Help identifying these antique items

[selvedgefinevintage]

Hi all!

I am plodding through an estate which has mostly vintage items (50s-80s) but there are 3 pieces that have me stumped as they are more antique - not my specialty!

Back story here. These came from the estate of Baroness Aïno de Bodisco, an Estonian socialite who launched Oscar de la Renta's career when she met him in Madrid and convinced him to switch from painting to dress design. She introduced him to Madrid society and soon he was fitting a dress on Beatrice Lodge which was featured in Life magazine. There is so much more to their history together, including a lawsuit. Just google her and Oscar's names and you will find out a lot more.

Aïno's father was a diplomat to about 4 European countries. Aïno was born in 1910 and eventually had apartments in Madrid, Paris and New York.

The jacket is silk and has a jacquard weave in gold and soft green. The main body has a pattern of roosters within a diamond of leaves. The sleeve and body bottom have a striped and floral border. In some areas, the colored threads have worn away and there is a metallic shine, it also has a heavier weight in these areas. The sleeve caps have a stand away ruffle and there is a little inset of velvet at the end of each shoulder under the ruffle.

The evening coat is silk with gold lamé. It has unusually shaped princess seams, padded shoulders and darted sleeve caps. There is a paisley-ish border all around and at each front bottom corner is a pictoral section of a lion among some leaves.

I've uploaded pictures and details of both, as well as one of Aïno and Oscar together and the Life photo.

Thanks so much for any guidance here!

Susana Ash
Selvedge Fine Vintage

 

[Jonathan]

That's an interesting story -- I just read the whole tell-all tale! I didn't know anything about her influence on Oscar de la Renta and that she bascially got him started, but demanded 50% of all his earnings for the rest of her life in exchange for helping him. Bit a deal with the devil!
Anyway, the coat looks like a late 30s - early 40s theatre coat and would imagine the jacket is from the same era. I would guess both are Italian fabrics, but they might be French or Belgian - the loose overshot weaving doesn't strike me as typically Italian - they love their tight Renaissance brocades. Her father was posted to Paris between 1938 and 1940, so I bet that is the time frame from which these two pieces date.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Thanks for sharing such an interesting couple of items. Love the photos too...will definitely be looking into the back story later.

 

[thespectrum]

Those are gorgeous!

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Those are lovely garments, and such an interesting story.

Can you show us how these garments are lined and describe the fabric of the lining? I am seeing post WWII in both of these, but on this type of fabric it can be difficult to be sure without handling the garment and seeing the construction and feeling the weight in person.

I do agree that the loose overshot of the weave is not a typical Western European technique. Possibly the fabrics are more Eastern or even Ottoman in origin. Since she traveled, she may have had these custom made in that same country.