[Vogue] Carl "Eric" Erickson (1891-1958). Mae West's Schiaparelli dress

2 fashion ills., pencil on paper. Both 45 x 33 cm. “Femme Fatale”, signed "Eric 1937". 2 working sketches 'croquis' featuring the Schiaparelli des. evening gown from the collection “Rose Shocking". The finished ill. was publ. in Vogue 1 September 1937.

In 1936, the Hollywood actress Mae West approached fashion designer Schiaparelli, the leading Parisian fashion designer of the 1920s and 30s after Coco Chanel, to design her Belle Époque wardrobe for the Paramount film “Every Day’s a Holiday”. West’s figure-hugging silhouette provoked a degree of outrage for provincial America. in response Schiaparelli des. a perfume, "Shocking", and she used West’s hourglass silhouette as the basis for the "Shocking" perfume bottle. The collection and perfume were launched in the fall of 1937. It was a sensation, ill. by Eric in Vogues’ Sept. 1 issue. The resulting collection together w. the perfume bottle serves as an iconic representation of both West and Schiaparelli. Added: Photocopy of the finished ill. as publ. in Vogue. *Courtesy of Bryan Nerone. (total 2)