Fashion History Mystery #60: What's Up Lilli Ann? (Dressed Classic)

Summary

---

Podcast Summary

Dressed: The History of Fashion - “Fashion History Mystery #60: What's Up Lilli Ann?”

Hosts: Cassidy Zachary & April Callahan
Original Air Date: February 20, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Dressed: The History of Fashion dives into the fascinating backstory of the American women’s fashion brand Lilli Ann, a listener-requested mystery. The hosts trace the rise, innovations, controversies, and legacy of the brand, shining a spotlight not only on its glamorous designs but also on its enigmatic founder, Adolph Schuman. The story reveals how Lilli Ann became an industry powerhouse, its impact on American and European fashion, and the outsized personality at its helm.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of Lilli Ann ([01:45–05:07])

• Listener Requests Spark Curiosity: Multiple listeners asked for a Lilli Ann episode, prompting research into a seemingly straightforward American brand.

  “I did know at the time that Lilli Ann was a quote unquote better American line of women’s suits and outerwear… I wasn’t exactly sure at the time if there was enough of an interesting backstory there… Boy was I wrong.” — April ([01:45])

• Founder’s Unexpected Background:
  • Lilli Ann wasn’t named after a real Lily Ann, but after founder Adolph Schuman’s wife, Lillian.
  • Schuman, born in 1907 to a diamond dealer, was a shipping clerk and amateur boxer before fashion.
  • He supposedly didn’t want his wife “to kill herself with housework,” so boxed to pay for a housekeeper. ([03:29])
• Mysterious Seed Money & Mob Speculation:
  • Schuman launched the brand in 1933 or 1934 with an $800 loan (≈$19,000 today), supposedly from a laundry delivery friend—leading April to suspect possible mob connections.

  “Doesn’t it kind of seem like a lot of money…for a delivery guy to just kind of have on hand?...I have some suspicions that Schuman might have had some mob connections.” — April ([04:03])

  • The fashion industry’s historical entanglement with the mob is discussed, but the connection remains unproven. ([05:07])

2. Early Years & Design Ethos ([06:33–09:57])

• Unknown Fashion Training:
  • Little is known about Schuman’s formal entry into fashion.
  • The brand began in San Francisco’s Chinatown in a small atelier with six Chinese seamstresses.
  • Schuman was not the designer; Jeans Miller was the creative lead.
• Distinct Style & Quality:
  • Lilli Ann’s suits and coats offered exaggerated versions of Parisian trends (tighter waists, brighter colors).

  "If the fashion brand Lilli Ann were brought to life as a woman…an apt career for her would be that of a sassy showgirl." — Cassidy ([07:50])

• Marketing Tactics:
  • Schuman’s infamous method: send a model in a new design to a bar, and if she wasn’t picked up in 10 minutes, the design was scrapped. ([08:52])

  “He liked to test new designs…if a man didn’t pick her up in the first 10 minutes, the design was canceled.” — April ([08:52])

3. Wartime Expansion & Hollywood Innovations ([09:57–12:57])

• WWII Turns the Fashion Tables:
  • The Nazi occupation of Paris temporarily cuts off America from French fashion, giving American designers their first real spotlight. ([09:57])
• Cinematic Advertising Firsts:
  • Instead of costuming films, Schuman partners with Columbia Pictures to produce and show Lilli Ann runway trailers in movie theaters nationwide, reaching vast audiences. ([11:12])
• Protection Against Copyists:
  • With popularity came rampant design piracy. Lilli Ann filed at least one lawsuit in 1946 to protect its original designs.

4. Postwar Boom and the Marshall Plan ([12:57–15:57])

• Overwhelming Demand:
  • A Life magazine feature in 1948 led to the company selling out of inventory in two days, requiring continual expansion.
  • At peak, employees worked 48-hour weeks, yet supply could not meet demand.
• Role in International Recovery:
  • Schuman serves as a US government emissary to Europe under the Marshall Plan, promoting modern textile methods and opening relationships with European mills.
  • Impact: Dramatic wage increases and efficiencies in France.

    “…showed the French management how to increase output…Prices fell from $47 per yard to $7…wages rose from 47 cents per hour to 75 cents per hour.” — Cassidy ([13:46])

  • Always insisted worker profits increase with owner profits.

5. The Lilli Ann Machine: Marketing & Growth ([20:48–25:15])

• Advertising Prowess:
  • By the 1950s, Lilli Ann featured in high-end magazines (Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar), often photographed by legends like Richard Avedon.
  • Example: The 1951 Dorian Leigh campaign in a sharp white suit with black piping. ([22:11])
• Affordable Luxury:
  • Lilli Ann suits retailed for about $90 at Saks Fifth Avenue (≈$1,000+ today)—a middle ground between department store RTW and Paris couture ($6,000+).
  • Multimillion-dollar ad spends, immense sales (the 1957 equivalent of $160 million annually).

6. Recognition, Controversy, and Personality ([25:15–29:39])

• International Honors:
  • Schuman is awarded France’s Legion d’Honneur for revitalizing its textile industry (1954), the first American manufacturer ever so recognized. ([25:15])
• The Boss from “Hellraiser” to Trailblazer:
  • Not all press was positive: Cosmopolitan’s 1957 profile paints Schuman as a volatile, restless brawler who thrived on chaos, boasted of fights with mobsters, barely ate or slept, and kept staff on edge.

  “Schuman thrives on violence and a life of calm holds no appeal for him…inclined to stir something up if no excitement is imminent.” — Cass reading from Cosmopolitan ([27:15])

  • Schuman’s own quote on achievements:

    “…let’s sell them on glamour. Tell them our clothes are made at the top of Montmartre out of moonbeams and cobwebs. Say the designer cut her hands off at the wrist so that the creations would never be duplicated.” ([28:04])

7. Expansion, Diversification, and Decline ([29:39–33:05])

• New Lines and Factories:
  • Launches Baron Philippe in France (1958), Lilli Ann Couture (1960), Lilli Ann Boutique, lines for petites/talls (1965), Paris Sophisticates (1966)—the latter manufactured in Puerto Rico at 25,000 coats/week.
• Enormous Financial Scale:
  • In the 1970s, Lilli Ann spends $12M on ads in Harper’s Bazaar alone.
  • Brand nears 50 years, does $124M in business (1982).
• The End of an Era:
  • Schuman dies suddenly in 1985; the company’s fortunes rapidly decline.
  • 1995: Announcement of closure, but a new owner (Randy Allen) rescues the brand amid public worker outcry.

  “I was well aware of the Lilli Ann history and the Adolph Schuman legend. It would have been tragic for San Francisco to lose this tradition.” — Randy Allen ([31:41])

  • The trail runs cold by August 1995; no news on the company reemerging.

8. Legacy and Modern Reception ([32:22–33:48])

• Enduring Vintage Appeal:
  • Lilli Ann remains beloved among vintage collectors, often commanding double its original (inflation-adjusted) retail price.

  “One Lilli Ann suit…is listed for $1,800 on Etsy currently, nearly double the original $1,000 price tag.” — Cassidy ([32:22])

• Reflections:
  • The story highlights the immense influence of American manufacturers, the global fashion landscape, and the unpredictability found in every corner of fashion history.

  “…You never know what you are going to find out once you start pulling on all these threads.” — April ([33:05])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mob Involvement:

  “I have some suspicions that Schuman might have had some mob connections…Just saying.” — April ([04:03])

• On Early Design Testing:

  “If a man didn’t pick her up in the first 10 minutes, the design was cancelled, scrapped, and it didn’t go into production.” — April ([08:52])

• On Lilli Ann’s Advertising Strategy:

  “He put Lilli Ann on the silver screen…partnered with Columbia Pictures to film Lilli Ann’s November 1944 fashion show…screened as a trailer in the spring of 1945 in almost 6,000 movie theatres.” — Cassidy ([10:32])

• On Schuman’s Award from France:

  “[He was] the first American manufacturer ever to be given this award.” — Cassidy ([25:15])

• On Schuman’s Management Style:

  “He says he is a medical curiosity because his low pulse rate, low blood pressure and low thyroid output offer no clue to his excess energy…works 18 hours a day for months at a time, claiming to require hardly any sleep.” — Cassidy ([27:15])

• On Schuman’s Marketing Philosophy:

  “Let’s sell them on glamour. Tell them our clothes are made at the top of Montmartre out of moonbeams and cobwebs.” — April quoting Schuman ([28:04])

• On Lilli Ann’s Enduring Appeal:

  “The brand is very much a favorite of vintage collectors around the world.” — Cassidy ([32:22])

• On Research Surprises:

  “You never know what you are going to find out once you start pulling on all these threads.” — April ([33:05])

---

Key Segment Timestamps

• [01:45] — Introduction and Listener Requests
• [03:06] — Adolph Schuman: Background and Boxing Origins
• [04:03] — Speculation on Mob Seed Money
• [06:53] — Lilli Ann’s Founding: Early Years, Team, and Designs
• [08:52] — Schuman’s Unorthodox Design Testing
• [09:57] — WWII, American Fashion, and Hollywood Campaigns
• [12:04] — Legal Battles over Copycats
• [13:46] — Impact on European Textile Industry (Marshall Plan)
• [20:48] — 1950s–1960s Marketing, Advertising, and Price Points
• [25:15] — Recognition, French Legion d’Honneur
• [27:15] — Cosmopolitan Profile: Schuman’s Volatility and Habits
• [28:04] — Schuman’s Attitude towards His Own Achievements
• [29:39] — Company Expansion, Paris Sophisticates, and Advertising Spending
• [31:41] — Schuman’s Death, Company’s Decline, Worker Rescue Mission
• [32:22] — Modern-Day Ongoing Lilli Ann Appeal among Collectors
• [33:05] — Final Reflections

---

Tone and Closing Thoughts

The episode blends sharp historical research with the hosts’ conversational, witty, and occasionally irreverent tones. April and Cassidy don’t shy away from speculation and personal reflection, but always circle back to the larger historical narrative. They balance anecdotes about Schuman’s wild side with recognition of his genuine business savvy and influence. The episode closes by reminding listeners that every innovation, scandal, or oddball boss leaves its mark on fashion history—and perhaps even in your own closet.

---

Transcript

[Cassidy Zachary]

It's tax season, and at LifeLock, we know you're tired of numbers, but here's a big one you need to billions. That's the amount of money and refunds the IRS has flagged for possible identity fraud. Now here's another big number. 100 million. That's how many data points LifeLock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it. Guaranteed. One last big number. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast for the threats you can't control. Terms apply if you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in.

[April Callahan]

Grainger knows that you need a partner

[Cassidy Zachary]

that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first

[April Callahan]

problem of the day is a clanking

[Cassidy Zachary]

blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat.

[April Callahan]

With Grainger's easy to use website and

[Cassidy Zachary]

product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Please enjoy one of our favorite episodes from the Dressed archive of over 500 plus shows.

[April Callahan]

The history of Fashion is a production of dressed media. With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Welcome to Trust, 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]

Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan. Well, well, well, dress listeners, it has been a bit since we have done a fashion history mystery based on listener requests. So a recent request from EFFA Kenny reminded me that this was not the first Ask for today's topic. Several listeners in the past, including winterspastvintaged, have also asked for more information on the American fashion brand Lily Ann. And I have to say, Cass, that when these requests initially came in, I didn't necessarily jump on the topic right away. I did know at the time that Lily Ann was a quote unquote better American line of women's suits and outerwear kind of from the 1950s onwards. And while I knew the clothes were really beautiful if a bit trendy for the era, I wasn't exactly sure at the time if there was enough of an interesting backstory there to turn it into an entire episode. So today I am happy to report back on that. And I'm also happy to report that, boy was I wrong.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, listeners, while I was in the final phases of my rabbit hole of researching Barbie's fashion history, April was in the trenches, too. She was digging the way back out of her own rabbit hole, researching the brand. Lily Ann, and also the person behind the brand, who was not, as one might assume, Lily Ann, nor a woman,

[April Callahan]

but rather Adolph Schumann, who named the company after his wife, Lillian. And boy, oh, boy, Cass, this guy was a real one. He was a stellar businessman. A Harper's B once called him one of the most respected manufacturers in the country. But other times, he could be a little bit of a questionable character, I would say, as we will learn.

[Cassidy Zachary]

So who was Adolph Schuman? Schuman was born in 1907. He was the son of a diamond dealer. But actually, little else is really publicly known about Schuman's childhood and education. However, we do know that by the early 1930s, he was already married to Lillian and working as a shipping clerk and an amateur boxer. He stated in the press that he didn't want his wife to kill herself with housework. So he took on boxing matches and used his $25 fee per match to pay for a housekeeper. And we're going to talk more about this boxing situation a little later in the episode.

[April Callahan]

We will. And Schuman entered the realm of fashion, and, depending on the source, 1933 or 1934, when he borrowed $800, which would be about $19,000 today, as seed money, to start his fashion brand. And while later in his life he would claim that this loan came from a bank, however, quite a lot of articles from the 1940s specifically note that the loan was from a friend whose name was Rudolph Kuch, who worked as a laundry delivery man. And this is where I start to have some questions, Cass. I mean, doesn't it kind of seem like a lot of money, $19,000 for a delivery guy to just kind of have on hand to loan to a friend? And when you couple this with the fact that he was participating in the amateur boxing world, which we do know involved gambling, I have some suspicions that Schuman might have had some mob connections. And this is actually where the money came from. Just saying.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Which reminds me of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's last season. Just saying. So, quite possible, right? And of course, we cannot say this for certain, but we do know that the mob had a long history of being involved with labor unions, including labor unions related to the fashion trades. So much so that the New York mob actually had a set fee scale for their intimidation tactics that were meant to keep garment workers and manufacturers in check. So that the mob, you know, could continue to profit off of the Garment industry, for instance, in the 1920s and 30s, hiring the mob to, quote, unquote, mess up a small garment factory would cost you about $150, whereas a large would be four times that. So, like $600.

[April Callahan]

Also, knocking out a person of, quote, unquote, average importance would cost you about $200. This was also the same price as breaking a victim's arm or fingers.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yikes.

[April Callahan]

I can't believe that this was actually like a fee schedule. There were also higher rates for more grisly tactics employed to keep the fashion industry under the mob's thick thumb. But we're not going to delve any further into this as we've already veered off topic a bit. But, you know, I just want to say that this is entirely conjecture on my part that the initial seed money for the founding of Lillian might have been a loan from the mob, because sometimes you just have hunches, you know.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. And I have a feeling that we're going to get a couple listener requests about doing an episode just on this, that very topic. But we digress. April, I do have a few questions, though, because we know that here he went from Adolf, went from a shipping clerk to a garment manufacturer, but what exactly was his background or training in fashion?

[April Callahan]

That is an excellent question and one that I cannot honestly answer. It's kind of like a missing piece of the puzzle. Usually we know that a designer grew up in a family that was in the fashion trades, or perhaps they went to art and design school. But we know next to nothing about Schumann's stuff, ties to fashion. When he first launched Lillian, here's what we do know. We know that by 1934, he had set the brand up in San Francisco's Chinatown in a two room atelier where he employed six Chinese seamstresses. And that is precisely what the primary sources in the fashion press tell us at the time, that they were Chinese. It's unclear if perhaps they were Chinese American. Schumann himself was not the designer. Rather, the creations of Lillian were the designs of Jeans Miller, who initially served as the model for the fledgling fashion line.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Shuman states that these early years, the late 30s of the business, were difficult. They were barely scraping by. They were primarily selling to small boutiques on the west coast who appreciated the quality of their small rent offerings. And Schuman, it must be said, was a stickler for quality, particularly when it came to the fabrics used for Lillian's suits and coats, which, while well made from a design perspective, they were not necessarily reinventing the wheel. So they stuck close to the popular silhouettes and color palettes of the day, and oftentimes were inspired by trends set by the French fashion industry. But one might even describe Lily Ann's designs as exaggerated versions of Paris trends. So you have, like, the nipped waist of a Lily Ann suit might just be a tad tighter, and the color selected for a coat a little bit brighter. And if the fashion brand Lillian were brought to life as a woman, let's just say an apt career for her would be that of a sassy showgirl. And that also goes for the brand's owner, who was a bit of a showman himself.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, Cass. Because by the 1940s, Schumann and the brand Lillian had become major players on the west coast fashion scene. In an article from later on in his life, a colleague in the San Francisco fashion scene remarked of Schuman, at this time in the 1940s, quote, anyone who is someone in the city's apparel industry has a story about Adolph Schuman, and apparently had a very larger than life personality. And that really only grew his reputation in conjunction with some of the unorthodox tactics that he took within the trade. Some of them are detailed on a lot of these articles. But one of my favorites is that he liked to test new designs before they went into mass production. And, and to do so, he would send a model to a bar wearing that new design. And if a man didn't pick her up in the first 10 minutes, the design was canceled, scrapped, and it didn't go into production. So this is kind of what I was meaning about Lillian garments. You know, Schumann really wanted them to be these attention grabbing statement pieces.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And speaking of attention, we also have to remember that the 1940s was also a major moment for American fashion in general. This is World War II, mind you, and Americans were cut off from the influence of Paris fashion due to the Nazi occupation of Paris. And this allowed American fashion designers to step into the spotlight in a way that they had not been able to previously. I mean, France had had a very strong grip on the American fashion industry for decades. So During World War II, American fashion journalists and retailers alike turned their attentions to homegrown talents. And it's in the mid-1940s that we see Lily Ann really begin to be widely covered in the fashion press. And perhaps this is the result of Schuman's courting of Hollywood and listeners. This was not the usual scenario where, say, a fashion designer sought publicity by dressing popular actresses. Schuman actually envisioned something much grander. He put Lily Ann on the silver screen. So not by costuming films, but by setting up promotions with movie theaters. So for instance, he partnered with Columbia Pictures to film Lily Ann's November 1944 fashion show that was held in Los Angeles. And then that fashion show was screened as a trailer in the spring of 1945 and almost 6,000 movie theaters across

[April Callahan]

the US and it seems that Schuman's publicity gambit paid off. Sales skyrocketed and it was now necessary to expand manufacturing operations to Los Angeles to keep up with the new demand. But along with that success came a whole new set of concerns. Lillian had become a household name. And with that came the copyists. Yes, you heard me right. A tale as old as time. You know, this culture of ready to wear manufacturers copying other houses. Design work was so rampant in the American fashion industry at this time that it was almost normalized. Normalized, but not entirely legal. In 1946, Lillian was involved in at least one lawsuit which they brought against manufacturers and retailers engaging in design piracy.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And.

[April Callahan]

And the lawsuit claimed that copies of Lillian's coats and suits were being knowingly sold as Lillian originals across the U.S.

[Cassidy Zachary]

needless to say, Lilliane was in demand and so much so that the company was now struggling to keep up with orders. So there's an article about the brand in Life magazine in 1948 resulted in the company selling completely out of their stock in two days. And in 1951, Lilian significantly doubled its Los Angeles manufacturing operations yet again. And despite employees working 48 hour weeks, the company was often forced to turn away orders as they simply could not produce their quality garments at such a pace. But if the business struggled financially in the late 1930s, its struggle in the late 1940s and early 1950s was actually bringing their manufacturing capabilities to scale.

[April Callahan]

And this wild success of the Lillian brand was quite public. Perhaps this is what garnered the attention of US government officials who in 1948 tapped Schuman to be an official emissary for the American fashion industry as part of the US Government's Economic Recovery act, which is more popularly now referred to as the Marshall Plan. So essentially, the Marshall Plan was an international diplomatic initiative to assist the countries of Europe in economic recovery in the post World War II period. And Schuman's role in this initiative was to engage with European textile manufacturers to act as a consultant in streamlining their production methods, but also to commission and promote European textiles within the American fashion

[Cassidy Zachary]

industry, which is something at which he excelled. He threw himself into this project with all of his considerable charisma. He actually worked with smaller textile mills, and many of which had been operating the same way for generations. And he, as reported in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1957, quote, showed the French management how to increase output by using modern methods of production, merchandising and distributions. And Prices fell from $47 per yard to $7. Wages rose from 47 cents per hour to 75 cents per hour. And this last point was actually something he was really a stickler for. When the implementation of his methods led to the owner's increase in profits, he demanded that the money also filtered down to the workers, saying, quote, what you pay according to what a man produces shows in the results.

[April Callahan]

One other bold move Schuman made was not part of the marginal plan per se, but on the part of his own interest. Lilian. The demand for Lillian's offerings now being what it was, he had some massive purchasing power, and he put it to use. So many of these small mills he consulted with in France and Italy had been running on a system of producing small, seasonal runs of multiple textiles for the haute couture industry. And, you know, obviously, producing multiple designs for short periods of time meant reconfiguring the looms again and again. So, conversely, producing a large amount of a single textile is a lot more efficient in terms of labor and prep work. And given the scale of Lillian's manufacturing operations at this point, Schuman was able to offer these smaller mills substantial commissions for larger runs of fabrics. And in 1957, an article notes that he was spending a whopping $2 million a year on French fabrics alone. Cast. That would be the equivalent of about $21 million today. And also a really interesting fact is that from one French mill, he was able to commission 33 miles of a single textile motif.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And.

[April Callahan]

Wow. And I. Yeah, I know. I think this really puts into perspective the massive popularity of the Lillian brand. We're going to take a short sponsor break here, but more on Lilyanne and the fashion press when we come back. We are so excited to share that this podcast is Sponsored by the RealReal. The best place to shop. Authenticated luxury handbags, clothing, watches, and so much more. For years now, Cass and I have both been shopping and selling at the RealReal, which is great because I can also use my earnings to buy something special and new to me.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yes, it's the easiest way to sell. And when you sell with the real world, they do everything for you, from photography and copywriting to shipping, pricing, customer service. So you can just sit back and get paid. Plus with over 40 million fashion lovers on the RealReal, your items will sell fast. The RealReal just makes it so easy. Resell is what they do so you have time to do you the realreal

[April Callahan]

is the go to place for your next special piece. Looking to add another super cozy winter coat to your wardrobe? The perfect vacation sandals? Ready to invest in a new bag to add to your collection? Find exactly what you're looking for that no one else has at the RealReal.

[Cassidy Zachary]

The RealReal is the most trusted name and authenticated luxury resell with over 10,000 new arrivals daily. No one does resell like the RealReal and now get 25 off of your first purchase when you go to therealreal.com dressed that's therealreal.com dressed to get your $25 off, start shopping [e-mail] dressed

[April Callahan]

dress listeners if you are anything like me at the moment, therapy has been helping me sort out my feelings in these rather uncertain times. And if you don't already have a regular therapy routine, sometimes wait lists for an appointment can be months long.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And we know that therapy can help. But sometimes it isn't the whole answer. Which is why tachyotry is here to help. Tchiatry gives you access to real psychiatric care with licensed clinicians who can diagnose and prescribe medication if it's right for you. It's a simple way to get effective treatment right from home.

[April Callahan]

You'll meet with an experienced licensed psychiatrist who takes the time to understand what's going on, builds a personalized treatment plan, and can prescribe medication when it's right for you. Your care stays consistent and evidence based and they accept major insurers.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Head to tochiatry.com dressed and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. That's tokayatree.com to get matched in minutes.

[April Callahan]

Well, winter is upon us and I've huddled up indoors with our recent onslaught of snow here in New York City. And one way I've been staying cozy is by layering up in my Quince Essentials. Quince has wardrobe staples with quality that's meant to last 100%. Organic cotton sweaters Premium denim made with stretch for all day comfort luxe cotton cashmere blends perfect for the changing seasons. Basically everything you need for a wardrobe that stands the test of time.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Designed for layering and mixing, each piece helps build a timeless wardrobe with versatile silhouettes and thoughtful details. They're the kind of styles you wear again and again.

[April Callahan]

Quints works directly with safe ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen. So you're not paying for brand markup, just high quality clothing and home goods too. So from bedding and home goods to ethically and sustainably produced fashion, Quints is a carefully curated source for consciously produced things that we all need in our day to day lives.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And I have to say I'm such a big fan. I especially love their organic brushed cotton sheets which I have in the most lovely color of fig. So what are you waiting for? Refresh your wardrobe with quince. Go to quince.com dressed for free shipping on your order and 365 days returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U-I-N-E.com dress to get free shipping and 365 day returns quince.com dress

[April Callahan]

cass like so many of us, every turn of a new year I tell myself I'm going to get better about meal prepping. And every year life continues to get busy and that whole plan falls apart. What finally clicked for me is realizing meals don't have to look one specific way, they just have to fit into your life. That's what Marley Spoon does really well.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And that's only one reason why I love Marley Spoon. It actually adapts with you. Some nights you cook, some nights you heat, some nights you just need dinner done fast. They've got options for all of it so that meals fit your schedule, not the other way around.

[April Callahan]

Marley Spoon has tons of options in their marketplace, from meal shortcuts and drinks to fresh groceries that you can add on each week. Marley Spoon's prepared meals are exactly what they sound like convenient, delicious and on the table in minutes. These are lifesavers when I really just don't feel like cooking this new year.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Fast track your way to eating well with Marley spoon. Head to marley spoon.com offer dressed for up to 25 free meals. That's right. Up to 25 free meals with Marley Spoon. That's marleyspoon.com offer dressed for up to twenty five free meals. Welcome back. So listeners, by now we have well established that the Lily Ann brand was hot by the early 1950s. But what we haven't mentioned yet is that this was in large part thanks to Schuman's robust advertising campaigns. So if the 1940s saw Lillian advertised on the silver screen in the 1950s, it was in the pages of high end fashion magazines. 1950s issues of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar are full of Lillian ads. And if you think that Schuman was a stickler for quality in his garments. He was no less so with his advertising. So many of Lily Ann's campaigns were shot by leading and now legendary fashion photographers of the era, including Richard Avedon.

[April Callahan]

Yeah, Cass, some of these ads are super stunning and stop you in your tracks when you're flipping through the magazines. And I suppose this is entirely the point, right, to grab the viewer's attention. It is advertising, after all. So these are really successful ads. And I just want to describe one particular Avadon Shop campaign that ran in 1951. It features one of the greatest supermodels of the era, Dorian Leigh. And she is wearing a tailored double breasted white suit. The waist cannot be more nipped. It's very tight. And this is accentuated by the fact that the jacket has this little ruffled peplum at the hips and the edges of this white suit on the peplum at the center front line where it closes. And also the lapels, these are all trimmed with black piping. So it's a very like, contrasting situation. The black piping is also at the upturned cuffs. And the sleeves of the jacket are bracelet length. So she's wearing long black gloves. She's carrying a very smart umbrella that has like a zipper cover on the umbrella itself in the crook of her arm. And of course, no outfit of this time, this is the 1950s, would be complete without a hat. So she is wearing a very small black toque by one of the top milliners of the day, Mr. John. So per usual, Adolph Schumann demanded everything be the very best.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And it must be said, Lillian garments were some of the best of American ready to wear for a very specific price point. So this suit April just described, actually retailed at Saks Fifth Avenue for $90, which would be a little over a quarter thousand dollars today. Conversely, a couture suit from the likes of Dior or Jacques Fath, for instance, at this same time would run five times as much, around $6,000. But a $1,000 ready to wear suit versus a $6,000 couture model proved to be the sweet spot for American women. Apparently, in 1957, Lillian brought in the equivalent of $160 million today, of which more than 2.5 million was spent on advertising. And it showed.

[April Callahan]

Yes, the mid-1950s saw the fashion industry recognize Schuman's business acumen with award after award in the US but most notably were the awards that he garnered from France. So remember that stint that he had done working abroad as part of the Marshall Plan back in the 1940s well, as it turns out, the programs that he helped implement in France, Britain and Italy were runaway successes. And after a few years, the small mills that launched some of his methods in terms of streamlining production and distribution, they were now able to switch from seasonal production models to year round production models. And some of these regions in France, which had employed formerly like around 1500 textile workers, now boom to employ more than 25,000 workers.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Wow, that's incredible. And the fashion press in America, France and Italy all credited the massive booms for these mills directly to Schuman's consultations. In 1954, the French government even cemented their appreciation with one of the country's greatest honors. He was given the Legion d' Honneur award for his assistance in growing French industries, industry and the subsequent blossoming of international trade. In October of 1954, Vogue published an article on the occasion noting that Schuman was, quote, the first American manufacturer ever to be given this award, end quote. And while the fashion press lauded Schuman's finesse in the realm of operations, not all press was good. Press listeners remember when I said at the top of this episode that we would come back to that little bit about Box? I mean, it seems that Adolph Schumann was good at business, but maybe he wasn't the best at, well, being a good boss.

[April Callahan]

Yeah. So, Cass, you mentioned briefly that 1957 Cosmopolitan article. It's actually this rather lengthy piece. It's a four page spread on Schuman entitled the American Fashion Expert who Saved a French Industry. And it was interesting part, an interview conducted in Paris while Schuman was staying at the Georges Cinq, which was one of the ritziest hotels in the world and continues to be. It's now known as the Ritz Carlton in Paris's Place Vendome. But the article details his work in France. But it also, at the same time, doesn't necessarily paint the most flattering picture of Schuman as a human being. QUOTE Now 47. Schuman has never forgotten his days as a boxer and is still ready and willing to back up his opinions with his fists. End quote. Schuman then relates to the journalist a story of getting into a very recent fight with mob gangsters in a New York nightclub and goes on to brag of waking up with two black eyes.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah, this article's author really doesn't hold back. The article continues, quote, schuman thrives on violence and a life of calm holds no appeal for him. Happiest in times of crisis, he is inclined to stir Something up. If no excitement is imminent, he is given to sudden rages which are just as quickly over. Although his business associates sometimes remain shaken for hours, Adolf forgets his indignation instantly. He says he is a medical curiosity because his low pulse rate, low blood pressure and low thyroid output offer no clue to his excess energy. He also actually in this article, goes on to claim he only eats 400 calories a day, which is not sustainable, and works 18 hours a day for months at a time, claiming to require hardly any sleep. So not the healthiest individual, I would say.

[April Callahan]

I'm just gonna go ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Because there's so many red flags here, if not full stop signs. This is concerning another curious question quote from Schuman. From this article actually has something to do with what I would say is a positive outcome of his career, and that was his recognized success in streamlining production methods for dozens of textile mills in Europe. However, when an advertising agency suggested that he promote this achievement, he responded, quote, who cares about that? Our customers don't. Let's sell them on glamour. Tell them our clothes are made at the top of Montmartre out of of moonbeams and cobwebs. Say the designer cut her hands off at the wrist so that the creations would never be duplicated. Okay.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Sounds like Adolf might have had a drink or two before his interview. Or if the journalist was. Yeah. Or the journalist was not happy with Schuman for various reasons. This is very interesting to me. So while Adolf seemed to be a handful, his business dealings did not seem to suffer. In 1958, he launched a fashion venture in France known as as Baron Philippe, which exported high end ready to wear to the European and African markets. In 1960, he launched a sportswear separates line known as Lillian Couture, as well as an at homewear line known as Lillian Boutique. And in 1965, Lilian launched lines for both petite and tall women. And in 1966, Schumann launched a more affordable line known as Paris Sophisticates.

[April Callahan]

And an interesting fact about his parasophisticates line, Cass. It was actually manufactured in Puerto Rico in two garment factories that were able to turn out the demand for 25,000 coats per week. So coming in at what would be about $300 in terms of a price point today, this meant that he had the potential of pulling in about $7.5 million a week in sales with this Paris Sophisticates line alone. And I have to say I was really surprised at a lot of these numbers. Cast of what Lily Ann and its spin offs were pulling in financially. All of this was reported on widely in Women's Wear Daily. And also surprising what they were spending too, because in the 1970s, Harper's Bazaar reported in a little bit of a blurb on Lillian that the company had spent a total of 12 million on advertising in the pages of Harper's Bazaar alone. So this just underscores that there was a lot of money to be made in the fashion industry at this time.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Yeah. And this only continued into the 1980s, the brand now being just shy of 50 years old. In 1982, Lily Ann did more than $124 million in business in today's dollars. And this sum was cited in Adolph Schumann's obituary. Obituary. In 1985, he had passed away suddenly at his office in New York after suffering a heart attack. He was just 77 years old. He had actually divorced Lillian in 1975 and remarried one of the firm's designers. And the company even attempted to carry on under his widow Joe Schumann's direction. Alas, there was a 50% drop in sales in the years following his death. And by 1995, the company announced they would be shuttering their doors. However, there was a campaign to save Lily Ann by the company's workforce, which garnered the attention of the press. And several investors made offers to buy the company in order to rescue the still San Francisco based business.

[April Callahan]

Ultimately, the winning bid went to Randy Allen, who told Women's Wear Daily at the time, I couldn't help but react to what these workers were going through. I was well aware of the Lillian history and the Adolph Schumann legend. It would have been tragic for San Francisco to lose this tradition. End quote. And while it seems, according to the article, that the initial plan was to relaunch the business under Allen's ownership in October of 1995. Actually, Cass, that's it. The tale and the trail of Lillian and the press end rather abruptly right there in July of 1995. There is not a peep about the fate of a company after this date.

[Cassidy Zachary]

But that is not to say that the public's love affair with Lily Ann ended there, because there still remains a substantial fan base. And this is of course attested to by all of your requests for this episode, but also the fact that the brand is very much a favorite of vintage collectors around the world. And the prices of Lily Ann garments actually command quite a high price on today's market. In many cases, they command more money than what the garment would have originally sold for. So, for instance, one Lily Ann suit which appeared in advertising campaigns in the 1950s, is listed for $1,800 on Etsy currently nearly double the original thousand dollar price tag. And this is of course adjusted for inflation.

[April Callahan]

Yes. So for you Lily Ann fans and collectors out there, we hope that this little peek into the brand's backstory has satisfied a bit of your curiosity. And I thought this was a really interesting little romp into the history of a mainstream fashion brand cast. You know, there's lots of information about not just Schumann, who seems to have been a very successful enfant terrible of the American fashion scene, but also the amount of money that was being made by American manufacturers at this time. You know, and that's not even to mention Schumann's work with textile mills in Europe as a part of the Marshall Plan. So I just want to say you never know what you're going to find out once you start pulling on all these threads.

[Cassidy Zachary]

And on that note, I think that does it for us today. Trust listeners, may you consider the legacy of American fashion residing in your closet next time you get dressed. If you have your own burning fashion history mystery, please send it our way. We will try to do many, many more of these and you can do so by emailing us athello dressed history.com or sending us a DM@dress podcast. And this of course is where we post images to accompany each week's episode. Our website is dress history.com and if you want to fight images to accompany this week's FHM, you can look for dressed FHM dressed FHM 60 that's dressed FH M 60.

[April Callahan]

Please head over to restpodcast on Instagram or Rest Podcast without the underscore on Facebook. Check out the visual content associated with each week's episode.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Remember, we love hearing from you Dressed listeners, so if you'd like to write to us you can do [e-mail] DressHistory.com is also our website where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our in person tours and online fashion history courses. And there you can also 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're interested you can always find a link in our show notes to our bookshop.org bookshelf so that address is bookshop.org shop dressed and there you will find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Do you love Dressed but want to skip the ads? We are so excited to now be a part of the Airwave Network and their premium ad free history subscription Airwave History plus and this is available on Apple Podcasts and the subscription brings you our podcast as well as 27 other popular history podcasts ad free for 5.99 per month. More information is available at the link in our bio.

[April Callahan]

Thank you as always for tuning in and more Dressed coming your way soon. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Monster Energy. Everybody knows White Monster Zero Ultra, that's the og. It kicked off this whole Zero Sugar energy drink thing, but Ultra is a whole lineup now. You've got Strawberry Dreams, Blue Hawaiian Sunrise and Vice Guava and they all bring the Monster Energy punch. So if you've been living in the White can branch out. Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe and every single one is Zero Sugar. Tap the banner to learn more. Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today.

[April Callahan]

Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order.

[Cassidy Zachary]

Oh.

[April Callahan]

Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-contacts.