Tina Leser (1910–1986, US), Summer Dress, 1960. Linen plain weave, flocked synthetic applied text, height: 40 ½" (102.9 cm). Philadelphia Museum of Art. (PMA-6999) |
I guess Memorial Day
is the official “beginning” of outdoor grilling season in the US. I don’t
really know the “official” date because I’ve lived in apartments all my life.
But, what better way to mark the presumptive occasion than by featuring an
interesting artist and a special frock just for grilling? We used to eat at a
picnic bench in the back yard of our duplex during the summer. My mother wore
dresses serving from the apartment (of course), but I don’t think I’ve ever
seen any active grill-person wearing a frock and pumps to turn
the chicken wings and veggie burgers!
One of the great things I’ve learned about Tina Leser is
that she had an energetic, optimistic world view. As a result, she incorporated
influences from around the world in her clothing designs. At the same time, she
reveled in the simplicity of everyday American aesthetics, creating clothing
that would have been considered “casual” during the 1940s and 1950s, but today
look quite sophisticated.
She was born in Philadelphia, and—before she even went to
art school at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Sorbonne in Paris—visited
Asia, Europe, and Africa as a child. She even lived in India for a time, which
had an enduring impact on her designs.
She began designing clothes—sportswear, day wear, and evening
gowns—in a shop in Honolulu (1935). While she referenced Filipino and Hawaiian
fabrics, she also relied on US conventions, making, for example, attractive
versions of the coveralls worn by women factory workers in flannel and plaid.
She closed her Honolulu shop in 1942 after Pearl Harbor and moved to New York.
In New York, she designed sportswear for Foreman from 1943
until 1953. She also designed beachwear and sundresses for the firm Gabar
Swimsuits in the late 1940s. She was the innovator of a bathing suit with a
single strap. Other innovations, or perfections, by Leser included the slim
toreador pants of the 1950s (shorter and usually embroidered, in comparison to
“capri pants”). She also designed the first dress-length cashmere sweater—the inception
of the sweater dress—in 1957.
Leser enjoyed confounding people’s perceptions casual and
formal fabrics. For example, she would use a gingham cotton tablecloth and make
a cocktail dress out of it, such as this look. While the dirndl-type dress pattern
is conventional, she made it “fun” with the use of applied words appropriate to
the outdoor grill. The idea of “fun” with a dress designed to wear while at the
backyard grill is just quirky enough to make Tina Leser a true American
original.
![]() |
Tina Leser, Study from designer’s sketchbook Summer 1960. Ink, watercolor, fabric swatches on paper, 11 ¾" x 11 1/8" (29.8x 28.3 cm). Philadelphia Museum of Art. (PMA-7044) |
Correlations to Davis
Programs: A Personal Journey: 3.1, 3.3; Experience Painting: 4; The Visual
Experience: 12.4
No comments:
Post a Comment
We appreciate your feedback. Thanks for blogging with us. Your friends at Davis!