The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-09-09
BY HOWARD C. HEYN
AP NeWsfeatures

AP Newsfeatures
HOLLYWOOD-The way Holly
wood costume designers are chez
ing the wars end, you'd think
they had been dressing screen
lands beauties in sackcloth Tor
the past five years.
These experts in the fabulous
world OF fashion say they are tired
of improvising substitutes for all
the rich fabrics they used to get.
Although stars may look all light
on the screen, it seems their frocks
might not always stand too close
scrutiny.
Rene Hubert, chief costume de-
signer at Goth Century-Fox, told
me something about all this.
Before the war rendered virtu-
ally all European and many Amer
lean textiles unavailable, he says
it was fun to produce wa-drobes
for Marlene Dietrich, Betty Cradle,
Gloria Swanson, Linda Darnell
and many others who have worn
his creations. 80. i.
''But it has been very difficult
since $780," says Hubert. when
we did find substitutes, the colors
or patterns of the fabrics usually
were wrong. Sometimes we made
our. own yardage designs by sew
ing small pieces of velvet on sol
id-color material we had on hand.
We even hand-blocked some OF
our own cloth, and frequently we
dyed an old dress new color
1--WE ripped and remade frocks
! previously worn by stars, or usee
these as they were fo- secondary
players. We embroidered designs
on net, and we worked figures il
applique-anything to get enough
new material for a stars princi
pal dress
I asked Hubert what he woule
buy first, if all the materials hi
lacked should be magically re
stored overnight, 5@.79 r..
"Silk,' he answered instantly
Lyon silk Yards and yards Of it. ;
Hubert insists he has no favor
ties among the stars when it come
to designing clothes. --,-
| Each is an individual problem
in every picture he observed
Her clothes depend largely upo
\ the role she is enacting. If sh
/ requires a period costume, W
/ must consider authenticity as we
4 as suitability.
Il "a designer must be sonnet in
/ of diplomat, too. Sometimes h
/ must convince the actress that he
\ part demands the clothes he give
Il her, and then he must make he
\ like them, if possible. But usua
Il ly they like what we design If
H them. Some women may not hav
II a fully developed sense of tast
II in clothes, but most Of them HAY
II a basic feeling of rightness.
II they don't feel right in froc
II their poise-and their acting-su
II fers."
H Hubert thinks most dress m;
/ terials will come back fast an
H that Paris will resume its role 9
L a style center. But Paris, he say
II will work closely with New Yor
II in adapting it's ideas to America
II tastes and to production methoc
H of the American clothing indu
II try, This trend had started befor
II the war.
/ "Strictly French designs are nj
Il suitable to the needs of mo-
Il American women he AYERS.
Il The tall, genial and balding HI
II bert was born in St. Gall, Swift;
h erland. He started designing Co
/ TUNES for the Folies Berger
\ while studying art in Paris.
i 1928 he came to New York to d.
/ sign for the stage, and this lie
Il him to one studio and another
/ Hollywood. ~.
/ From 1885 to 1889 he designe
/ for Alexander Korda films in Lol
\ don and then went to Switzerlan
\ to produce the Fashion Theate
/ Tableaux at the Zurich Exposition
/ The war prevented his return I
/ London, so he came back to Ho
/ lywood. He does all his ow
i sketches and hopes to, -esum
/ painting seriously in a. few year.
/ In Hubert's workrooms at Fo
/ a score of women were cuttin
/ and pinning muslin reproduction
/ of costumes designed for the fen
i mime principals in "Centennis
/ Summer" a forthcoming pictur
Il of the hustle and-ruffle era. Fac
/ actress was represented by
/ singularly unexciting PAPER ms
Il che dressform with her nam
tainted on it. There was one eac
/ for Jeanne Grain, Dorothy Gisf