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:
Symposium records, 2009
Tina Leser collection
This collection holds sketches, mostly in acrylic pm paper, tissue, or pellon. There are also press clippings and photographs that relate primarily to the Japanese National Design Contest which Leser sponsored and which gave one of several awards in her name.
Women's Wear, 1943-1944 - 1, 1943-1944
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1943-1944 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for sewing patterns from Butterick, Advance, and Simplicity, and ads for fashions designed by Tina Leser, Adele Simpson, Emily Wilkens and Florence Gainor.
Women's Wear, 1943-1944 - 2, 1943-1944
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1943-1944 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for sewing patterns from Butterick, Advance, and Simplicity, and ads for fashions designed by Tina Leser, Adele Simpson, Emily Wilkens and Florence Gainor.
Women's Wear, 1945-1946 - 1, 1945-1946
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945-1946 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are fashions designed by Jonathan Logan, Tina Leser, Mary Stevens, and Graff, using Mistysheer and Sunmere fabrics, and sold at various department stores, including Best & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, and Peck & Peck.
Women's Wear, 1945-1946 - 2, 1945-1946
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945-1946 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are fashions designed by Jonathan Logan, Tina Leser, Mary Stevens, and Graff, using Mistysheer and Sunmere fabrics, and sold at various department stores, including Best & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, and Peck & Peck.
Women's Wear, 1945-1946 - 3, 1945-1946
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945-1946 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are fashions designed by Jonathan Logan, Tina Leser, Mary Stevens, and Graff, using Mistysheer and Sunmere fabrics, and sold at various department stores, including Best & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, and Peck & Peck.
Women's Wear, 1945-1946 - 4, 1945-1946
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945-1946 with newspaper clippings for women's wear and children's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are fashions designed by Jonathan Logan, Tina Leser, Mary Stevens, and Graff, using Mistysheer and Sunmere fabrics, and sold at various department stores, including Best & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, and Peck & Peck.
Women's Wear Ads, 1944-1945, 1944-1945
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1944-1945 with reprints of ads originally run in Women's Wear for fashions made by several designers, including Claire McCardell, Dorothy Cox, Tina Leser, Joset Walker, Troy Stix, and others. The ads are for Mistysheer, Erin, Sunmere, Crashmere, Waffle Pique, Gingham, and Sandringham fabrics.
Women's Wear Ads, 1945-1946, 1945-1946
This folder contains a scrapbook from 1945-1946 with newspaper clippings for women's wear made with Everfast Fabrics. There are ads for fashions designed by Carolyn Schnurer, Frances Sider, Joset Walker, Tina Leser, and others.