Edward Molyneux
Edward Molyneux | |
---|---|
Born | London, England | 5 September 1891
Died | 23 March 1974 | (aged 82)
Label | Molyneux |
Edward Henry Molyneux (
Early life
Edward Molyneux was born on 5 September 1891 in
Career
Molyneux found employment as a sketch artist for the London edition of the American magazine The Smart Set, where his drawings of fashionable women attracted the attention of the celebrated couturier Lucile (in private life Lady Duff Gordon). She hired him as a sketcher in her London salon in 1910 and by the end of the following year had promoted him to assistant designer at her Paris branch.[3] He also worked for Lucile in New York.
On the outbreak of the
Molyneux opened his own fashion house in Paris at 14 rue Royale in November 1919 (later, 5 rue Royale), expanding to Monte Carlo in 1925, Cannes in 1927, and London in 1932. The designer quickly became known for an impeccably refined simplicity. Molyneux was, as historian Caroline Milbank wrote, "the designer to whom a fashionable woman would turn if she wanted to be absolutely right without being utterly predictable in the Twenties and Thirties".[7] Frowning on superfluous decoration, he regularly dressed European royals, including Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent.[7] He was also a favourite with trendsetting actresses including Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Gertrude Lawrence, Margaret Leighton, and Vivien Leigh. Protegés included future couturiers Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, and he was friends with playwright Noël Coward.
During the
Art
Molyneux painted throughout his life, and exhibitions of his paintings were held at the Galerie Weill in Paris (between 1950 and 1956) and at the
Molyneux also amassed an extensive
Personal life
Molyneux had a complicated personal life. One of his early relationships was with
Death
Molyneux died on 23 March 1974 in Monte Carlo.
Legacy
Following Molyneux's retirement in 1969, Studio Molyneux continued under the direction of his cousin John Tullis until it closed in 1977.
The Molyneux trademark is owned by French company Parfums Berdoues, and though the fashion component of the firm remains dormant, the firm still produces scents, such as "Captain" (1975), "Quartz" (1978), "Le Chic", "Vivre", "I Love You" and "Quartz Pure Red" (2008).
Trivia
In series 5 episode 3 of the television series Downton Abbey, the character of Cora, Countess of Grantham, mentions a fitting with Molyneux as a reason for a trip to London.
References
- ^ Vogue, 15 August 1952, p. 133.
- ISBN 978-0300199918.
- ^ Vogue, 15 August 1952,p. 178; Georgina O'Hara Callan, The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Fashion Designers (1998), pp. 166–167; Valerie D. Mendes and Amy de la Haye, Lucile Ltd, p. 187; Randy Bryan Bigham, Lucile - Her Life by Design (2012), p. 119.
- ^ Larson, Erik (2015). Dead Wake (Kindle ed.). Broadway Books. p. 83.
- ^ Howard Greer, Designing Male (1951), pp. 116–117.
- ^ Caroline Evans, The Mechanical Smile (2013), p. 269.
- ^ a b Caroline Rennolds Milbank, Couture: The Great Designers (1985), p. 144.
- ^ Time magazine
- ^ Victoria Glendinning, Vita: The Life of V. Sackville-West (1983), p. 106.
Further reading
Ehrman, Edwina (2010) [2008]. "Molyneux, Edward Henry (1891–1974)".
External links
- Edward Molyneux at FMD
- "Interactive timeline of couture houses and couturier biographies". Victoria and Albert Museum.
- "The Gallery - Molyneux, Edward (1891-1974)". thegallery.uk.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.