In CA, Margaret’s the Couture Cleaners has extraordinarily cleaned and restored three costumes for San Diego Hollywood Vintage Collector Norman Tipton.
Tipton started collecting 40+ years ago, and his interests began with movie posters in the 1980s, which segued into Props and Costumes. Collecting vintage Hollywood costumes is Tipton’s hobby and has enabled him to meet fascinating people. For example, Debbie Reynolds was a great contact and friend whose personal efforts to save costumes from early Hollywood history were appreciated. Tipton considers who wore it and the actor’s name recognition, how important the movie was at the peak of the actor’s career, and is the piece is visually arresting when deciding on a new acquisition. Collecting is about films and not fashion.
Tipton believes a quote best answers the vintage value to the fashion world from Marie-Jeanne Rose Bertin’s dressmaker to Marie Antoinette. “Bertin is said to have remarked to Marie Antionette in 1785 when presenting her with a remodeled dress, “Il n’y a de nouveau que ce qui est oublié” (“There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.”)
Margaret’s replaced Hundreds of Seed Pearls and added the fur back to the collar as in the original design of Loretta Young’s Cream Silk medieval gown and cape studded with seed pearls at the bodice and kirtle worn for the film The Crusades. Travis Benton designed Loretta Young’s costume in 1935 for the movie The Crusades. Benton is considered one of the golden age’s most important Hollywood costume designers. Glamour, subtle elegance, and exquisite fabrics endeared Travis Banton to the most celebrated Hollywood royalty and one of his era’s most sought-after costume designers.
Liza Minnelli’s Emerald Green evening gown with bugle bead design was cleaned, and the color was restored due to fading and repaired torn beadwork. American costume designer Theodora Van Runkle designed Liza Minnelli’s costume in 1977 for the American Musical Drama New York, New York. A commercial artist who fell into costuming by chance, Ms. Van Runkle was known for designs that combined Hollywood glamour with historical fealty.
The restoration and preservation of an elaborate costume weighing approx. Sixty pounds and worn by Bette Davis as Queen Elizabeth in the film The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex 1939, designed by Orry-Kelly. The restoration team removed the decorative fur attached to the dress from another movie and restored it to look original. In addition, the velvet was restored in some areas damaged by time.
Orry-Kelly was an American-Australian Hollywood costume designer and Australia’s most prolific Oscar winner. He won three academy awards for best costume design. Orry-Kelly was known for his ability to “design for distraction” to compensate for different figure shapes. In addition to designing, Kelly wrote a column, “Hollywood Fashion Parade.” For the International News Service. Kelly’s memoirs, Women I’ve Undressed, were published in 2015. The film The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex is considered a grand historical epic.
”I have been working with Margaret’s for a few years and found them online, we met, and I showed them my collections and have been continually impressed by their cleaning, restoration, and preservation services”. Norman
Margaret’s has the proven expertise, heightened sensitivity, and justifiable confidence to tackle these most delicate and critical projects and has been trusted with numerous museum collections over our decades of service.