Seeing Parallel, part 2
"The founder is the innovator,
the one who sets the wheels in motion. Once it's up and running,
the founder's job is to empower and inspire others either message,
to nurture and make believers out of everyone who comes close,
internally and externally."
Donna Karan
As Americans finding their way through humble beginnings in selling clothing to the public, both Selma Weiser and Main Rousseau Bocher made waves in the fashion world. In December, I attended an exhibition in Chicago that introduced me to a man whose life as a designer in many ways took a similar path to the Weiser’s company, Charivari. The parallels were difficult to dismiss.
Selma Weiser Main Rousseau Bocher
The man, Mainbocher, the name he later went by, and whom vogue.com calls—the most important American designer you’ve never heard of— is a man from East Garfield Park in Chicago, who found himself dressing some of the world's most notable women, first in 1930s Paris and then for decades in New York City. This was the theme of an exhibit at the Chicago History Museum which ran until last month, January 2017.
Both Mainbocher and Weiser, founders and leaders of their companies, looked to the city of Paris for its inspiration afforded writers, artists and designers over time immemorial…
After leaving Paris, Mainbocher established his couturier firm back in Manhattan in the autumn of 1940 at 6 East 57th Street next to Tiffany's. He was the first haute couturier to relocate an internationally famous House to New York.
The business continued until 1971 when at the age of 81, he closed the doors of his house. By 1971, Weiser had already established the very first Charivari store at 2345 on Broadway, and chose the Upper West side of Manhattan as its locale.
Image is Everything
Horst P. Horst, the famous photographer, was chosen by both Mainbocher and Weiser to capture images used to put forth their brands to the public. In fact, one of the most iconic fashion photographs ever taken, "The Mainbocher Corset" of 1939, was taken by Horst.
And of course, a shot used in an ad for Charivari 57 was taken by Horst.
If you look closely, his signature graces the lower right corner of the photograph—When was the last time an ad campaign displayed such a distinguishing gesture?
The Business models
Mainbocher Inc.—He didn’t feel that he could keep up with the changing fashion industry, and actually refused to change his business model. His strength was in his made-to-order work, the haute couture he created in his atelier—which provided the exclusivity for his brand. Although however, he did produce clothes in standard sizes, a way to reach busy women without time for lengthy fittings, and in later years continued to refuse to license his name.
Charivari—The cutting edge stock they carried was delivered in relatively small numbers ensuring each store received just what they needed. This forged the brand image of being exclusive while avoiding the build up of unpopular stock. This lead to multiple customer visits to the stores, creating an environment of shortage and opportunity; allowing the Weiser's to sell more items at full price because of the sense of scarcity and exclusiveness, maintaining the image of the company. Unfortunately, as fashion moved forward, the company kept doing business as always, not really changing their business model, not evolving fast enough which was one of the factors that led to the decline in sales, and finally for the Weiser’s to file for bankruptcy.
The wheel of fashion spins. Designers dream, Seasons pass, tastes change and pedestrians walk, dressed anew. Modern fashion brands strive to maintain a level of being cutting edge, hot and ever new. Both Main Rousseau Bocher and Selma Weiser will go down in American fashion history. Mainbocher passed in 1976 at the age of 85 in Paris, Selma Weiser passed in 2009 at the age of 84 in Manhattan.
The Exhibition
Making Mainbocher: The First American CouturierThe synopsis of the exhibit from the Museum reads, “Chicago-born Mainbocher should not have prospered as a high-end fashion designer. He had little formal training, opened his salon following the economic crash of 1929, and was an American working in the tightly regulated business of French dressmaking. His journey was long and complex. It saw him take on the roles of artist, musician, fashion illustrator, magazine editor, and dressmaker—each supporting his mastery of the next—each a step toward becoming the first American couturier.”
Our Film
Making the film, CHARIVARI a fashion UPROAR allows us the full reign of telling the Charivari story—like the exhibition—within the context of what was happening in NYC at the time, without the possibility of the accusation of forwarding any other agenda; nothing other than presenting the honest truth and happenings of our subject.