The Washington times., 1902-09-07
Foreign Designers at a Stand
still IN the Production of
New Ideas-Scheme Of a
Gotham Woman, Who Has
Formed an Association,
Capitalized at Twenty-Five
Thousand Dollars, With
the Purpose Of Making
This Country the Fashion
Center Of the World.
By Miss MANHATTAN.

= ATEST notes from the Partisan
center OF fashion herald no
IL changes for the coming season
that might be considered rad
ical In fact skirts, sleeves and blouses
are to continue on the same lines. and
even trimmings display scarcely any
novelty in either design or method Of
application.
The most casual observer is forced to
conclude that designers have come to a
standstill, and this Quiescent state is
bound to result in something unusual
over the water, as well as in our own
country; at least. in the dressmaking
field.
American the Arbiter of Fashion.
Al matter OF fact affairs have reached
q most promising stage for the launch
izg Of plan boldly conceived and now
being carried out by an energetic young
New York woman. Her idea is to make
America the fashion center of the
world, and in order to accomplish this
end she has formed what is called the
Dressmakers' Protective Association.
having q capital stock of $25,000.
The president, Miss Elizabeth White.
has gone abroad twice a year for sew
eral years. and each time has studied
and selected carefully the Partisan |
dress models that she has chosen to
bring back and offer as the most satis- |
factory exponents of artistic ideas. For
the last two or three seasons, however.
there has been decided falling OF in
both the beauty and originality Of the
Partisan gowns. and She. as we'll as
many other American dressmakers, has
been struck with the notion that Pa
risian designers have ceased TO origi
nate, and have come to a standstill in
their art. II this is the case, it is only
following out the laws of the universe
that when one nation ceases to reign
WELL the scepter of power. This ma
tion, according to Miss White, is Ameri
ca. and before four years have passed
We shall see New York established as
the fashion center of the world. AID in,
stead Of the semi-annual trip across
sent over for all the European dress
makers to copy.
Partisan Models Inferior.
1t must be admitted that many of the
expensive Partisan models seen in New
York possess few charms in either de-
sign or appearance, and yet, SO clever
and inventive is the American modiste
that from one model having scarcely I
to recommend it, she will make I
half a. dozen beautiful frocks, each diff {
ferent from another, and yet all of
them owing their loveliness to this one I
creation. This is where the {
American power displays itself and Miss L
White thinks that If American clever Ii
ness can make something worth having I
from so ordinary a model. why can't we t
rely upon ourselves to create instead OF )
depending ever so little upon the k
foreign artists who are now, evidently. IL
relying upon their past successes to b
carry them through the future This idea s
that the Americans will accept and wear /
anything from Paris. has some truth IN 4
il of course. for American women have S
/ wholesome reverence for fashions that \
bear the stamp OF great Partisan names,
vet even now many of the smart set a
lfe beginningNto realize that right in n
heir own town they are able to secure a
he 6aintiest. loveliest and most artistic q
.reations ever offered. Still. the creator e
. too modest, too lacking in sels-con- a
ldence to think OF placing herself in the Il
'ame rank as the Partisan designers. lg