OCTOBER 13, 2007 - JANUARY 5, 2008
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Charles James (1906-1978) was born in London. His father was an
English military officer, while his mother came from a socially
prominent Chicago family. After he was expelled from Harrow as
the result of a sexual escapade, his family packed him off to
Chicago to work. Not long after, he began his career as
milliner. His shop at 1209 North State Street was called Charles
Boucheron, the surname borrowed from a school friend. Two years
later he moved to New York City and began designing dresses with
the same sculptural sense that characterized his millinery. “Charles James is not only the greatest American couturier, but the world’s best and only dressmaker who has raised it from an applied art form to a pure art form,” declared the great Spanish couturier, Cristóbal Balenciaga. His famous “butterfly Dress,” originally created for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst Jr. in 1954, is featured here in another version, worn by Mrs. John V. Farwell III. Made of 25 yards of peau de soie and nylon net, the dress weighs 18 pounds. Its most notable features are structured side wings and a back bustle skirt. The Chicago History Museum has more than a dozen dresses by Charles James, many of which were donated only a few years after they were first worn, possibly because they were so difficult to store. |
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| Charles James, evening gown, 1954, USA, gift of Mr. and Mrs. John V. Farwell III, photograph by Irving Solero | ||||||