The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-09
she ATTRACTS ATTENTION.
A Kcung Woman Who Designs Costumes In
Water Co1Ors While You Wait.


A xcung Woman Who Designs Costumes In
Water Co1ors While You Wait.
In the dressmaking department. of
one of the largest and oldest firms on
Broadway may be seen any day great
wooden horse, who is on duty only when
a riding habit is to be fitted, keeping
guard over girl as she works. The big
white head is just above the golden one
as she bends over her table.
With color box in hand she puts the
finishing touches to the picture of an
elaborate evening toilet, for that is her
business, the designing of costumes, and
it is because she is probably the only
woman in this country who does that
sort of thing in public and who designs
a dress while you wait that she causes
so much interest. She is English, you
know at once by her accent. She is
young and pretty, with a small oval
face, big blue eyes, with dark lashes
and strongly marked brOws, masses of
fluffy light hair, a sweet smile and a
charming manner. Altogether she seems
in perfect harmony with her dainty
work. Her home is in London Her
father is a member of a well known
printing firm Of Drury lane.
The idea of having ones costumes de-
signed by an artist is comparatively new
in this country, though it is very com
mon in England and France, where all
the large establishments keep designers.
Like every new thing, it takes some
time to get it generally adopted, and
many of the old customers still prefer
to take the gowns selected by the dress
makers or filters. But the new ones all
have the designer, and after trying her
once they never desert her.
SHTho American women are often
harder to please than French or Eng
lish,' says this little artist, land this
is the reason: A woman will see some
thing on some one, and she wants the
same thing, regardless of whether it is
becoming to her or not. A big, bony
woman wants gown like one she saw
on a small, trim woman. She does not
consider her own style. She is not con-
tent to be picture in herself, when per-
fectly dressed, but she wants to copy
some one else.
''They have got to be educated up to
this new way of doing things. The fit
tiers are all right in their way, and
could not do what they can. I don't
suppose could cut gown if my life de-
pended on it. They give all their atten-
ton to making a thing fit, to making a
perfect gown regardless of how it suits
the woman who is to wear it. They
would even put light blue dress on
woman with a yellow skin, and they are
always spelling the very lines in the
figure that should never be cut. The
dresses should be designed by an artist
and made by good filter. The woman
herself usually suggests the gown to me
by the way she walks across the room,
by the color of her hair or by the COM
plexion- can see in what style of gown
she would look best.
''The work is delightful when a wom-
an comes to me who can appreciate my
ideas and grasp an artistic conception,
but it is not SO pleasant when one with
a slouchy figure wants a tight fitting
waist instead of drapery to conceal her
bad lines.
- most charming actress came to
me not long ago. She had had an I'M
pleasant time with the filters They
found her exacting and hard to please,
and she complained that they would
spoil her lines and could not catch an
idea. I designed her costume of yellow
silk and gold embroidery, she looking
on while painted. She was so delight
ed that she made me spend some two
hours with her selecting the fan, shoes,
etc, to be worn with the gown. often
have this to dO-chooSing the paraso1,
hat, gloves, shoes and stockings-that
the whole costume. may be in perfect
harmony. Actresses are the most salts
factory to work for, as their costumes
give one greater scope, greater opportu-
nity.''
The sketches are all done in water
colors, using body color, as it is quicker
and more satisfactory on the gray board
with smooth surface. York Sun.