Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27

Paris Shops to Deliver After
Return Home of Foreign
Buyers.
BY JOSEPH 3. PHILLIPS.
By Radio 70 The Star.

PARIS. January 26.--Dressmaking,
the big business of Paris, has gone TO
war with the fashion pirates. Nine
leading couturiers. whose names stand
for the last word in individuality
and chic IN the feminine world, have
decided upon drastic measures to stamp
out the abuse which yearly costs them
millions of potential sales and threatens
the greatest attribute of their business
the eXclusiveness of design.
The method they have chosen is
simple. Each house, now has Spring
models ready for showing Thousands
of buyers from New York. Chicago.
London, Berlin. Vienna and Rio and
every other city in the world is here
to see them. They may buy. But their
purchases won't be delivered until they
have gone home. Then delivery will be
made by the couturier. In other words
the purchased models will be kept in
bond until they are safely out of Paris
and out of reach of the fashion thief.
Years Coming to Open War.
The battle is one for which Pari,
alone could serve as the field II hiss
been years coming TO an open cC.I-
fight each other with the cold feroLIty
fight each other with the cold feroc,ety
Of oil magnateS or market spectators
Of the more pr0Saic outer world.
Jealousy always has kept them Coming
against the common enemy. That nine
houses now have united foreces is con-
Sidered little short. of a miracle. Half
the dreSsmaking world predicts they will
never stay in the agreement long
enough for success. The best evidence,
&c I1n 70 hot Of
the leading houses, of at least equal
rank with the nine, have remained
skeptical and outside the combine.
Whether success or failure waits at
the end of the experiment the next
few weeks of Spring openings will be
among the most exciting in the history
Of the Rue de la Paix and those other
gilded streets given over to the de luxe
trade which is the hearts blood of
Paris.
VIII BE Felt In Many Ways.
While the restriction upon delivery is
the only announced plan of attack
against the style thief, as a matter of
fact the new belligerency will be felt in
numerous ways. For the style thief is
resourceful. And the prize at stake is
most precious III the fashion world
originality of designs enlanating from
these talented designers who are the
individual genius Of each maison de
couture. The delivery restriction is i'm
posed for obvious reasons. In the past
most houses delivered the new dresses
as soon as they were sold. That meant
delivery in Paris. And that also meant
that many INSCRIPTIONS buyers held
what amounted to second showings in
their own hotels, where designers or
copyists of rival and cheaper houses
could have access To the models days.
often weeks, before they are put on the
market. Even those houses which re-
fused delivery in Paris and tried deliv-
cry to a transatlantic steamer the last
minute before sailing found the safe
guards not sufficient The delayed and
supervised delivery however, it is rec
ognized won't wipe out the style thief.
Possibly nothing will, SO long as that
queer gift known as the Photographic
mind" is bestowed upon man. That
Photographic mind is one of the great
est aids to the style thief or unscrupu-
1ous buyer It is blow struck from
within the canp-at the fashion OPEN
ing. These openings are among the
must luxurious functions of our time.
The buyer is admitted to the openings
only by invitation And to the outsider
. IL rs easier 10 get an INVITATION 10 d
presidential reception than TO leading
couturier's opening.
Guests TO Be Supervised.
But most buyers have assistants. And
that assistant may be an artist with
retentiye memory The guest who at
tempted to sketch during the showing
Of the models would be promptly asked
out. Nothing, however, can censor the
mind Of the artist who is seen to
leave empty-handed. Strict supervision
of the guests list is to be tried, but it
is admittedly weak rampant. In addi-
ton there is the question of accredited
fashion artists for newspapers and
magazines They have made reputa-
ton for the couturiers. The reputable
cues suffer by lack of scruples of the
fashion thief To do away with the
annual showing for their benefit would
be impossible Already plan to delay
it until after the showing for the
buyers has raised protest. 1t would be
much like inviting the dramatic critics
10 play only at the end of the first
week.
tCopyright, 1929
-------