It was a somewhat random look at the library but I spotted a book on Hollywood costumes. In it I saw the remarkable wardrobe of Scarlett OHara from GWTW. This one dress in particular which I really dont remember in the movie, but some years ago, my textile conservator pointed it out to me. She provided restoration on this garment for the owner. The reason it came up: I was showing her a book of embroidery patterns from Eastern Embroidery in Los Angeles, one of the major embroidery and beading houses that serviced the studio and fashion industries in that city. I bought it and other books as well as my trapunto contraption...oh, yes...and some antique bronze beads too (which I later gave to Tom Ford.) The minute she saw the pattern in my book, she knew it was from the GWTW costume. The book is a working record of patterns used for the embroidery house...they put full scale copies of their patterns in that book for safe keeping. And now it is safe with me...here is the dress - Scarlett and Rhett as well as the pattern from my book. Eastern Embroidery was one of the most fascinating places I ever had the chance to see in LA. It was in ruins at the time, but it was easy to see the ghosts of glamour and activity in that studio...
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 21:59:14 +0000