Opulent Era Day and Evening Ensemble, House of Beer, with contemporary photo documentation, dated June 1901
We are speechless! We found this beautiful Beer gown in a very trendy French fashion magazine, Le Modes, June 1901. This magazine introduce this gown for the Parisian and French lady’s. Very, very rare. This makes this dress very precious and desirable. A museum piece!
A rare and early Beer antique dress, antique day and evening ensemble, labelled “Beer, 7 Place Vendôme” to the waistbands, comprising day and evening bodices and matching over-skirt, of black Chantilly lace with ivory, rose-printed organza panels outlined in chain-stitch in fine gold thread, black velvet ribbon stripes, ivory tulle edgings with pale blue ribbon and chemical lace bands, black taffeta cummerbund waistbands, the evening bodice with wide neckline and flounced cuffs with paste inset buckles to the back, the day bodice with high neck and long sleeves trimmed with ribbons.
The evening bodice is in good condition, very fresh with good taffeta lining. The tulle edging is a bit frayed but the bodice itself is stable and good. Plain ivory organza area (concealed by closure) is fragile. * Day bodice is fragile. There are splits around the neck and collar areas. Grease marks to collar lining. Splits in the black organza at rear shoulders and underarms, ivory chiffon ruffles are fragile, tulle bands applied with small ribbon bows to each side of the central rose printed panel are fragile. Most of the taffeta lining is good apart from the underarm and neck areas. Back of the bodice is generally good. Front of bodice – plain ivory organza and tulle areas (underneath the printed floral organza panel) are in not so good condition or lacking. Tulle band with bows which edges from closure is fragile. Rhinestones missing from gilt buttons. * The overskirt is lacking the waistband and ivory taffeta underskirt but the overskirt itself is good condition. All of this detracts in no wise the unimaginably beautiful appearance of this ensemble. It’s a rare to find antique ensembles from the “Opulent Era”. The decoration and the magazine "Les Modes" are not included.
Gustav Beer or Gustave Beer was born in Germany around 1870. He moved to Paris and opened the first couture house in the fashionable Place Vendome. He was afterwards followed there by almost all the great couturiers who set up shop in this same famous area. The Place Vendome became the Paris centre for great couture salons. Beer produced feminine dresses both for day and evening wear, and was particularly popular for lingerie. Beer's clothes became so successful that he opened two more stores, one in Nizza, Italy and one in Monte Carlo. In 1931 the house merged with Agnes-Drecoll although Beer dresses continued to be made till 1953 (http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com).
Bust: ~ 37 1/2”
Waist: ~ 25 1/2”
