Vintage Couture Dresses - 1971

1971 was a schizophrenic year in fashion.  From minis to maxis and kooky to sophisticated, it seemed every designer had their own idea of what women should be wearing.  Here, looks from the haute couture for Spring 1971.  Would you wear any of these today?  Which one is your favorite?

Guy Laroche orange silk evening gown with kimono sleeves and tassels.

Philippe Venet zebra print jumpsuit.

Pierre Cardin leather zodiac dresses.  There was one for every sign.  Shown here are Cancer and Aries.

Lanvin midi dress in a wild print.

Givency sequined top and sheer maxi skirt over hot pants.

Dupont Orlon and Paris Couture

Yes, Dupont, the company that brings you "Better things for better living...through chemistry" took out a multi-page advertisement in the spring of 1969 featuring it's Orlon acrylic blend fabrics used by Paris couturiers.

The 1960s were known for technological advances and the use of synthetic materials in avante-garde fashion. We saw the use of vinyl, mylar, and other synthetics. By the late 60s, the traditional couture client was becoming a thing of the past. Ready-to-wear was experiencing an explosion of popularity. Dupont seized upon the opportunity to promote it's man-made fibers to the couturiers and to benefit from the status that link provided. And, no doubt, money exchanged hands as part of the deal.

Here, Paris couture from the spring of 1969.

Castillo navy and white plaid 3 piece suit in wool and Orlon acrylic blend.

Jeanne Lanvin black and white glen plaid coat in wool/Orlon acrylic blend.

Jean Patou white and yellow jumpsuit and jacket in double faced gabardine in a blend of Orlon acrylic and wool.


Madeleine de Rauch pink coat in double faced gabardine in a blend of wool and Orlon acrylic.

Phillipe Venet white and navy plaid 7/8 coat in double-faced gabardine of wool and Orlon acrylic.

Maria Carine

Maria Moutet-Chenu

I first ran across the name of Maria Carine when I found a Jeanne Lanvin dress that was "éxécuté par Maria Carine sur autorization spéciale" (made by Maria Carine with special authorization). My interest was piqued. Then last week, my friend Carrie of Glad Rags & Curios found an earlier Lanvin Castillo suit with the same reference to Maria Carine. It was time to find out more!

Maria Moutet-Chenu wore haute couture as a young woman. When her fortunes changed in the late 1950s, Maria went to work for Jacques Heim in his Boutique. She worked with Heim to find a way his designs could reach a wider market and her business, Maria Carine, was born.

Maria worked with four couturiers: Heim, Jean Desses, Guy Laroche, and Lanvin-Castillo. After each couture showing, the designers would meet with Maria and give her a few sketches to work from based upon their haute couture designs. Maria was the modeliste. She would take the sketch and make a toile (muslin pattern) which the couturier would approve. These toiles were then used to make the ready-to-wear garments.

But this is not factory made ready-to-wear! Each garment was constructed with the identical fabrics and trimmings used for the haute couture garments. Maria employed hundreds of cutters in her workrooms. Each garment was cut one at a time by a cutter. And then each garment was sewn individually by one of the hundreds of seamstresses who worked for Maria Carine, many of whom worked in their own homes. Each garment was constructed with painstaking attention to detail, with couture techniques, and each garment was completed by hand. Thus, we had individually made ready-to-wear for the world with the same high quality as the couture, but at a lower price point.

In 1959, the US became the largest market for French ready-to-wear. By 1962 Maria Carine was producing about 3000 garments per season for the US market.

1967 Jeanne Lanvin dress made by the Maria Carine workshop available at Couture Allure.

The original Jeanne Lanvin couture dress from spring 1967.

Late 1950s Lanvin-Castillo made by the Maria Carine workshop available at Glad Rags & Curios.

Please note: Biographical information about Maria Carine is copyright of Couture Allure and may not be copied without permission.