Fashion and the Showgirl, Part I (Dressed Classic)

Summary

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Dressed: The History of Fashion

Episode: Fashion and the Showgirl, Part I (Dressed Classic)

Hosts: April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary
Date: October 8, 2025

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Overview

This episode explores the long-standing, glamorous relationship between fashion and the showgirl. Rather than a comprehensive history of showgirls or their costumes, April and Cassidy take listeners on a journey through the evolution of the showgirl as a fashion icon—from the iconic Parisian demimondaines to the rise of Ziegfeld Girls on Broadway, and onto the catwalks of haute couture. The discussion delves into the interplay between performance, sexual appeal, and spectacle, spotlighting designers and performers whose legacies dovetail in the world of dazzling costume and high fashion.

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Key Themes and Discussion Points

The Showgirl Archetype and its Cultural Imagery

[01:43] – [03:42]

• Cassidy Zachary opens with evocative images that the term "showgirl" conjures—think Moulin Rouge, Las Vegas, Mistinguett, Madonna—and the contradictions and fantasies attached to her persona:

  “She stands with her arms held aloft, her scantily clad body framed by headdresses and back pieces which seem to defy gravity.” (Cassidy, 01:43)

• April Callahan continues, highlighting cultural icons and literary/stage figures symbolizing the showgirl’s allure, like Zola's Nana or Marlene Dietrich's Lola.
• The hosts reference Andrea Stewart’s seminal 1996 book “Showgirls,” which established the showgirl as “one of the most instantly recognizable icons of modern times.” (Cassidy, 03:13)

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Fashion's Enduring Love Affair with Showgirls

[04:43] – [05:59]

• April emphasizes that fashion’s fascination with the showgirl is a century-old trend:

  “Fashion loves showgirls... Josephine Baker... has been a source of inspiration for fashion designers ever since she took Paris by storm in the 1920s.” (April, 04:43)

• Designers from Paul Poiret to Marc Jacobs, Victoria’s Secret, and Jean Paul Gaultier have all drawn from showgirl iconography.

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What is a Showgirl? Origins and Definitions

[05:59] – [07:29]

• The modern American showgirl is rooted in Parisian tradition.
• April quotes Stewart: early 20th century "showgirl" referred both to:
  1. A theatrical role—"be-feathered women posing in the spectacular revues of the period."
  2. A general term for women in popular theater, "from chorus showgirl to major star."

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Belle Epoque Paris: The Birthplace of the Fashionable Showgirl

[07:29] – [09:25]

• Noted venues: Folies Bergeres (1869), Moulin Rouge (1889)—run by famous courtesans (Emmeline d’Assignon, Liane de Pougy, etc.).
• Publicity and fashion merged as images of these women circulated on posters and postcards, captivating the public.
• Their ambiguous social status allowed them to both set trends and remain provocative outsiders.

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Theater as a Fashion Showroom

[09:25] – [10:57]

• The theater became a battleground for fashion display—critics saw some plays as "thinly veiled fashion advertisements."
• This period witnessed the introduction of three crucial retail/theater crossover concepts:
  1. The department store
  2. The fashion model
  3. The fashion show

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Lucile Duff Gordon: Pioneer of the Fashion Show

[11:59] – [14:30]

• Cassidy recounts how British designer Lucile (Lady Duff Gordon) revolutionized fashion via “mannequin parades”—early theatrical runway shows rich in music, drama, and narrative.
• Lucile introduced mannequin parades in the U.S. by 1916, democratizing fashion shows through public spectacles.
• Lucile walked the line between exclusive couture and mass fashion, even partnering with Sears & Roebuck on one of the first designer ready-to-wear lines. (April, 14:36)

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Ziegfeld Follies: Americanizing the Showgirl

[15:09] – [18:07]

• Lucile teamed with showman Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. for the Ziegfeld Follies, launching a new kind of celebrity: the Ziegfeld Girl.
• The Follies transformed revues into fashion-infused spectacles—sometimes staging scenes around Lucile’s gowns and designs.
• Excerpted recollection by Lucile of Ziegfeld’s awe at her stage tableau:

  “He sat there and saw the curtain go up on a scene which might have come out of the Arabian Nights... He implored Lucile, ‘I have got to have that scene of yours for my Follies. That girl Dolores is marvelous. She will be the sensation of New York.’” (Cassidy quoting Lucile, 18:29)

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From Showgirl to Professional Fashion Model

[18:29] – [21:07]

• After Lucile’s collaboration, the showgirl moved from chorus line anonymity to high fashion visibility—models like Dolores became both Follies stars and fashion magazine fixtures.
• The “fashionable showgirl” influenced real-life women and trends—the stage as a well of innovation for skirt lengths, pants, and other "daring" garments.

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Parisian Spectacle: Art Deco, Erté, & the Ornamental Showgirl

[24:33] – [29:04]

• Romain de Tirtoff (Erté), famed for his Art Deco designs, blended fashion and fantasy in both illustrations and stage costumes starting in the 1910s.
• His work, often fantastical and elaborate, appeared on hundreds of Harper’s Bazaar covers and set the tone for theatrical fashion.

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The Feathered Headdress: Gabby Deslys & Mistinguett

[29:04] – [31:34]

• Gabby Deslys, star performer, set the standard for dramatic feathered “millinery”—the soul of her costume:

  “My hat is the soul of my costume. It is me, my personality, my individuality. Not a covering for the head, but an ornament. My whole theory of proper dressing—wearing something that no one else wears.” (Gabby Deslys, quoted by April, 30:46)

• Showgirls like Deslys, Mistinguett, and later stars like Cher and Lady Gaga, uphold the tradition of spectacular, personality-driven fashion.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Fashion loves showgirls.” (April, 04:43)
• “She stands with her arms held aloft, her scantily clad body framed by headdresses and back pieces which seem to defy gravity.” (Cassidy, 01:43)
• “Audiences were guaranteed both [fashion and sex appeal] for the price of one ticket.” (Cassidy, 16:23)
• “My hat is the soul of my costume. It is me, my personality, my individuality.” (Gabby Deslys, quoted by April, 30:46)

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Major Timestamps (Content-Only)

• 01:43 – Opening imagery and archetype of the showgirl
• 04:43 – Fashion’s obsession with showgirls
• 05:59 – Defining the “showgirl”; American vs. French traditions
• 07:29 – Belle Epoque Paris and the courtesan-showgirl crossover
• 09:25 – Theater, department stores, models, and the advent of the fashion show
• 11:59 – Lucile Duff Gordon and the evolution of the fashion show
• 15:09 – Ziegfeld Follies and the American showgirl as fashion icon
• 18:29 – Lucile, Dolores, and the debut of the professional fashion model
• 24:33 – Parisian revues, Erté, and spectacle after WWI
• 29:04 – Gabby Deslys, feathered showgirl style, and millinery as identity
• 31:34 – Teaser for Part II (upcoming: Josephine Baker and more)

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Summary

This episode masterfully intertwines the history of theater, celebrity, and haute couture by tracing the showgirl’s journey from Parisian courtesans and chorus girls to Broadway’s Ziegfeld Girls—and into the inspiration for fashion’s boldest designs. With rich storytelling, historical anecdotes, and select quotes, April and Cassidy emphasize the showgirl’s power as both fashion muse and innovator. Her spectacular costumes, daring headdresses, and inventiveness onstage continue to shape the world of fashion—making the line between couture and costume nearly indistinguishable.

Next episode: Part II will carry the narrative forward with a focus on Josephine Baker and the ongoing legacy of the showgirl in fashion.

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Transcript

[April Callahan]

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[Cassidy Zachary]

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[April Callahan]

Welcome to Dressed the History of Fashion, a podcast where we explore the who, what, when of why we wear. We are fashion historians and your hosts, April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary whisper the.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Word Showgirl in America, Britain, France, throughout the world, and most people conjure up at least one, if not a series of potent images from the Moulin Rouge to Las Vegas, from Mistinguet to Madonna. For some, she is a gorgeous creature emerging in a cloud of poudre de ries from a dressing room decked with sheer silk stockings and haunted by backstage johnnies to pose at the back of some spectacular revue. Anonymous, shining and strategically scattered with diamante, she stands with her arms held aloft, her scantily clad body framed by headdresses and back pieces which seem to defy gravity.

[April Callahan]

Continuing on that quote, for others, the Showgirl is a glorious can can dancer cavorting across the Toulouse Lautrec veining. Or she is Zola's blonde Venus in the novel Nana, who takes our audience's breath away with the power of her sex appeal. Alternately, she is Dietrich's unrepentant seductress, Lola, perched atop a barrel in some seedy cabaret, a harbinger of fascism and doom. Or she is the not so dumb blonde in a Busby Berkeley musical who's taken a chance on Hollywood dream and come out tap dancing on. These images tell a story not just about our fascination with specific stars, but about the imaginative pull of a sorority of women.

[Cassidy Zachary]

This delightfully evocative imagery is actually brought to us thanks to author Andrea Stewart, whose 1996 book Showgirls not to be confused with the 1995 movie of the.

[April Callahan]

Snake name, which is one of my favorites.

[Cassidy Zachary]

I know, I know, that's a whole nother episode. But her 1996 book was the first deep dive into the history and legacy of the showgirl, who Stewart calls, quote, one of the most instantly recognizable icons of modern times. And I think, April, you and I, we could not agree more. While Stewart's book was written over 20 years ago, the Showgirl remains to this day the ultimate emblem of sex appeal, glamour and fantasy.

[April Callahan]

And I think that you will agree with Cass and I in saying that this is something we can all use a little more of this past year in 2020. And this is actually our last week of season three. So we wanted to send you out with a showstopper.

[Cassidy Zachary]

You're here.

[April Callahan]

What better way than to do that with a two part episode that celebrates the long standing relationship between fashion and the showgirl.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And we really wanna preface this episode with saying that this is in no way a history of the showgirl nor a history of the showgirl costume. So if you wanna learn more about those topics specifically, we highly recommend getting your hand on Stewart's book that we just mentioned called Showgirls. And you can also check out Jane Merrill's 2019 book, The Showgirl Costume and Illustra. And this episode today is actually an adaptation of a chapter that I contributed to that book. So it's only one of many insights Jane and the other authors in the book contributed into the history of what is really an iconic showgirl costume.

[April Callahan]

And with that being said, I have three words for you dress listeners. Fashion loves showgirls. Just think, you know, Josephine Baker, arguably the most famous showgirl of all, has been a source of inspiration for fashion designers ever since she took Paris by storm in the 1920s. She was amused to designers like Paul Pare and also later Patrick Kelly and even today, Marc Jacobs. And then there is the iconic showgirl costume itself with its skin tight, sparkling bodysuit and, you know, those towering headdresses. And these have also inspired designers from fashion giants like Victoria's Secret all the way up to the upper echelons of haute couture. And the showgirl has also made repeated appearances in the collections of the very recently retired Jean Paul Gaultier, who became very, very fascinated with showgirls at a young age.

[Cassidy Zachary]

But the relationship between fashion and the showgirl is nothing new. And when Gaultier sends feathered and bejeweled models down the Runway time and again throughout his career, he like so many others was drawing upon a rich tradition that extends back well over 100 years. So perhaps we should start with this question today. What exactly is a showgirl?

[April Callahan]

Yes, and today the term certainly connotes a certain archetype, especially in the United States, where the Las Vegas showgirl has become an American icon. But the American showgirl was undeniably inspired by her French counterparts who exist in similar incarnations in Paris venues such as the Lido or the Crazy Horrors, which I'm a big fan of, and of course, also the Moulin Rouge. And Stewart tells us that in the early 20th century, the term had two associations which we will also employ today. She says, quote, it applied to a specific theatrical role. Those be feathered women posing in the spectacular reviews of the period whose job it was to provide a feast for the eye. And it was a genericism applied to all women who appeared in popular theater, from chorus showgirl to major star.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Just add fashion model. And we now have our cast of characters for today's tale, which starts in the Belle Epoque, Paris, where the relationship between fashion and the showgirl blossomed out of the burgeoning music, dance hall and theater traditions of the 19th and early 20th centuries. So we're talking about decades before television, film and even radio. I mean, in this time, the music hall in particular was one of the most popular forms of entertainment on both sides of the Atlantic. And it was really this place where a variety of acts, including acrobats, singers, dancers, musicians, they entertained audiences from across the economic spectrum. So, you know, think the Moulin Rouge, think Cancan girls, think celebrity culture.

[April Callahan]

Because this is the same period where Paris's leading revues like the Folies Bergeres and the Moulin Rouge, which were established in 1869 and 1889 respectively, were reigned over by a cast of famed courtesans, the most famous being Emmeline d', Assignon, Carolina labellotero and Liane de Puget. And photographs of these beguiling beauties were circulated en masse on posters, postcards, photographs, all of this helping to capture and enrapture the public's imaginations and hearts. And as we mentioned, these women were courtesans and thus occupied this sort of liminal world of the demimond, or the half world, as so called, because they existed between these two worlds and their fame and their fortune elevated their social status, while their autonomy, professions and even very infamous affairs really prevented them from ever being truly accepted into the upper echelons of so called polite society, which.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Who knows, maybe they didn't really care if they ever entered that kind of snobbish element of society. But that remains for another day. Needless to say, the high profile status of these performers meant they also became fashion icons. Dressed by Paris's leading haute couturiers on and off the stage, they really collectively set this very high standard for the relationship between fashion and the theater that came to be a defining feature of performance entertainment. Women audiences attended plays expecting to see a fashion designer's latest work, while critics decried certain plays as being little more than thinly veiled fashion advertisements. And we're talking about the kind of the 1900s here. That's how embedded the display of fashion came to be in the theater's visual and literary narrative. And it is in this way that the stage became a way to court not just the male gaze, but the female consumer gaze.

[April Callahan]

This new relationship between fashion, the stage and consumers has to be considered within the context of three newly instituted concepts of the period that effectively revolutionized how people shopped, viewed and otherwise consumed fashion. And we're talking about the department store, the fashion model and the fashion show. But more on that after a brief sponsor break. Cas, it's about to get chilly outside. And that means it's just about time to start to get cozy. And with clothing layers from Quint, you can also do that sustainably.

[Cassidy Zachary]

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[April Callahan]

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[Cassidy Zachary]

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[April Callahan]

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[Cassidy Zachary]

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[April Callahan]

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[Cassidy Zachary]

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[April Callahan]

Known professionally by her first name, Lucille rose to international fame and fortune in the nineteen teens, with branches of her business in London, Paris, New York City and Chicago, all by 1915. And part and parcel to her tremendous success was her genius ability to market her work to her clientele in the form of mannequin parades. And this is what her fashion shows were known as at the time. And Lucille's parades were theatrical productions in their own right, complete with a cast of highly trained models, a stage, dramatic lighting, music, dancing, storytelling. All of these elements really coalesce to create a spectacle of fashion unlike anything that anyone had seen before.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And Lucille moved to New York City at the outbreak of World War I, and she transported her fashion show and models to the country where the performance of fashion was actually nothing new. America's multimillion dollar clothing industry, as we know, of course, we've talked about this. Undressed was based on French, not American designs. And department stores created some of the Very first public fashion shows in the early 1900s in an attempt to really capitalize on the excitement surrounding the latest imports from Paris. These events were free, they were open to the public. And these shows really brought this otherwise exclusive event to the masses, while simultaneously cultivating an appetite for the theater of fashion. Lucille would expand upon the public fashion show to great success during her time in the United States, where she became. Became the fashion authority, which was really a carefully crafted image masterminded by the designer herself.

[April Callahan]

Yes, I always like to say that she was her own best publicist.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Exactly.

[April Callahan]

And she really ensured the far reach of her influence by a masterful negotiation of two seemingly opposite concepts. The exclusive nature of haute couture and also mass public consumption. In 1916, Lucille partnered with Sears and Roebuck to create one of the very first designer ready to wear clothing lines and history. And this was also the same year that she took her fashion shows to the public and rented theaters all across the United States, bringing her designs to thousands, and not just the affluent few.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh, to have been in one of those theaters. Lucille's mannequin parades galvanized the popular imagination. In addition to her nationally syndicated fashion articles and her monthly column for Harper's Bazaar, her celebrity, it just, well, it extended across the country. The visionary British designer became an American institution. And this was a legacy further cemented through a very high profile relationship with the eminent Showman Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Collectively, Lucille and Ziegfeld reinvented the showgirl as a fashion icon.

[April Callahan]

And Ziegfeld took inspiration from the music hall reviews of Paris's famed Folies Bergere to create his own American version. And the Ziegfeld Follies debuted on Broadway in New York City in 1907 and would remain a fixture of the Broadway scene until 1931. Although it must be said that there were subsequent reincarnations after that. But unlike a theatrical play, the Music hall revue consists of a series of different acts. You have music, you have dance, comedy, sketches, you name it. And visionaries like Ziegfeld developed the revue to become a spectacular stage production with over the top sets and costumes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

It is within this exciting montage that the showgirl as we know and love her today emerged a chorus of beautiful women that appeared throughout the show. And perhaps none were more famous than the Ziegfeld Girls, who became the cornerstones of the follies throughout its 23 year run. The Ziegfeld Girls served in a variety of roles throughout each production, be it chorus girls dancing in sync or thanks to the addition of a famed fashion designer. Fashion models. The enterprising impresarios of the music hall had long traded in marketing women's sex appeal to men. But fashion brought a new way to appeal to both men and women. In effect, fashion, like sex appeal, was a proven selling point. And in the case of the showgirl, audiences were guaranteed both for the price of one ticket.

[April Callahan]

From 1915 to 1921, Lucille designed seven installments of the Ziegfeld Follies, in addition to numerous acts for Ziegfeld's upscale nightclub, Midnight Frolic, which. Let's just. Can we just go back in time and I'll hang out there? Sign me up. I'm ready. Okay. And she also designed for three of his musical productions, all the while still working on her own fashion brand. I mean, was there anything that Lucille could not do? She had her hands in all the pots, as I like to say. And her costume and fashion designs were not, in fact, mutually exclusive. And from the very beginning of her time at the Follies. And entire scenes were conceived around the display of Lucille Fashions. In 1915, a scene entitled A Girl's Trousseau featured showgirls closed in the height of 1915. Lucille Fashions Walking through life size Lucille fashion illustrations.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

[April Callahan]

Lucille. She was certainly not the sole inventor of the fashionable showgirl fashion had played a part in Ziegfeld's competition, the Schubert Brothers production, the Passing Follies, and Ziegfeld's own Follies since at least 1912. However, it was this collaboration between Lucille and Ziegfeld that would really result in a new type of showgirl. The professional model.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. So it was after witnessing one of Lucille's packed public performances with his wife and Lucille client Billie Burke in 1916, that the, quote, unquote, maker of stars, Florence Ziegfeld, was inspired to transplant Lucille's scene, and it's modeled directly to his music hall stage. Quote, he sat there and saw the curtain go up on a scene which might have come out of the Arabian Nights. And this is Lucille remembering. She says, dolores, a wonderful and magnificent Dolores in an eastern gown of brocade sheathing her slim figure, glimmering like an opal with every movement, walked slowly across the stage. Hebe Phyllis and Florence followed her, A lovely trio of walking suits, parasols in their hands. So the parade went on, three hours of it. Ziegfeld sat it all out to the end and then implored Lucille, quote, I have got to have that scene of yours for my Follies. That girl Dolores is marvelous. She will be the sensation of New York.

[April Callahan]

And thus The Follies of 1917 was born. Lucille credits the production with changing theater history, claiming in her memoirs that this was the first review to ever introduce the showgirl, which she defined as a model who, quote, was there simply to look beautiful and wear beautiful clothes. So, wearing clothing by a world famous designer, the models provided a direct link to the glamorous world of high fashion that had not existed before. And this sort of added cachet elevated the otherwise anonymous performer into the spotlight. A place once reserved for headlining celebrity.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Talent alone, The Follies of 1917 featured Lucille models in not one, but two scenes inspired by her fashion shows. So we have that of the Arabian national and then this quote unquote episode of Chiffon. The latter was a bridal scene set in a replica of Lucille's showrooms and starred model Kathleen Mary Rose, known professionally as Dolores as a, quote, unquote, empress of fashion. At 6ft tall, the statuesque Dolores cut a striking figure in her Ziegfeld Follies debut, which simultaneously marked her departure from Lucille's employer. Lucille recalled that, quote, the whole of New York paid homage to her beauty. Dolores was feted and worshiped as though she had been a queen, but she never came back to the showroom again. Her days as a mannequin were over, and Dolores actually appeared both on the Folly stage and then in fashion magazines across the country, including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, where she was featured along her fellow Ziegfeld, Lucille, showgirls Hebe and Dinnerzot.

[April Callahan]

Dolores also was friends with the fashion designer Valentina, too, who we've already done an episode on. But Lucille's contributions to the Ziegfeld Follies earned the Music Hall a reputation for being fashion forward. So womenswear Daily in particular commented time and time again on the clothing worn by the Ziegfeld girls, down to the smallest of details. Headlines for one of my favorite articles was the Bow Knot is exalted as a style theme. And this was in 1927, however, six years after Lucille and Ziegfeld's partnership had ended. And it is perhaps because of Lucille's departure that Ziegfeld felt comfortable taking credit for the Folly's fashion forward reputation. Because in 1923, he told ladies Home Journal, quote, as a matter of fact, we not only influence, but often lead the fashions. It has been my custom to bring back from Paris every year anywhere from 12 to 24 gowns, hats and cloaks, not the things that are shown to American buyers. But things that are ahead of this style, we put the short skirt into.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Everyday wear and of course the short skirt that that he is referring to at this time extended below the knee. But there's really no denying that many of today's most ubiquitous articles of women's clothing really find precedent in the costumes of late 19th and early 20th century performers. The stage has always been a safe place for experimentation, daring and bold expressions of sexual gendered clothed identities that society otherwise deemed inappropriate for one reason or another. Showgirls, but also circus performers, dancers, singers, actresses were really the first to wear any length of shortened skirts, shorts, pants, bikinis years before individuals were brave enough to take these styles from the stage to the streets. More on the showgirl fashion after a brief sponsor break.

[April Callahan]

Cass I think it's pretty safe to say that many of us at this moment are feeling stress due to not only our own personal lives, but also perhaps some global events. Personally, my sleep schedule has been all over the place.

[Cassidy Zachary]

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[April Callahan]

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[Cassidy Zachary]

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[April Callahan]

When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] welcome back. The Ziegfeld Follies was not the only production to cultivate an intimate relationship with high fashion during this period. Nor was Lucille the most famous designer to partner with the music hall stage. Just as the size and spectacle of the Ziegfeld Follies grew throughout the 1910s and the 1920s, so too did the revue au grand spectacle of post World War I Paris, which came with its own set of star performers and designers. The most famous of the latter is none other than the, quote, father of Art Deco himself, the Russian born Ramon Tyrtov, or as he was most widely known and celebrated, Erte. Despite working right up to his death in 1990 at the age of 97, Erte's name remains synonymous with the 1920s, a period during which he produced a prolific amount of work for theater. Lesser known though, is perhaps his work in fashion.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, and actually he is very surprising to me to find out that it was while working for the world renowned fashion designer Paul Poiret that Arete undertook his first costume design job, co designing the smash hit play luminairete in 1913 with Jose Zamora, who was another Poiret employee. So where Poiret really took credit and was given the design credit, you know, the boldly outlined seductresses that are found in the production's Costume illustrations are 100% arete. His signature style was already very well developed by this period. And after leaving Poirier's employment in 1914, Arete was actually hired as a fashion designer for the American department stores Henry Bendel and B. Altman and Company. And he also became an illustrator for both Vogue and Harper's Bazaar around the same time, although Harper's Bazaar almost immediately secured an exclusive contract to really combat competition with arete. So from 1915 until 19, work appeared in full vibrant color on over 200 covers of the magazines. And then his designs in black and white were found within its pages.

[April Callahan]

Fashion and fantasy merge in Aretae's wonderful fashion illustrations for Harper's Bazaar, which each have a story to tell, whether it be the queen ampethrite hunting for the perfect swimming costume or the goddess Orithea longing for a new evening gown. One illustration after another and another is occupied by these really reg Amazonian beauties with bold Grecian profiles who appear swathed in any number of decadent fabrics, whether it be this lush draped brocade or a glittering lame. They were also dripping in tassels of roses or ropes of pearls, and they, they just basically demand the reader's attention and they're also heavily made up their expressions present, opposed, nonchalant seduction. That is quite captivating, it must be said. And these type of illustrations earned Arete the magazine's praise as quot the foremost designer of original fashions. End quote. But his designs were always a little more fantastical than realistic.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Right?

[April Callahan]

So while Arte enjoyed a career in fashion throughout his entire life, his most dramatic, magical work was always to be found on the stage.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes. And beginning in 1916, Erte's beguiling reveries took flight in the French music halls owned by theatre doyen Madame Russimi, who gave the young artist unbridled artistic expression in his set and costume design. And it was for Racimi's 1917 revue Gabette de Paris that he first worked with the famed performer Mistin get quote, I designed lavish costumes for her with long trains and huge feather headdresses which she had never worn before, end quote. And indeed, Mystinguette's name became synonymous with those over the top costumes, skyrocketing plumed headwear. But it was actually a look that she adopted from another performer, the incomparable and ever fashionable Gaby Deli.

[April Callahan]

Deli is perhaps best remembered today for her role in introducing the first American jazz band to Europe during World War I in the revue Laissez le Tambe, in which she starred at the Casino de Paris. But Ms. Tinguet credited the review with representing, quote, the birth of the music hall as we now know it, with its profusion of ostrich feathers, satins, nudes, monumental sets and spectacular transformation scenes. So Dali was this really internationally renowned performer in her day and really thought of her being responsible for setting the standard for these colossal feathered headdresses that we most associate with the showgirl. And her extravagant displays of dress were in an essential and also integral component of her image. And she cultivated that image through high profile collaborations with some famous costume and fashion designers, including Etienne Drian and also Lucille lady duff Gordon. And Ms. Ninguett said, quote, is true that I never imitated anybody. This did not prevent me from eyeing what Gabby D. Lee bought and buying what she had her eye on.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So Del's theatrical costumes and personal clothing garnered worldwide media attention, but was really always her headwear for which she became the most famous. In an article simply entitled Hats, The Green Book magazine recounted the power of Gabby's mountainous millinery in a 1960 Irving Berlin review. Quote, when Gabby stepped out at the opening of Stop Look, Listen, New York gasped at the first millinery confection throughout the performance it continued to gasp. It has seen plenty of hats in its day, but never such extraordinary headdresses as Gabby of the Lilies wore.

[April Callahan]

Daly exclaimed to theater magazine in 1916, quote, My hat is the soul of my costume. It is me, my personality, my individuality. Not a covering for the head, but an ornament. My whole theory of proper dressing wearing something that no one else wears. End quote. And she certainly did that, yes, both both on and off stage, actually. And fashion kind of defined her career until her untimely death in 1920. But her legacy continues to endure in the costumes of performers that we know and love today, such as Cher, Lady Gaga, and of course, the showgirls of the remaining Paris in Vegas reviews. And if you want to learn more about Dali's extraordinary life, you can actually check out our episode dedicated to her from season one.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And on that note, we actually are concluding today's episode so you can join us for part two as we continue to unpack this incredible relationship between fashion and the showgirl, beginning with a discussion of one of the most famous Showgirls of all, Ms. Josephine Baker. Until then, may you consider letting your inner showgirl sparkle in your wardrobe next time you get dressed.

[April Callahan]

Please head to eressedpodcast on Instagram or Rest podcast without the underscore on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And remember, we always love hearing from you, so if you'd like to write to us, you can do so at. Hello DressedHistory.com DressedHistory.com is also our website where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our in person tours and online fashion history courses. And you can check out whatever else we have up our finely tailored sleeves.

[April Callahan]

We get so many questions from you all about our recommendations for fashion history books, so if you are interested you can always find a link in our show notes to our Bookshop Bookshelf. So that address is bookshop.org shop dragon and there you can find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And do you love Dressed but want to skip the ads? You can now sign up for Ad free listening with any tier on our Dressed History Patreon.

[April Callahan]

We are also excited to now be part of the Airwave Network and their premium ad free history subscription Airwave History plus available on Apple Podcasts. The subscription brings dress and also 2027 other popular history podcasts ad free for just $5.99 per month. More information on Patreon and Airwave is available at the link in our bio.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Thank you as always for tuning in. And more dress coming your way very soon. The history of fashion is a production of dressed media. And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat helping people customize their car insurance. Save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[April Callahan]

Uh, limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Cut the camera.

[April Callahan]

They see us.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings. Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts. Hi listeners, it's Jack Bishop. I'm the ingredients guy on America's Test Kitchens public television show and the host of our award winning podcast Print Proof. Proof combines history, science and culture to tell unexpected stories about food. Every episode is filled with aha. Moments that you'll want to share at your next dinner party. New episodes drop every Thursday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and you might never look at food the same way again.