Lady Duff Gordon of fashion house LUCILE was a woman well ahead of her time. She was a divorcee and a savvy business woman in the 19th century, two things that nice ladies did not do those days. She was also an extraordinary fashion designer and dressmaker. She owned “fashion houses” in London, Paris, New York and Chicago between 1890 and 1930, the first designer ever to do so, and also the first to hire beautiful models to show off her creations to her exclusive clientele which included famous stars and royals. The precursor of the catwalk and a respected fashion columnist of many publications across Europe and America she was also a survivor of the Titanic (the fact that she was rescued on the first lifesaver boat shows how powerful she was), being portrayed in the movie by actress Rosalind Ayres.

Read more about her on the official website and on wikipedia.

The photographs below are from the book Lucile Ltd London, Paris, New York and Chicago 1890-1930, a unique collection of fashion designs (which today would be called a “LOOK BOOK”) for her Autumn 1905 Collection. Each enchanting, fully accessorized design is rendered beautifully in watercolor and accompanied by samples of the luxurious fabrics and trimmings required to make it. The range of designs for walking, visiting, afternoon wear, dinner, the theatre, evening and grand balls are all named in Lucile’s own handwriting.

Enjoy!

Lady Duff Gordon in 1904 wearing an off-the-shoulder Lucile gown, a long layered string of pearls, and one single chunky cross-shaped earring. Can it get more stylish than this?