DOVIMA AND AVEDON - PARIS 1950

Fath's reversible red satin evening dress, flaring below the knee. The cape is in green - the reverse side of the satin - and held by two cufflike bands of mink

Dior's steel gray ottoman with taffeta panels in lighter grays

Chaumont's white tulle with bias skirt

Chaumont's silk sheath in olive satin

Balenciaga's gold-embroidered sheath, with a chiffon jacket

Gres's arum lily - white satin over lemon jersey
Fath's huge stole over beige faille
Gres's red faille showing white jersey in front
Balenciaga's satin basque, heavily jewelled, over pale pink tulle 

Balenciaga's white satin dress with a tight bodice embroidered with rubies and pearls.






The Evening Fashion at the Paris Openings
Harper's Bazaar September 1950
Photography: Richard Avedon
Model: Dovima

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PARIS OPENINGS FALL 1950

Balenciaga's Vingt-Trois

Fath's under-a-coat dress
Balenciaga's cocktail suit dress

Balenciaga's Barrel Coat

Gres ... Dior
Piguet ... Molyneux
Gres ... Gres

Balenciaga

Griffe ... Dior
Desses ... Dior
Schiaparelli ... Molyneux

Dior

Desses ... Dior
Balenciaga ... Dior






Carmel Snow's Report on the Paris Openings
Harper's Bazaar September 1950
Photography: Richard Avedon

... eyes on the fifties at devodotcom

DIVINE DOVIMA

Maximilian Crown Sables worked horizontally in a cape with long stole-like ends crossed high in front, the back draping low, like a cowl. 

The Skins of Somali Leopards ... in a hip-length coat belted for the smart new tunic line by Bernham-Stein.

Balenciaga's velvet domino cut with enormous sweep, enormous melon sleeves and an enormous coachman's collar.

Mainbocher - white chiffon tunic embroidered with crystal and gold, over a full chiffon flounce. Jewels by Harry Winston.

Under black flowered lace, a pale green velvet camisole and a thick,short skirt of doubled gold satin edged with black passementerie. Dress by Mainbocher, jewels by Cartier.

Mainbocher's white mink on gray English herringbone lined with white satin. The white chiffon blouse embellished with rhinestones and crystal.

Gun Metal, Gold and Rock Rubies - a Christmas ball dress from Dior

Harper's Bazaar December 1950
Animal Magnetism
At a Christmas Ball
Mainbocher Evenings
Photography: Richard Avedon
Mode: Dovima


Visit more Dovima fashion photographs in our archives

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BALENCIAGA GIVENCHY WINTER 1962

Balenciaga's newest evening dress: discreet, unjeweled, the year's most unexpected ballgown. In white silk cloche, clinging at the bosom, low and wrapped in back.

Balenciaga - ermine robe shaped in the round, lightly sashed in candy pink satin.

Givenchy's discreet young dinner dress, light as foam, the quintessence of slender elegance in charcoal gray satin-backed crepe. The bateau neck pulled high by a drawstring; the bodice, draping an unmarked waist.

Givenchy's ruffled black satin  organza dinner dress. Harry Winston jewels. Roger Vivier shoes.



Great Exaggerations
Harper's Bazaar November 1962
Photography: Richard Avedon
Coiffures: Alexandre of Paris

THE LOOK 1960

The Great Greatcoat - The Great Look

Carmen Dell'Orefice gloved, turbaned and wrapped in natural Cabana Marrone nutria, pelts set on the horizontal, by Bernhardt. Hat, Mr. John. Joseph Mazer necklace. Trefousse leather gloves. Handbag, Koret. 

Suzy Parker in Mainbocher

Norman Norell's culottes dress in a vivid souffle of pink flowers.

Catching The light: This Season's Brilliants

Carmen dressed up casual in an elongated black wool knit overblouse, a chainmail of pinkish beige and black sequins in a leopard-spotted pattern. A new look worn in combination with a straight wool knit skirt. By Goldworm.

More Brilliants: dusty mauve and navy blue seamless stockings, crystal-coloured jacquard lace hose are interwoven with sparkling nylon for a shimmering effect.

The shiny nails are complements of Juliette Marglen's new Stained Glass Collection.

Blue silk matelasse three-quarter-sleeved evening coat by Originala

Bow-fastened blue satin stole riding over a strapless dress with swan-shaped skirt. The hem is lifted ankle-high, rising gently to a point in front. dipping deep back. By Sarmi. Albert Weiss earrings, Christian Dior pumps.

Carmen wears Norman Norell. Cafe au lait and white velour decoupe, the cuffs, circles of Russian Sable.

Bravo Balenciaga

Draping sweeps the shoulder and - with the first step - cascades into a floating panel that reveals the knee. In deep purple satin chiffon by Balenciaga.

Black organzine encrusted with glittering jet and midnight blue embroidery enveloping the figure in Givenchy opulence.

Givenchy Greatness

Chinese pink cloque wraps the body asymetrically in a diagonal swath the stops in a huge bowed-sash.

Crushed black silk jersey with the simplicity of no more than a deep neckline. By Galanos.

Jet-embroidered black lace on white satin atop a loosley gathered bow-graced waist. By Edward Abbott.

White jersey column-shaped ballgown classically draped by Tarquin Ebker. Albert Weiss earrings.

Sequined pink roses on a waterfall of white sequins by Rappi. Necklace and earring by de Firenze.

Mauve lame ensemble of a side-tied top and long skirt by Mr. Mort Sportswear. Marcel Boucher bracelets.

Sequins go casual. The jeweled polo shirt, crew-necked, lightly sashed, and extending to the ankles in stripes of crimson sequins on white crepe. By Kasper for Arnold and Fox.

New Fashion Drama

Harper's Bazaar November 1960

Photography:

Richard Avedon

Lillian Bassman

Saul Leiter

Melvin Sokolsky

Francesco Scavullo

...eyes on the sixties at devodotcom

PARIS REPORT FALL 1951

Carmel Snow Reports From Paris

Black curled hat in gold velours - one of Balenciaga's sensational new shapes.

"Once again the miracle happened. Once again in Paris I have seen fashion given new enchantment, fresh elegance, new nuances where none seemed possible - more so than ever this season by Balenciaga and Dior."

Balenciaga

"Once again I saw the vitality of the French dressmaker galvanize whole rooms full of women. There wasn't one among us who didn't see the world from a new angle as the wonderful new hats went by, who didn't pull in her midriff st the sight of the new tight-ribbed princesse dresses, who didn't feel the new cancan ruffles kicking prettily around her own knees."

Balenciaga

Fath

Dior

Smoke gray faille, the diaphragm held tight, and the bosom high, by a band of faille with moss green velvet set in at the bosom and in a wedge down the back of the skirt.

It's a Cinch

Carmen Dell'Orefice demonstrates the Warner's half-brassiere and garter belt -  all in one in this iconic photograph by Lillian Bassman.

"It laces up the back, pulls your waist in small and it has a fit as smooth as a postage stamp. Inch for inch, it's the best investment we know for a tiny-waisted, tight-ribbed decollete dress."

The Cancan

"Balenciaga's new evening silhouette. Black velvet with a kick of intensely pink ruffles to the side."

Carmel Snow's Report from Paris

Harper's Bazaar September 1951

Photography: Louise Dahl-Wolfe

... eyes on the fifties at devodotcom