The Fashion Model: 1920s

Four models seated in the back of George Baher's yacht; from left: J. Cox, E. Vogt, Lee Miller, and Hannah Lee Sherman.

This is the first installment in our new series on the history of modeling.

Modeling as a profession is a relatively new concept in the world of fashion, the origins of which are still up for debate. No one can argue, however, that when the first fashion magazines started appearing in the 18th century, a need developed for women to model important clothes.

In France, publications such as Journal des Dames et des Modes and Costume Français were among the first magazines to illustrate fashion, and by the mid-19^th century, the first accredited couturier, Charles Frederick Worth, was employing house models in his Parisian fashion salon. In 1881, new printing technologies made it possible to publish photographs and text on the same page. Three decades later, pioneers in fashion photography such as Adolphe de Meyer and Edward Steichen were snapping alluring images of beautiful women for the printed page, and thus our story of the fashion model begins.

The More Than a Pretty Face series intends to illustrate and celebrate the wonderful variety of fashion models that appeared on the covers and inside pages of Condé Nast magazines. The series begins with this entry about the 1920s, when modeling became a viable career choice for women. Future segments will follow chronologically by decade and will present extraordinary Archive illustrations and photographs that best capture the look and feel of the decade’s ideal woman.

Click here to view the complete gallery of 1920s fashion models and styles.

THE ARISTOCRAT

PRINCESS BELOSSELSKY

Princess Belosselsky, modeling a dress by Chantal and low-brimmed straw cloche by Marie Alphonsine.

PRINCESS NATALIA PAVLOVNA PALEY (A.K.A. MADAME LELONG)

Mr. Nast was considered a true connoisseur of women and was known to spot the right talent at exactly the right time. In the early 20^th century, fashionable young women from high society were chosen to premiere the latest fashions in Vogue. Socialites and debutantes were considered ideal choices because of their superior upbringing, pretty faces, and flattering figures. Many Russian women of entitlement, such as Princess Belosselsky and Princess Natalia Paley (later Madame Lucien Lelong), who took refuge in France, England, and America after the Russian Revolution, found work in couture houses in turn for free or highly discounted clothing. Importantly, these working women were able to attract more high-profile clientele through their extensive social networks.

For some, simply having a connection to the magazine became the path to a modeling career. For instance, Ilka Chase, the daughter of Vogue editor Edna Woolman Chase, appeared in several fashion shoots by Vogue’s chief photographer, Edward Steichen. Women at the time, according to Vanity Fair, “didn’t faint at the slightest provocation. Most girls, before they are twenty, become interested in the world in general and in some work in particular.” Such was the case for young, slender, and long-limbed Hannah Lee Sherman, a friend of Nast’s daughter, who began modeling for the company after deciding that she “didn’t want to be a fat sponge, sitting around.” She did, however, stop modeling after marriage.

ILKA CHASE

Profile shot of Ilka Chase, writer, radio star, lecturer, actress, and daughter of Vogue editor-in-chief Edna Woolman Chase.

HANNAH LEE SHERMAN

Hannah Lee Sherman stepping out of a car outside 1040 Park Avenue, modeling the "right costume for travel."

THE PROFESSIONAL

Aristocratic women such as Madame Lelong were becoming internationally known through their fashion modeling ventures and were rising to celebrity status. Knowing that all it took was good looks, women all over the United States were suddenly interested in modeling careers. Fortunately for them, it was American-looking girls who were most desired. In 1924, the exalted French designer Jean Patou held the first ever model competition. With a jury consisting of Elsie de Wolfe, Edna Woolman Chase, Condé Nast, Edward Steichen, and himself, Patou sought to recruit three ideal American girls for his cabine. In the end, Patou selected not three but six models, due to an overwhelming response (more than 500 women applied) and a strong intuition that the long, slender, and sporty physiques of American women would attract not only his American buyers, but his American clientele living in France as well. Pictured above is one of the finalists, Hannah Lee Sherman, and below is the dark-haired winner, Lillian Farley (a.k.a. Dinarzade).

DINARZADE (A.K.A. LILLIAN FARLEY)

Dinarzade, a.k.a. Lillian Fischer, Lillian Farley, or Petra Clive, in a black, peplumed-bodice, velvet dress, designed by Poiret.

MARION MOREHOUSE

Marion Morehouse, a.k.a. Mrs. e.e. cummings, wearing a one-shouldered silk satin sheath-gown by Callot.

One of the most famous professional models working in the 1920s was Marion Morehouse. She was a confident, independent woman whose image sparked excitement in the younger stylish set. As the wife of famous writer e.e. cummings and a true bohemian of her own time, she enjoyed the arts and literature more than fashion and glamour. She had little concern for the latest looks and truly considered modeling a job.

Yet Marion Morehouse was still able to achieve a glamorous look, without a corset and without care. Plus, her decidedly more modern woman was a fit perfectly with Edward Steichen’s innovative modernist photographs. She soon became one of Steichen’s favorite models, and together they created the cool, sleek art deco style that influenced the art, illustration, fashion, and graphic design of the era.

LEE MILLER

Model and later photographer Lee Miller, in the apartment of Condé Nast, wearing a sleeveless dress and matching jacket by Jay-Thorpe.

Another early professional model, Lee Miller, was “discovered” by Condé Nast. As the famous story goes, Miller was almost hit by an oncoming car when a well-dressed stranger came to the rescue and pulled her out of harm’s way. The man in whose arms she fell proved to be the founder of the great magazine empire, Condé Nast. He took one look at Miller and was impressed by her dreamy eyes, sleek, gazelle-like athleticism, and blond all-American look. Almost immediately, Nast sent her to model for the renowned French illustrator Georges Lepape.

The resulting illustration was published on the March 15, 1927 cover of Vogue and shows Miller boldly looking straight at the viewer. She wears a short, chic bob and tightly fitted cloche hat in front of a lively city nightscape. Her look is that of a woman unapologetically liberated and ready to meet life head-on.

The success of her collaboration with Lepape instantly put her in demand by the best-known photographers in the city. By the 1930s, Miller had moved to Paris and started an apprenticeship with the experimental photographer Man Ray. She later embarked on her own photography career, winning national recognition for her World War II photos.

THE ACTRESS

As commercial publishing began to use more fashion photography, the market for beautiful women also grew. Actresses waiting for a role on Broadway or working for Ziegfeld Follies were commonly selected for their ability to transform personas and project different attitudes with convincingly upper-class poses and gestures. Among the most celebrated performers who also modeled were Helen Lyons, Alden Gay, Jule André, and Irene Castle, who was half of the trendsetting husband-wife dancing duo, Vernon and Irene Castle.

IRENE CASTLE

Dancer and actress Irene Castle, wearing a sleeveless white satin gown and white satin high heels.

HELEN LYONS

Helen Lyons, wearing a georgette crèpe evening dress and "willow plume" hat.

ALDEN GAY

Alden Gay, wearing a gown of black and white georgette crepe, carrying a fan made of lyrebird tail feathers.

JULE ANDRÉ

Model Jule André, in Condé Nast's apartment, wearing a lamé dress and wrap with fur trim and a sapphire and diamond choker necklace.

Click here to view the gallery of 1920s fashion models without Flash.