Any information for this label? It's a robe. I cannot seem to find the exact label. Thanks very much in advance.
Some of the things I will post in the next couple of posts tie Vitaldi Babani to the boulevard Haussman (or however it was spelled) I saw when Googling the name and to the 10 rue Halevy address, so I think we can safely assume there was a connection, or your Babani was Vitaldi Babani. I don't speak French, but can pick out a word here and there, so I think the perfume ads I will post are for a perfume named Elizabeth-Babani, but may or may not be created by a Babani named Elizabeth. I will also post one or two non-ad things that I think talk about your Babanis. I hope a French-speaking VFG member can help translate.
French-speaking (more or less) here . First and second are perfume ads - correct. The perfume is called Mon Amie Elisabeth (My Friend Elisabeth) - by Babani. It "captivates with the essence of Russian leather". Third is an ad for two perfumes "for winter" - Oeillet and Chypre. It also says that they are actually perfume bases, which can be used to personalize one's scent. Large flacons of a value of 100 francs are offered at the price of 35 francs - the occasion being the reopening (of the stores I assume - it doesn't say more). Next one is an obituary for monsieur S. Babani, importer (doesn't say of what), and it mentions his brother V. Babani. The next ad advertises house dresses to Babani's elegant clients, priced at 125 francs or below. The business listing lists V. Babani as dealing in oriental articles, and for S. Babani "natural bamboo"... whatever they meant with that really. Seems to tie in with the obit above. Both list S. Babani at the same address, 22 rue Meslay. So that must definitely have been the brother of Vitaldi Babani. The last ad advertises a bed jacket in warmly quilted pongé for 69 francs. The rest of the snippet advertises rubber gloves and a carpet soap by Bon Marché... what a mix! We do have a label entry for Babani too... http://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/babani/ I think I've seen a couple of Babani pieces in an exhibition last year. I would love to see a full photo of the robe too!
Small note - Katherine Hepburn's wedding dress to Ludlow Ogden Smith was a Babani. It sold quite well at auction!
I Love Babani! I once has a glorious large Babani silk scarf, circa 1920s, hand painted on ivory silk chiffon. Sold it a few years ago and did quite well with it. I still have a few scraps of lavender silk that I saved from a Babani silk Kimono style robe that was too damaged to restore. So I made a Deco turban style hat out of some of the pieces and saved the rest. I do not often come across the label. Yes, I wonder if we might see the entire garment, please?
