The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-06
IRISa DRGSSnEKERs LEAD.
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IN Sew fork ~ = ne lflsh womae wts
lsin enc lead Frsnch dFeaauNkeFa ~ pFomi
senee SEE eompegauvclv few N tAt ety.
tFah woHsn On th~ othef hand haye oNnrf
snd ne own pftvsss establishments fhet
had NE e,Taesm of,tef departments ~ ths
leadina Dry assda houaas ard they are
sant arfura ~ buy Purposes drNNs mysteia
for the Nee Yofh nafhet, N 10 ths Kellya,
the Ryana. the tteillye. tho C%ohneIya. tho
Faeana and tho fpN0vaae Vim turn o,at
the facat artistic eowne eois on thts etde ~
the oceaa
A Nov Yorh Wom6n noted ioV her oBssly
aDwhs vas ~advaaclne this opinion 10 SIMS
friends aooh after hearing oi thu death u
Mins. Donovan. ahe had called AZ che Madi-
apn avenue establishment ~ Mine, Dopos
van to Try on GOWNS aad va met ~ the
door with the newa Of tho death 81 the head
81 tho house.
Il feel ~ n I had lose O valued friend, .
abe afterwRrd said, 'Slnos making my
dNbu, In socis;y I have been eoins 10 her
for my gowns. bought far mors from her
than | did In Europe, for thu reason that her
lmpo rtntiona were quite a. beautiful a. any.
thing ! could select for myself In Paris.
and her adaptations Of imported models
10 New York standards gsusI ally resulted
10 sor1ething even more artistic than the
originals.
sshe had refined taste and wonderful
creative ability joined 10 an unerring per-
oeption Of the style mos, suited 10 indi-
vidual customers. Nevertheless her APP
pearance was far from suggesting that she
was the first New York private dresmaker
to win renown and that at the time Of her
ucdJu sne uhu - ChtubCiC III hltihoDu
not only the wealthiest but also the best
known women In New York.
Mime. Donovan was small, with
markedly Irish features and q slight brogue
in spite Of her fifty or more years Of resi-
dence in New York. She was retiring in
manner and dressed plainly. She came
to this country az a lady's maid.
soon after she began going out sewing
in families by the day and later got a job
in the dressmaking department OF A. T.
Stewards big store, where her talent be-
came 80 noticeable that when she decided
to start in business for herself her follow
ing included some Of the most influential
women in New York.
Before long she occupied first place
among New York's private dressmakers,
and even of late years, when competing
with larger, more SNOWY concerns her
styles and workmanship still attracted the
most fashionable.
Ever since l a remember her leading
saleswomen and filters have been Irish
women, many of whom have grown gray
in the service; and the business will be
carried on by an Irish woman whose three
head assistants are Irish.
"Mme. Donovan's establishment is not
an exceptional one by any means I could
name many others, including leading de-
partment stores, which make a feature OF
women's made to order gowns in which
the head filters, the European buyers Of
women's costumes Ind the women who
take orders are Irish or Irish American"
ut is difficult to gauge the effect which
immigration has had and is having on the
American woman's costumes" commented
the manager OF a custom order department
in a Broadway store. Il heard an ap-
parently intelligent woman remark not
long ago that could abe prevent 1t not
an Italian immigrant should be permitted
to land in New York, ignorant of course
OF the fact that nearly all b fine en-
b~roiGery and fancy stitches now SO lavishly
displayed on women's costumes Is done
by Italian women.
"Yes, in this workroom and In most other
high class New York workrooms the finest
handwork is done by Italians. The ma
jority of the Italian women who come to
this port to earn their living-I am leaving
out the married ones-are fine needle work.
ers.
Il nave not found that they are good
designers, or filters, or ~salesWomen of
RONIif, DuJ tAitl 10 Lo IuCSltoh put thCy Sohi
turn out all sorts of fancy lace and en-
broidery stitches with wonderful q~uickness.
The French, too, are quick with their needles,
but French women do not immigrate in
large numbers, and those who do come
over prefer to work In private establish
nents.
If a French woman understands fitting
or IL clever at any branch Of dressmakng
the first thing she aims at IL to start q place
OF her own, no matter how humble 1t is.
There are French dressmakers a.plenty in
New York living in a few rooms and making
dresses for a few dollars who could COM
mand a good salary In a house like this,
say; but they prefer a tiny shop or a few
rooms and a helper or two over whom they
can be absolute boss.
THAT is the principal reason, ! think
why French filters, saleswomen and buyers
are not often encountered in the larger
dressmaking concerns and the department
stores. Again, French women Of sufficient
talent to build up a large business choose
as a rule to stay in Europe, where talent
for the creation Of women's garments lie
just as much appreciated and as well re-
munerated as it Is over here. 1t Is a we'll
l,,o-, "a nj that thara ara pof anorob E.anoh