Charles James

photo: Cecil Beaton

This Summer I am hoping to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to see the Charles James exhibit before it closes in August. The Chicago History Museum put on an exhibition about James in 2011/2012 and ever since then, I have been obsessed by his amazing garment construction. 

Charles James' Butterfly Dress, 1954 from the collection of the Chicago History Museum. 

Charles James (b. July 18, 1906 - d. September 23, 1978) is known as “a designer’s designer”. He is an often over-looked fashion genius who was known for his incredible ability to “sculpt” garments. His approach to designing was much like that of an architect. He constructed garments which were so structured, they could practically stand on their own. 

This illustration of James' "Four-Leaf Clover" ball gown  details the gown's construction. The garment is constructed from thirty pattern pieces and has a four-layered skirt. Drawings by Bill Wilkinson from the 1982 book,
The Genius of Charles James.

The garments he created are often just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. James was such a perfectionist that if a garment had one stitch wrong, he would tear the entire piece apart and re-work it. Diana Vreeland is quoted as saying, “He would rather work and rework a beautiful dress ordered for a certain party than have that dress appear at that party.”

James' Four-Leaf Clover Dress, 1954, from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

James had a strong Chicago connection. He was born in England to an English military officer, Ralph Haweis James and Chicago heiress, Louise Brega James. In 1924 James was expelled from the Harrow School in England and was sent to stay with his mother’s relatives in Chicago. In 1926 James opened a hat-making shop at 1209 N. State Street in Chicago under the name, Charles Boucheron. It was very successful with the wealthy, fashionable ladies of Chicago and he opened two more stores in Chicago before moving to New York City in 1928.

One of James' hats featured in Vogue in 1930. Photo: Cecil Beaton 

Not many examples remain of James’ hats. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has borrowed two hats from the Chicago History Museum for it’s current exhibition. The hats are pictured below. They date from 1928 and belonged to Mrs. H. Pauling Donnelley of Chicago who was a friend of James’ mother.

Two felt hats designed by James in 1928. From the collection of the Chicago History Museum. Photo from the Chicago History Museum publication, Charles James: Genius Deconstructed.

James opened a store in Manhattan in 1928 and quickly moved on to designing apparel. James is best known for the constructed gowns that he created in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He counted among his clientele, Marlene Dietrich, Babe Paley, Austine Hearst, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, and Millicent Rogers - his biggest supporter. 

Millicent Rogers wearing Charles James.

James influenced the work of many designers including, Christian Dior, Galanos, Pauline Trigere, Balenciaga, Arnold Scassi, and Halston. Christian Dior was said to have credited James with having inspired his, “new look”.

Christian Dior 1947 - part of Dior's "new look"

Unfortunately James came to a tragic end. He was known to have a very difficult personality and to have been bad at managing his money. He died penniless at the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan in 1978.

photo: Bill Cunningham