The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-08
DRESS GOODS DESIGNERS
WHERE THE MANUFACTURERS GET
THEIR IDEAS ON PATTERNS.
The Special Business Now I'm the
Hands OF a Number of Firms in
Paris-Rise of the Industry.
New York Evening Sun.

S1 "AACNbGA Ia pIllC1A VI jill
position. 1t may be pretty or becoming,
but it is not the fashion," Woman takes
no comfort in it. Yet, exacting as she is
as to style, there is probably not one wom-
an In a thousand, not even a dressmaker,
who can tell who makes the fashion. In
answer to such d question the general re-
ply would undoubtedly be Paris" but if
questioned as to who made the style in
patterns for Paris there would be no reply.
The Partisan designers are, indeed, al
most unknown except to those who do
business with them. They are the men,
however, who year after year originate
the designs which become the styles for
Women's dresses and costumes.
Time was when every mill had it's own
corps of designers. This was, however, not
only a costly way of doing business, but
also very unsatisfactory. AS might be ex-
pected there was no end to the variety of
styles got each year, and when the goods
were placed upon the market some particu-
lar style quickly caught the eye of the
queens of fashion, with the result tha only
goods of that style were bought, while the
great majority of the others were sold at
a sacrifice. How to offset this difficulty
was a problem which for many years the
manufacturers tried in vain to solve. When
1t was finally solved it was not by them,
but by the establishment in Paris Of a de-
signer's firm. Having a good artist for it's
senior member-a man who was not only
skillful with the pencil, but also something
OF an originator, and above all an accurate
observer of the public taste--this firm final
ly was successful in selling some of it's
designs to French mills. Other artists at
tracted by the success of the firm, and fore
seeing a future for the business, also be-
gan to set up designing shops, and in that
way the profession gradually grew.
There are to-day about one hundred de-
signing firms in Paris. They originate the
ideas for the fashions, not only in their
own country, but throughout the world.
They sell their designs to the manufacture
erS and commission merchants OF the
United States, England, Germany, Austria
and Italy, as we'll as to the mills of France.
They design the styles for every known
fabric as we'll, the patterns not only for
silks and woolens, but also for organizes,
lawns and Velvets.
These one hundred designing firms are ap-
parently bitter rivals, but ii is q curious
fact that in some way or another they all
seem TO agree on the styles for each sue
ceSSlVe season. In a tour through all the
studios, as they are called in business cir
cles, one finds pretty much the same things.
The studios are situated in the heart OF
the wholesale district of Paris. They are
invariably located on the top floor Of the
building, and usually occupy the entire
floor. Only the designers name hangsout-
side the entrance.
THE DESIGNERS SIGN.
The sign does not mention his business,
and it's nature is therefore known only to
the initiated. After climbing up the five
or six flights of stairs which lead to the
studio the visitor finds himself in front Of
a door to which is fastened a brass plate
bearing the name of the designer and
usually some grotesque ivory image of a
mans head. The mouth is wide open, and
from it p%rotrudes a red tongue. After look
ing in vain for a bell the visitor Begins to
tumble about the heau. and finally when
he happens to touch the tongue he discov-
ers that that is the button he must press
to ring the electric bell.
A blue blouse" answers the bell. He
ushers the visitor into a little reception
room, and taking his card delivers it to
the head, of the firm. If the individual
does not know the name of the firm which
he represents the visitor is politely told to
withdraw, for the designers show their
products only to those whom they know.
ceDtiOn room.
But on the other hand, when the visitor
IS the representative of a firm or mill
cred into one of the rooms where the de-
signs are displayed. There are from five to
elSht or these rooms, according to the size
~ J "S - A3hN WIN
a righteousness which distinguishes but
comparatively few drawing rooms. Some
OF them are furnished in Japanese, some in
Turkish style; others in Louis XIV, Louis
XIV or Louis XVI style; others in the style
of the empire, and others in styles original
to theSelVeS. Heavy carpets cover the floor,
the tables are handsome and heavy and the
chairs and divans elegantly upholstered.
Pictures by old masters hang on the wall,
interSperSed here and there with some at
tractive sketches and designs. One room is
finished in green, another in red, a third
in. blue and so one.
After a few minutes the designer comes
in, bringing with him three or four de-
signs. These are painted on paper, usually
in water colors, the paper being attached
to q piece Of board. The design runs any
where from six to eighteen inches square,
according to the pattern. The idea, of
to give the buyer q good idea of the pat
tern. After the designs have been eXam-
ined others are brought in. a few at q
time, until the designer obtains an idea of
what the buyers specific taste is. In show
ing the designs the proprietor of the studio
always takes pains to exhibit them in that
room the predominant color of which will
set off the colors Of the designs to the best
advantage. Having obtained q general idea
toward what peculiar styles Of the season
the buyers fancy directs him, the designs
of that description are brought forth in
large numbers mere are from eight thou
sand to ten thousand designs in each studio
and Of these the buyer will probably have
set before him anywhere from one thou
sand to two thousand. Not all of them are
lone IN colorS. Some or them are merely
pencil sketches. and some are not even
completed. They always suggest to the
customer. however. their general style.
WILL MAKE CHANGES.
The designer also allows the buyer free
scope in his ideas. If he sees one design
parts of which he likes, but for the other
parts of which he thinks a substitution
might, with advantage, be made, he has
only to make known his ideas and the firm
will have the artists finish a design on
those lines. The designer aims only to
originate the general plan. The small de-
tails he leaves to his customers, and that
is where the taste of the buyer is called
into play.
The buyer who selects the designs the de-
tails of which subsequently prove the most
popular is the most successful man. How
much is asked for these designs? That de-
ponds, of course. upon the amount of labor
necessary to get them up. Some designs
sell as low as 81 apiece, while for others
the designer gets as much as $40. The de-
signerS have anywhere from twenty-five to
$50 artists and apprentices in their en-
ploy. These artists are skillful draughts-
men and painters, and they are the per-
sons who do the actual work of making
the designs. The proprietOrs evolve the
ideas and give them to their subordinates
to carry out.
= The question of where the designers get
their ideas for each seasons fashion is hard
to answer. In a general way, though, hey
get them from history; Styles apparently
run in rotation. The plaid of one year is
followed by the stripe of the next. The
third year finds the check prevailing,
which in it's turn gives place to the fibral
Of the fourth year. And so on it goes until
the line of designs is exhausted and the
plaid again comes to the front. Then the
same rotation recurs, so a careful study
Of the fashions of the past has taught.