Maison Lydia ring any bells? Probably 1930s

denisebrain

denisebrain

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I can't find anything about this label and wondered if anyone has heard of it. The outfit is a bit of a mystery too. I would estimate early 1930s but am ready to hear different. The long-sleeved dress has snaps at the neckline and cuffs but no other fasteners. The back of the skirt is bias-cut. There is a self-fabric braid across the back waist. It has an Asian feel with its big corded knots.

The jacket has wide short sleeves and a button at the waist. The shoulders are wide and padded (jacket only).

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Thank you for your input!

The fabric is rayon with metallic threads, definitely a jacquard weave. The squiggly metallic lines are in relief. I'm not sure but I would think this to be in the weave not a post-weave process...I've not seen anything quite like it before.

Although I love the unusual fabric very much, I don't think the color does anything special for me so I'm not overly tempted on this one...which is a good thing since I'm selling the outfit for a friend!
 
You look svelte and lovely in your photos Bonnie.

I am absolutely not thin. I love to cook and eat too much! :rolleyes:
 
You do, indeed, look fabulous in that beautiful dress, Maggie. In fact, I have little doubt that you could wear a plastic garbage bag and everyone would rush to buy it.

I have not had much time to research further, but I found only two references to Maison Lydia, both at THIS website. The first ad here is from 1927 and the second from 1928. I then checked every single 1930s business directory for San Francisco (HERE), but found no Maison Lydia. I also checked about half of the early 1940s directories and a few late 1920s directories. Perhaps in the US it was called "House of Lydia" or just Lydia, or something. I quickly checked the NY Times archives and found no reference to Maison Lydia, but if I have time later tonight or tomorrow I will dig deeper.

[EDITED to add that I don't speak French, but it looks like the 1927 ad indicates that Maison Lydia was the successor to Claire Merey, so perhaps that was an approximate start date for Lydia?]
Lynne

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That's amazing Lynne. I do read French although I'm confused by this: Merey's firm has just been completely transformed, under the directorship of Mdm Marguerite...
I don't understand French well enough to know if "Maison Lydia. Successeur" means "is the successor" or "is succeeded by."


 
I searched for Claire Merey in the L'Officiel archive. They seem to be all hats, so it seems that was a millinery business, and one issue shows "Mme Marguerite, manageress of Claire Merey" - so Maison Lydia maybe took that business over... Both adresses are on the same block, not far apart from eachother - and in the thick of it, where still all the designer stores are. I definitely walked by there last year, and probably more than once :).
 
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