The dramatic taffeta sash on this evening gown ties into a bow large enough to be seen from the front. The designer, Irene Lentz, known professionally as just “Irene,” began her career as a designer for Hollywood films. She was the executive costume designer at the MGM film studio for most of the 1940s, and opened her own private salon after leaving MGM in 1950.
This design was exclusive to Seattle department store Frederick & Nelson and was purchased in their elegant Designer Room. In earlier days the department was called the “French Gown Shop,” with the understanding that the best, most elite designs came from Paris. But later in the century, particularly after World War II, American designers gained more recognition and were counted among the ranks of the top style leaders.