Does anyone have any information about the designers Harvey Berin and Karen Stark?

misswendyjo

misswendyjo

Registered Guest
Hi all, I'm new to the VFG forums, a seller from Etsy suggested I come here to ask about Harvey Berin & Karen Stark. A few weeks ago at a vintage fair right here in Newcastle, Australia I managed to pick up a very unusual and plain black crepe dress, I think it's early 40's, peter pan collar with a key hole feature, flat panel front and back and very fine sun ray pleating on each hip, ¾ length skirt, it’s not the prettiest thing I have ever seen but it is fascinating and the workmanship is divine and I knew I just had to buy it! Its label says Harvey Berin design by Karen Stark. I managed to find out some basic info about them but now I am a little bit obsessed to find out more. I found it interesting that President Nixon's wife, Pat wore a Harvey Berin original to his inauguration ball which tells me that they must have been fairly important? Does anyone have any more info for me?

As requested I have added some pictures. There is something so unusual about it but I can't quite put my finger on it and it actually has a second label "Goldies" I am guessing this is where it was originally purchased, which I understand was not uncommon (2 labels: a designer and a store). I love the flat, false double breasted front (which is like the back, same flat panel but no buttons) and the pleating is incredible. Also it is surprisingly heavy. But can you see what I mean, it isn't the most beautiful thing in the world but there is just something about it.
 
Thank you so much for replying. Yes I was very excited when I first saw those here, it's the label on the left that appears in my dress, I have been collecting for a while however its all been pretty low key, I haven't collected anything that you would probably class as a high end designer label, this is potentially my first one, I know its not anything close to Dior however it's still exciting for me!

misswendyjo
 
misswendyjo, if you post a photo of your dress here, we can help you date it. It could be '40s but it could also be '60s...or at least the fine sunray pleats, keyhole feature and peter pan collar all suggest that, as does your garment having the '60s label.

Real 1940s dresses aren't common in Australia, especially at vintage fairs most garments are from the last few decades.

Nicole
 
Wendy you made it!! So glad to see you found your way here :sunshine:

Jody, I referred Wendy to the label resource in our convo on Etsy, but I thought that maybe our members may have some additional insight or access to information on Harvey Berin since she was very interested to learn more, so I asked her to come visit our public forum.
 
welcome!

i'd love to see photos, when you get a chance. the peter pan collar and 3/4s length is sounding 50s to me.

i've yet to see a karen stark/berin i didn't love! looking forward to seeing yours :)
 
Thanks to everyone for your input so far, hopefully the picture will help. I have several pics together into one so hopefully you can see enough detail
 
Wow! That's really pretty. I'm thinking 1950's on the dating but it's hard for me to pin down. The collar and keyhole feature look later to me, but the sleeve length and fabric seem older. It does have the 1960's label on it, but we don't have an earlier label in the resouce to compare it to so I don't know how long they used this one. Let's see what the others have to say.
 
hrm. now i'm not sure i think it's late 40s or early 50s. one or the other though, and it's beautiful! love all that detailed workmanship.

looks like the label came out and someone stitched it back in clumsily.

random observation: you have beautiful hands and nails. you could be a hand model :)
 
Thank you for the great photos! Your dress is beautiful, and I would date it as early '50s. The keyhole might make more sense if you undo the little clasp (is it a hook and eye?) and then the collar could be worn open as well.

Nicole
 
Thank you all again, and I think you can see what I mean it is almost a mix of different elements from different eras, e.g. I agree it's not what I’d call a true key hole neck line and you’re right CVC if I leave the hook and eye undone the collar sits better which makes me wonder if the woman who wore this put the hook and eye in herself, the eye is a proper hand sewn one, not modern, I’m very particular about sewing, I have a massive collection of vintage patterns (I may have only been collecting vintage garments for a few years, but I’ve been collecting vintage patterns & pattern/sewing books for 20 years!) and do a lot of sewing and always try to make garments using the sewing techniques of the era I am working with, e.g. most of my pre WW2 work is by hand, no sewing machine & yes this includes the Victorian gowns I have made, call me crazy!
Also the sleeves seem out of place as well, full length which seems earlier to me instead of the classic 50’s ¾ length. I am actually starting to question if this a Harvey Berin at all, as Catbooks 1940s pointed out the HB label has been sewn in using a fairly clumsy running stitch that doesn’t match the overall quality of the rest of the sewing. But that’s fine, the thing I love most about vintage is wondering who wore them and why, the possibilities and stories behind each garment. That’s also something I love about my vintage pattern collection, reading the notations and comments people have scribbled on their patterns.
Again thank you, you have all been so helpful, I am looking forward to getting involved in more chats as time goes by.
 
i see no reason to believe it's not a karen stark. absolutely the label has been stitched back in, but the design and all the detailing are right. labels do come loose over time, often enough, so this isn't surprising.
 
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