Hollywood Hip Gets Some Old School Glamour
Couture is dead--or so goes the conventional wisdom as Yves Saint Laurent and other great fashion houses put their astronomically priced, one-of-a-kind designs into mothballs. But hand-craftsmanship and exquisite draping live on in the workshops of young designers who are finding creative ways to honor the masters affordably.
Case in point: Claire Joseph. Since its June 2001 opening, Joseph’s Yucca Street shop and atelier in the revitalized Hollywood district has won hearts among actresses, stylists and adventurous dressers with tailored, glamorous pieces that the designer creates on the premises using two vintage sewing machines (a 1955 Elna and a 1957 Bernina).
Joseph’s aesthetic honors an aristocratic, high-society past along with a punk revival, Bauhaus-inspired present. Three-quarter-length coats and spirally draped gowns of $900-per-yard vintage fabric update Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, while a one-piece spiral-draped skirt and mesh long-sleeved tee have Gwen Stefani written all over them.
The aforementioned spiral draping is Joseph’s specialty and her homage to the great American couturier Charles James, who raised cutting and fitting to a sculptural art form (suffering dire financial consequences) from the ‘30s through the ‘50s. Joseph, 42, was introduced to James’ oeuvre while studying with his protege Michael Butler, and became “obsessed with making everything out of a single piece of fabric,” she says. Joseph uses the figure-flattering technique for many pieces, cutting on the bias and darting and seaming loose fabric to achieve a tailored garment. Fittings are included in Joseph’s prices, which range from $130 to $550 for ready-to-wear dresses, and $400 to $3,000 for couture or custom work.
A passion for craftsmanship also comes across in vintage buttons, linings made of vintage fabrics and finishing done with piping rather than overlocking seams. Joseph hand-dyes most of her fabrics, a skill she used while working for Italian designer Romeo Gigli; her current palette includes burnt umber, titian, “grandma’s soap pink,” chartreuse, crimson and blazing pumpkin.
After 20 years of subsidizing her custom work by designing for ready-to-wear labels, Joseph is reveling in full-time creative autonomy. This year, she designed and made an Oscar gown for Jane Kaczmarek (“Malcolm in the Middle”) and a tuxedo for Kaczmarek’s husband, Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”). Future projects include a menswear line. For the designer, it all comes down to creating “clothes for the individual [to] leave room for their own personal expression.” Spoken like a couturier.
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Claire Joseph, 6318 Yucca St., Hollywood; (323) 461-7911.
