#Brizac

[alexandminnie]

Another peek into Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's closet

When it comes to Empress Maria Feodorovna's clothing, finding out the details is easy. She had a long history with the House of Worth in Paris (although she was patron to others on occasion.)

I have always wanted to know why Minnie did not like her daughter-in-law's (Empress Alexandra) taste in attire (statements about this come up everywhere; Minnie tried to advise, but Alexandra dug in her heels and that was that.) It is easy to figure out. They were two very different women and their tastes in clothing showed it. As a young Empress, Minnie was all about strong colors and enjoyed working with the designers at Worth and participating in her own clothing design. Her dresses usually had interesting details. She enjoyed dressing the part of the Empress.

As you will see in this sampling of dresses that belonged to Alexandra Feodorovna, her preferred color palette was different....there is a lot of silver, lilac, pink, and beige. Her dresses' lines are simpler but equally sumptuous and elegant as those Minnie wore. They are just different.

I was trying to find out what couture house Alexandra predominantly used...she did use Worth on occasion, as well as Brizac (a house in Saint Petersburg) but I was very surprised to read something else.

Many of  Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's gowns were designed by one Nadezhda Lamanova. Interestingly, Nadezhda Lamanova was female. While almost all of the labor force making Haute Couture dresses at the time was female, it was rare to find a female designer. And Nadezhda designed the Empress's dresses.

Nadezhda Lamanova underwent training as a seamstress at the Moscow School of Sewing. Two years later, she went to work for a fashion house. In 1885, she opened her own dressmaking shop in Moscow and successfully built up her business until it became Moscow's most popular dressmaking establishment. Eventually, her work came to the attention of the Imperial Court and she was designated as “Supplier of the Court of Her Imperial Majesty” with her designs worn by the ladies of the Court and the Empress herself.  Finally,  starting around 1901, Lamanova also designed costumes for theatrical productions.

The last dress above is a dress designed by Lamanova

[gogmstuff]

1908 (December) Les Modes - Chapeaux de la Maison Amicy - upper Mlle Toublnc du théatre des Nouveautés, center and lower Mlle Brizac du théatre de l"Athénée - Photos by Félix. From gallica.bnf.fr; fixed spots & flaws w Pshop 937X1983.