sundresses and loungewear and in 1961, she designed the official U.S. team swimsuits for the World Water Team Championships.
Deweese Designs ceased operation in 1984.
Mary Ann died in 1993.
We just sold a lovely 1960s DeWeese swimsuit in the shop (below). It is similar in style to the 'Ramblin' Rose' one in the ad below it.
Cole of California
F.L. and Joseph Drane established West Coast Knitting Mills in Vernon, California in 1917, making mens underwear and socks. Morris Cohn, of the Morris Cohn men’s workwear company, bought into the company in 1923. Cohn’s son Fred briefly worked as a silent film actor in 1924 and 1925 before being convinced to join the family business. Fred had changed his name from Cohn to Cole to be more marketable in the movie business. He convinced his father to start a line of women’s swimwear and to market the company in relation to glamour, Sunny California and Hollywood.
In 1925, they introduced the Hollywood Swimsuit with a low back and neckline and short skirt, considered risqué at the time. It was a commercial success.
In 1936, Cole hired Hollywood costume designer Margit Felligi as head of design, who created and patented new stretchy fabrics. Cotton was now being employed as the primary material in a move away from wool. Felligi also developed foam rubber bras for her swimsuit tops.
During WWII, Felligi introduced the ‘Swoon Suit’ in a response to government restrictions on rubber consumption. It fit to the body with adjustable side laces and ties. Cole’s also manufactured parachutes during the war and their swimsuits came in ‘parachute colours’.
Morris Cohn died in 1941 and Fred took full control of the company, at which point the name was changed to Cole of California.
Swimmer and actress Esther Williams became the spokesperson for the company between 1948 and 1952.
Cole popularized white suits, which was seen as risky because of the potential for transparency when wet.
They introduced new styles including over-skirts and tank suits.
Christian Dior partnered with them for a short time in Dior’s only venture into swimwear in the 1950s.
In 1957 Cole commissioned Los Angeles architect Harry Gesner to design a house on a hilltop site above Los Angeles that could serve as a background for model shoots featuring Cole of California swimwear, bringing publicity to the house, Gesner and Cole's swimwear line.
Fred’s daughter Anne joined the company in sales and marketing in the 1950s.
Fred sold the company in 1960 to Kayser-Roth with Felligi and Anne staying on. The Scandal Suit was introduced in 1964 which featured a plunging deep V neckline filled in with nylon mesh. It was the first swimsuit to break $1 million in sales. Many of Cole’s designs from this era are in the collection of the Met. Fred died in this same year.
Felligi retired in 1972 and died in 1975.
Anne branched off to start her own company in 1982. She became famous for developing the tankini in the late 90s.
The company was again sold in 1993 to Authentic Fitness, which merged Cole with Catalina. Both are now owned by InMocean Group along with Anne Cole’s company.
We currently have a classic black low-back Cole swimsuit in the shop!
Alix of Miami
Miami was a hot spot for modern clothing manufacturing in the mid twentieth century. Alix of Miami was one of many businesses that sprang up after the war, founded by Alix Schneidman and Luther V. Powell.
They made cocktail dresses and swimsuits with a tropical edge that featured gorgeous prints.
They were in operation in the 50s and 60s and not much is known about them otherwise. The factory building in Miami was a beautiful modern design.
We recently sold a 1960s Alix of Miami swimsuit in the shop which had a gorgeous yellow floral pattern!
