Date: 1924
Origin: USA
Brand: Boué Soeurs
This advert for Boué Soeurs was created in celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of Fifth Avenue in New York City. Its opening line claims “What Fifth Avenue is to New York, Boué Soeurs are to fashion — a crystallization of history into one beautiful unit and an adaptation of the fantasy of the past to the needs of the present.” It was featured in the publication Fifth Avenue Old and New, 1824-1924 by Henry Collins Brown.
What is particularly fascinating about this advert is its factual inaccuracies. The two featured illustrations were intended to compare the fashion of 1824 with a contemporary design by Boué Soeurs. However, the illustration on the left depicts a much earlier fashion, quite similar in appearance to a circa 1756 painting of Madame de Pompadour. The eighteenth century is also referenced in the advert’s mention of “the fascinating Louis Quinze epoch.” Another inaccuracy is the claim that this fashion house was founded in the year 1890.
The Boué Soeurs fashion house was founded in 1899 by sisters Madame Sylvie Montegut and Baronne Jeanne d’Etreillis, using their maiden name Boué. It was based in Paris, with their headquarters at 9 Rue De La Paix. The house was renowned for its overtly feminine and elaborate designs, and were particularly renowned for their Robe De Style gowns and lingerie. Signature details of their creations included whitework embroidery, ribbonwork embellishments, metal embroideries and fine laces.
Many thanks to Summer Lee for the object description and research.
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
