Leser, Tina, 1910-1986 (1910-1986)
Dates
- Existence: 1910-1986
Biography
Tina Leser was born Christine Wetherill Shillard-Smith on December 12, 1910 in Philadelphia. Leser studied art first at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the School of Industrial Arts in before moving to Paris to continue her studies at the Sorbonne. Leser's love of non-western textiles and patterns stemmed from her travels as a young woman. She and her family moved to Hawaii in 1931. Four years later, she opened her first store, selling ready-to-wear sportswear and play clothes with Polynesian textiles. Early Leser designs featured hand painted motifs on such unusual fabrics as sail cloth and "paluke." In 1940, she moved back to mainland United States and formed her own firm in New York. It took three years for her name to gain recognition, finally achieving it when she began designing for Edwin H. Foreman's sportswear company where she remained for 10 years. Throughout WWII, Leser worked with fabric shortages, relying on Central and South American textiles for inspiration. In 1944 she received the Fashion Critics Award, and the following year she received both the Neiman Marcus and Coty Awards. In 1964 she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the Moore Institute of Arts.
After marrying her second husband, James J. Howley, in 1948, the newlyweds went on a around-the-world honeymoon, which essentially became a textile sourcing trip for the designer. Leser founded her own company, Tina Leser Inc., in 1952. She remained in control of her business until 1964 when she retired. Two years later, however, she returned to fashion to show a collection of dresses, coats, and suits made out of Indian textiles. She continued to design throughout the 60s and 70s. Leser's most popular designs were her matching bathing suits and cover-ups. In 1982, Leser retired again. Four years later, in January 1986, Leser passed away at the age of 75.
Found in 21 Collections and/or Records:
Everfast Fashions, 1946-1947 / Everfast Third Edition of the Fashion Review, 1946 / Everfast Fashion Show, November 26, 1946, also Publicity from Altman's Promotion of Portuguese plaids by Everfast, November 26, 1946, 1946-1947
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1946-1947 with newspaper clippings, photographs, and promotional materials for women's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are designs by Claire McCardell, Carolyn Schnurer, Joset Walker, Emily Wilkens, and Tina Leser, with reviews by Eleanor Lambert and photographs by Marian Stephenson. There are ads for Everfast's Portuguese plaids and "Have Fun" fabrics, and photographs of window displays at B. Altman.
Everfast Fashions, 1947-1951, 1947-1951
Institutional Advertisements (Including Draperies), 1946-1949, 1949-1950, 1950-1951, 1946-1951
Label samples, 1930s-1967, 1930s-1967
This folder contains loose pages with over 200 woven fabric labels and printed hang tags from Everfast Fabrics' collaborations with department stores and designers in the 1930s-1960s.
Magazine Editorials and Advertisements: Mademoiselle, Vogue, Harpers, Charm, etc., 1944, 1944
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1944 with magazine clippings for women's wear made with Everfast Fabrics, including Waffle Pique, Sandringham, Racquet Cloth, Erin and more. There are fashions designed by Joset Walker, Carolyn Schnurer, Emily Wilkens, Tina Leser, and Mary Stevens.
Newspaper Publicity, 1946, 1946
Publicity and Ads, Everfast Waffle Pique and Chambray, 1944, 1944
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1944 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Waffle Pique and Chambray from Everfast Fabrics. There are fashions designed by Betty Barclay, Tina Leser, and others.
Ready to Wear Ads, 1945, 1945
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945 with newspaper clippings for women's and children's ready-to-wear fashions from Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for fashions designed by Tina Leser, Emily Wilkens, and Mary Stevens, made with Erin, Sandringham, Chambray, Waffle Pique, Crashmere, and Dragonia fabrics.
Sunmere by Everfast Fabrics, Evershrunk, 1940, 1940
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1940 with newspaper clippings, promotional materials, and photographs for women's and men's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. The ads are primarily for Everfast's "miracle shirting" rayon fabric called Sunmere, woven by Ponemah Mills. There are also photographs of store displays and articles about Everfast's "Southward to Spring" and "Main Ring Show" fashion shows.
"Sunmere" by Everfast / "Mistysheer" by Everfast, 1945-1946, 1945-1946
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945-1946 with newspaper clippings and photographs of women's wear made with Sunmere and Mistysheer fabrics by Everfast. There are fashions designed by Peggy Thayer, David Crystal, Tina Leser, Frances Sider, Joset Walker, Emily Wilkens, Natalie Renke, and Carolyn Schnurer, as well as photographs of displays at Shillito's and Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.