
Loading summary
April Callahan
So good, so good, so good.
Nordstrom Rack Announcer
New fall arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. Get ready to save big with up to 60% off Vince, Kurt, Geiger London and more.
April Callahan
How did I not know Rack has Adidas?
Cassidy Zachary
Cause there's always something new.
Nordstrom Rack Announcer
Join the Nordy Club at Nordstrom Rack to unlock exclusive discounts on your favorite brands. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus get an extra 5% off every rack purchase with a Nordstrom credit card. Great brands, great prices. That's why you Rack.
WhatsApp Announcer
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 more@WhatsApp.com Please enjoy one of our.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
Favorite episodes from the Dressed archive of over 500 plus shows.
April Callahan
With over 7 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day we all get dressed.
Cassidy Zachary
Welcome to Dressed the History of Fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear. We are fashion historians and your hosts.
April Callahan
Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan. Dressed Listeners, Today we are finally making good on a promise for a very much requested episode.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes, we are so excited for today's episode, and that is because we are finally fulfilling more than a few listener requests that have come to us over the years for an episode on EM Fluge, the Viennese fashion designer who is perhaps best known for being the longtime companion, of course, and muse to the painter Gustav Klimt. Their unique relationship often overshadows discussion of Emily's own design career, and as we certainly discovered, the art historical canyon has enshrined Klimt into its pantheon with countless scholarly articles, books, exhibitions. We all know and love him. But Emily's career has really been subject to far less scholarly inquiry, which of.
April Callahan
Course makes her harder to research. So listeners Felicia Gutierrez and Lauren, who goes by the direwolf on Instagram, we did hear your request when you submitted them oh so long ago. It just took us a little bit to gather sufficient information to finally bring you this episode on Emily, the Schwestern FLG Fashion House and the Floge Sisters, personal ties and professional collaborations with arguably one of the most famous modern painters of all time, Gustav Klimt.
Cassidy Zachary
So born In Vienna on August 30, 1874, Emily was the fourth and youngest child of Ehrman and Barbara Flogge. From his father. Ehrman had learned the art of woodturning, but later parlayed his skill into crafting fine smoking pipes, the demand for which afforded the Floge family an upper middle class lifestyle.
April Callahan
And it seems that destiny ordained the paths of the Pfluge and the Klimt families to meet. Some evidence suggests that Hermann Flogge and Gustav Klimt's father, Ernst, may have actually met in their youth in art school. Ernst's career as a gold engraver paralleled that of Herman's as a fellow craftsman, making early familial ties distinctly possible. What we know for certain, however, is the link between the two families became official in 1891 when Emily's older sister Helene married Gustav Klimt's younger brother, Ernst Junior. But Cass, sadly, this marriage did not last terribly long. Not because they weren't getting along, but Ernst Jr. Died the following year following the marriage, leaving behind an infant daughter who was only a few months old.
Cassidy Zachary
Oh, that's so sad, you know. After his brother passed, Gustav was actually named as his niece's guardian. And that further cemented the ties between the Floga and Klimt families. And at the time of her sister Helene's marriage, Emily would have been 17. And it's at this age that Gustav actually first painted her, 12 years her senior. Klimt seems to have been captivated by his young relation by marriage. Emily has been described as, quote, a tall, slender figure with long limbs, dark hair parted in the middle, with broad cheekbones, blue eyes and full lips never made up, a figure reduced to simplicity and clarity of outward appearance.
April Callahan
The friendship between Gustav and Emily seems to have developed thanks in part to the fact that the two did not require a chaperone while in each other's company, as he was considered family. And the intimacy between the two spanned three decades and has been the subject of much art historical scrutiny. As much as we would like to reveal to you all that Emily and Gustav became embroiled in a highly passionate sexual relationship, it seems that the two may never have actually been lovers in the physical sense. Instead, the love that existed between them was a rare and abiding platonic affection of the deepest kind. And we will continue to explore their relationship further as we move through this episode.
Cassidy Zachary
So what does fashion have to do with this story? Right, well, it actually enters stage left now in our story, as by 1895, Emily's older sister Pauline had opened a training school for dressmakers, which we love. Herself an educator. It was possibly Pauline who taught Emily the Art of Dressmaking. And we cannot say for certain, but sometime around 1899, the three sisters, Emily, Helene and Pauline were known to be working together in the fashion trade. In late 1903, the three sisters actually moved into an exceptionally large apartment in the Casa Pecola building on Maria Hilfer Strauss and converted a portion of it into their fledgling fashion house, which became known as Schwestern Flogge or the Floge Sisters.
April Callahan
Opening its doors In July of 1904, Western Floge launched fully formed into the elite artistic circles of Vienna. Pauline the eldest was aged 39, Helene 34 and Emily 31. And the sisters now decade plus familial relationship with the famed Gustav Klimt stood them in good stead. The acknowledged enfantreible of the Viennese art scene, Klimt's work garnered international attention around the turn of the century. Shortly after his formation of the Vienna succession movement in 1897, Gustav helmed this design and artistic movement, which has been described as the German branch of Art Nouveau.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. And one of the succession's fellow founding members was Josef Hoffmann, who would go on to find the weiner Werkstadt in 1903. The close relationship between Klimt and Hoffman and other members of the Weiner Werkstadt surely placed Emily in their orbit as well. So it is little wonder that the Werkstadt was tapped to design the interiors of the Schwestern Flogge.
April Callahan
Fashion and just a brief word on the Weinerwerkstadt translating to Vienna Workshop. The Wienerwerkstadt was conceived as a vehicle for the commercial endeavors of the members of the Succession and its future adherents. Patterning itself somewhat on the British Arts and Crafts movement, Weiner Werkstadt believed in the incorporation of art into one's everyday life through everyday objects, which translated into the dissolution of traditional hierarchies between artistic mediums. Textile or wallpaper design, in their eyes held an equal footing as fine painting or sculpture. And much of the artistic production of the Weiner Vergstadt focused on artisanal craft in the realms of furniture, ceramics, glass and metalwork, graphic design, book binding and even garden and interior design.
Cassidy Zachary
In early commission for the newly formed Werkstadt, the interiors of Schwesternfloge were the cutting edge of modern interior design. In an interview, Schwestern Floga employee Herta Vanke described the fashion house's interiors for us. So she says, quote, the hall, which was a room that was quite plainly decorated, led into the salon. The salon was very large and furnished in the Yugen Steel fashion. The walls were of white lacquer and there were pictures by Colo Moizier let into the walls in black frames which showed ladies in beautiful clothes. Then there were two, you can steal tables and high backed chairs from the Weinerwerkstadt. On one side there was a wood burning tiled stove with a wonderfully embroidered dragon above it. And on the other side there were glass display cases with beautiful embroideries, Hungarian national costumes and Slovakian needlework which were something quite exquisite even then. All the floors were covered wall to wall with light gray felt. End quote.
April Callahan
And apparently this wall to wall felt cast was done so that clients could go barefoot while drying on their garments. And I guess the felt was intended to keep their feet warm. And I found it really kind of entertaining that this wall to wall installation of floor coverings was considered to be quote of the most modern fashion at the time.
Cassidy Zachary
Interesting.
April Callahan
Yeah. Instead of rugs you had the wall to wall coverings. So the offices and a cabin room which housed the house models who showed garments live for clients were also decorated in a similarly starkly modern black and white color palette. And this really complemented the firm's vanguard designs, which were part of the nascent Viennese dress reform movement, which again, we're.
Cassidy Zachary
Going to learn a lot more about on Thursday's episode. So a portrait of Emily by Klimt from 1902 appears to evidence the fact that Emily was entrenched in the Viennese dress reform movement prior to the opening of the schwestern floga in 1904. The deep blue dress she wears is intensely patterned, the most lovely portrait in golden squares and circles and light colored specks that are scattered across the surface like stars in the night sky. The dress flows from Emily's shoulders in an unbroken column and it flows to the ground with no defined waist. The fitted sleeves balloon over the forearms before being tightly cuffed at the wrist. And the neckline of the dress reveals a swath of chest. But Emily's neck was covered entirely by a high collar or the addition of a matching scarf. It's a little hard to tell.
April Callahan
Emily stands erect in the portrait with one hand on her hip, dispassionately gazing directly at the viewer. Little context is offered by way of the background, which is two competing shades of ochre brown. And the brown field surrounding Emily's head is broken by a halo like amorphous form behind Emily's frizzled updo and the patterning within this form that is placed behind her coordinates. But it doesn't quite match the geometries of her dress.
Cassidy Zachary
So, needless to say, the style bears all the hallmarks of reform dress, which placed emphasis on the wearer's comfort and ease of movement. And the dress in the 1902 Klimt portrait lacks a defined waist. And the natural, languid silhouette stands in direct opposition to mainstream fashion of the day, which, as we all know, was tightly tailored. It emphasized the waist above all else. So there was actually a specific type of corset known as the gauche charat, so named after its adventures, who was responsible for the fashionable s bin stance of the era. And the corset aided in pushing a woman's bosom forward and her hips and buttocks back. And it gave this, you know, desired effect of a swayback or s bend, as we just referenced. Needless to say, it was a highly artificial look. Not really natural.
April Callahan
No. And this is pretty much everything that the dress reform movement opposed. Novel styles of dress, which promoted ease of movement and a healthy lifestyle were put forth by various progressive thinkers during the late 19th century. The dress reform movement in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century was certainly not the first. But the radical styles which were adopted by artists and intellectuals served as an inspiration to many fashion designers, like Paul Par, who were working in more mainstream idioms and had an enormous lasting effect on the trajectory of modern fashion.
Cassidy Zachary
So that Emily's dress in the 1902 Klimt portrait is striking as undeniable. If you don't know what we're talking about, dress listeners, Google it immediately, because this also applied to other photographs of her taken by klimt himself. In 1906, a photo essay appeared in the publication Deutsch Kunst A Decoration and Dress listeners. I obviously, this is not my strong suit, but I'm trying to pronounce these correctly, so forgive me. And this publication Featured Emily modeling 10 different dresses. So while some sources cite Klimt as the sole designer of these creations, others call that assignment into question. And they suggest that the designs were more likely examples of a collaboration between Klimt and, of course, the Schwestern Floga. And we do know that the garments featured in the photos were made by the fashion house and later exhibited there as exclusive design. So there you go. That seems to answer that question.
April Callahan
This particular photo essay is incredibly important as it is a rare documentation of the work of the Floga Sisters fashion house, which, as I mentioned previously, Cas is rather challenging to research.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah, And I haven't seen pictures of this shoot yet. And Now I'm dying to. I can't wait listeners.
April Callahan
We will definitely post some of them on Instagram this week. So the photo essay has photos of their work, but also the fact that Emily served as the model makes this all the more valuable. All 10 looks are dresser form styles that follow the established quote unquote, kind of like tent dress silhouette that falls floor length to the ground. It's loose at the waist. And the sleeves of all of these dresses pretty much all feature fanciful tiers of ruffles. Some of them kind of are a little bit akin to 18th century Engagen, but they are long sleeves. And more often than not, the dresses also feature a high collar.
Cassidy Zachary
These designs feature little, however, in the way of extraneous embellishment. And none was really needed, as most of them were realized. And at least what would be considered at the time, riotously patterned textiles to say, you know, understatement of the year. Right. So we have like gigantic floral motifs and bright polka dots. Made quite the statement, especially when you consider them within the context of more mainstream fashions of the late Victorian era, which often favored a dainty pastel color palette. Not even close. There's really no comparison. It's quite astounding, actually.
April Callahan
Some of these textiles would be a little. Considered a little shocking today. This is a like 120 years ago.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah.
April Callahan
So if a given dress did feature from this particular collection that we're talking about did feature a form of embellishment, it was typically at the front yoke. And one example that Emily models in this shoot appears to have been realized in a light colored, probably quite expensive silk dupioni. The sheen of the textile kind of gives it away. And the yoke of the dress is pieced together by five rows of dark and light alternating triangles, the graphic nature of which is really emphasized by the fact that it has contrasting sleeves. And on the sleeves, we have no less than eight flounces appearing at the forearms. It's really, really wonderful. And this must have been a favored look of Emily's as she is also shot wearing the same dress for a portrait by the photographer Madame Dora several years later in 1909. And these dress reform looks were so far ahead of their time cast that it seems in many ways they were kind of just timeless.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. I mean, I think if people see. When people look these up and. And look at them, you're no one, I think, would instinctually date them to like circa 1900. It's kind of amazing. So another favorite from this shoot featured the body of the dress in an oversized floral pattern. But the high necked yoke of the dress was in stark white, and it skims the shoulders and it terminated just above the bust where it was trimmed with two horizontal stripes of black ribbon. And then there appears to be additional black trim trimming in the form of a jabot at the neck. But it's hard to tell exactly what is going on here from the photos. The sleeves, again, are tiered and the whole look is finished with dark colored gloves, of all things.
April Callahan
Yeah. And to say that I am massively obsessed with this look, Cass, might be the understatement of the century, because I would wear it in a heartbeat. It would probably be new and surprising even to some people today, despite the fact that it is over a century old and, you know, my penchant for loud vintage maxi dresses. Of all the looks in this shoot, all of them, they're really already, like, in my taste. So maybe I should just have a whole selection of them made for me and wear Schwester and Floege as a sort of uniform for the rest of my life. I'm sure I'd die happy if I did.
Cassidy Zachary
Well, you do love a good caftan, which probably would make these dress reform styles perfect for you, as it's been noted that the sources of inspiration for many of these dress reform silhouettes were either calf dance kimonos or smocks. And the smock was actually a very favored look for many of the male members of the dress reform movements, including, of course, Gustav himself, as it simultaneously evokes a bourgeoisie sentimentality due to its working class origins and also as a favorite garment of the skilled artist craftsperson. In April, I'm laughing because I actually forgot that I have a little Gustav Klimt doll.
April Callahan
And he's wearing a. He's wearing a smock.
Cassidy Zachary
He's wearing a blue smock. I just remembered that it's, like, conveniently behind me. But anyways, it's. It's so fun to see pictures of him because I don't think that's what you would expect of an artist, but he. He's most often photographed wearing a smock.
April Callahan
There is a really great photo of Gustav and Emily together when they were on holiday. Emily is wearing a bouffant caftan in black and white vertical stripes near the hem of the caftan. A panel has been inset where the striped text is style has been cut apart and then pieced together again to form a sort of checkerboard pattern. And then also two checkerboard Pattern panels have been vertically inserted at the robe's front and this look is loud, friends. But what I really love about the photo is that it's kind of like a series of photos of the two of them, but in some of them Emily is like hysterically laughing, which I just think is really, really fun. The two are definitely having a good time when they did this photo shoot.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah, they really loved each other and enjoyed each other's company. So Klimt's look, while the silhouette was radical, is in its fancifulness, comparatively tame. It's more or less again a floor length smock. So we have light pleats at the shoulders that create a slight gathering down the front and only embellishments are like inset panels featuring a circular geometric motif placed on top of the shoulder pleats. And the textile is sturdy, but it actually has a slight sheen to it. So maybe it's like an expensive heavy linen. Not entirely sure. And this is not the only photo out there. Again, as I mentioned of Clint toning a smock, there are others as well. So clearly this was a favored style.
April Callahan
We are going to take a brief sponsor break here, but more fashions from the Florges sisters when we come back.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
Dress listers. It goes without saying that a lot of our shopping errands are made easier these days by shopping online. So why aren't you using Rakuten? Rakuten is the smartest way to save money when you shop.
Sponsor Voice
That's right. You can earn cash back when you shop at 3,500 stores for fashion, beauty, electronics, home essentials, travel dining, concert tickets and more. How does it work, you ask? Well, brands pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers and this is passed along to you as cash back.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
From Sephora to Petco and Levi's to Expedia. When you shop with Rakuten, your cash back can be deposited directly into your PayPal account or they will send you a check. Membership is free and you can even maximize your savings by stacking cash back on top of other deals like store sales and coupons.
Sponsor Voice
If you're already shopping at your favorite stores, why not save while you're doing it? Get the Rakuten app now and join the 17 million users who are already saving. Cashback rates change daily. See rakuten.com for details. That's R A K U T E N Rakat. Your cash back really adds up. Cass, I know that like me, you have been a customer of the RealReal for years, which is but one reason we are so thrilled that they are sponsoring the podcast and we get to share the RealReal with any of our listeners who aren't already customers.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
Yes, huge fans and one of the reasons is because the RealReal is great for the planet and your wardrobe. The RealReal has found new homes for over 37 million authenticated luxury items so they really know firsthand the impact resale has on the planet. Rather than producing more stuff, the RealReal is making what already exists new to you.
Sponsor Voice
With up to 90% off retail, you can finally have the pieces you've been dreaming of from brands like Gucci, Fendi and Prada. And unlike other resale sites, everything the RealReal sells is authenticated in person by luxury and fashion experts.
April Callahan
And in particular, Cass, you keep trying.
Sponsor Voice
To steal out of my closet one of my Issey Miyake dresses that I.
April Callahan
Purchased from the RealReal.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
Note still, just borrow and never return to you dress listeners.
Cassidy Zachary
The realre is the world's largest and.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
Most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resell with thousands of new arrivals daily. No one does resell like the RealReal and now get 25 off your first purchase when you go to therealreal.com dressed. That's the Real Real.com dressed in all lowercase to get your $25 off. Start shopping now at therealrail.com/dressed dress listeners.
Sponsor Voice
For quite some time we've been sharing about Hormone Harmony by Happy Mammoth, the supplement that helps women maintain optimal hormone levels. With over 50,000 glowing reviews from women worldwide and 98% of those women say they would recommend it to friends and family. But Hormone Harmony is not the only Happy Mammoth product that we love.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
That's right, you can pair Hormone Harmony with their prebiotic collagen protein which helps restore gut lining integrity, promoting overall hormonal balance. It helps to relieve occasional bloating, reduce sugar cravings and help you feel satisfied longer while boosting energy and stabilizing mood.
Sponsor Voice
Swings, Happy Mammoth is dedicated to making women's lives easier and that means using only science backed ingredients that have been proven to work for women. They make no compromise when it comes to quality and it shows.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
Right now you can try prebiotic collagen protein and Hormone Harmony risk free and get 15% off your entire first order with code dressed at checkout@happymammoth.com that's 15% off your first order with promo Code Dressed.
April Callahan
All right, welcome back dressed listeners, back to the Schwestern Floge. We have established that in the early years of the business the sisters were creating avant garde fashions in the Viennese dress reform style. But something rather fascinating that I learned while working on this episode cast is that they were also offering more mainstream French fashions, apparently. Several former employees of the house who were interviewed later note that Emily traveled to Paris and in London sometimes as well, twice a year for decades, basically to scope out the latest in European couture.
Cassidy Zachary
Yes. Former model for the house, Elizabeth Sharoni, recalled, quote, regularly at the beginning of February and at the end of August, she traveled to the major fashion shows in Paris, then ordered the materials from Paris and using me as a tailor's dummy, recreated the Parisian fashions, that is to say, adapted them to the Viennese figure, end quote.
April Callahan
We know, for instance, that on a trip in 1909, Emily and her sister Helene traveled to both London and Paris, returning with designs purchased from Chanel and textiles from the luxury manufacturer Rodier. And just a little bit on that comment from the quote you read Cass about the Viennese figure. This was apparently a whole thing that I ran across in my research. There were a lot of Viennese social critics from the era that went way far out of their way to make the point that the fashionable body type in Paris was a lot slimmer and more petite than what was favored in Vienna, where a large bosom and ample hips was what was considered covetable. So this is just a, you know, brief side note here, friends, that in any given era, the quote unquote, fashionable body type is always a cultural construction.
Cassidy Zachary
Absolutely. And also just to point out, while many of the dress reform styles offered by the Floca sisters might not require extensive fittings, they were also doing custom made to measure looks based on Parisian trends as well. So this was one stop shopping so you could cater to both dress reform and haute couture taste. Maybe somebody dabbled in both. And this way, the sisters were able to entice a wider clientele by playing both sides of the coin, so to speak.
April Callahan
And they were enormously successful in doing so. And their offerings were tremendously expensive. I found information on the price points at Swescher and Flogge to be particular particularly interesting. Basically, just to sum up, their prices were about 10 times higher than what it would cost to hire a private dressmaker to realize a made to measure look. Scholar Wolfgang Fisher makes Note that in 1912, the price tag on a Schwestern Floga pleated skirt ran 190 crowns, whereas a similar skirt made by the custom salon of a department store would have cost about 39 crowns. So Swiss and Floge customers are paying 4 to 5 times department store prices and 10 times the price of private dressmakers for the privilege of being a patron of this Western floga.
Cassidy Zachary
So likewise, we must also note that Weinerwerkstadt fashions were also prohibitively expensive to most or many. So despite the socialist underpinnings of, you know, the art and everything movement, like the arts and craft movement and the credo behind the Weiner Werkstadt, these were more often than not artisanal luxury goods. And the cost of fine craftsmanship really was underscored and undermined, of course, by falling prices made possible by mass produced goods. And Emily herself often wore Weiners workstock garments in addition to her own house's creations. And this, of course, included the many pieces of Wiener Vergstock jewelry which Gustave gifted her over the course of many, many years.
April Callahan
Let's get back into that relationship a little, shall we? Yes. A closer look into their dynamics was afforded to scholars in 1983, when a cache of items belonging to Emily's estate were discovered. In addition to several pieces of the aforementioned minor workshop jewelry gifted to her by Gustav, there were also some 400 postcards documenting the correspondence between the two. And at this time when this discovery was announced, Klimt scholars practically salivated at this discovery, hoping that the missives and the letters would finally prove a romantic connection between them. But their hopes were dashed after reading the communications, which were sometimes multiple times a day. I would like to add, I guess Cass would kind of be like texting someone all day, you know, back and forth. The postcards basically proved that while they did correspond about the most intimate details of their life, it seems a sexual connection between the two never manifested. And close friends of theirs at the time specifically deny that their relationship was ever consummated in that particular way.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah, so they were just very, very close friends. Of course, that is not to say that Klimt did not enjoy a robust sexual appetite. And while his two sisters went out of their way to paint their brother as a quiet homebody, I mean, he lived with his family his entire life. He never married. Apparently, dress listeners, the quote unquote seen at his studio was something very different. It's believed. I can't believe this. I mean, I can't believe it, but I did not know this. It's believed that he fathered some 14 children out of wedlock, many of them with the models who sat for his paintings. And some of his affairs were actually even conducted with the high society woman he was commissioned to paint. And his discretion in These matters has been remarked upon by many of his biographers. So it's a well known fact.
April Callahan
I mean, it kind of makes sense, Cass, because many of his paintings, particularly of women, are highly erotically charged. So where was he getting all that energy from? You know, you get my drift. And it seems Emily was aware of his relationships with other women, as they were of his relationship with her. Letters between Klimt and one of his baby mamas speak openly about Emily. And this particular mistress even complains about Emily's presence in his life. She was apparently quite jealous.
Cassidy Zachary
Well, her squeaky will definitely got the grease, as she was one of the few mothers of his children to whom he paid child support. So, in fact, I think she had to threaten legal action or actually sue him to do so. But she did get it. And remember the beginning of this episode, he was dubbed the enfant terrible of Vienna. So, well, I guess he lived up to his reputation in more ways than one.
April Callahan
So it seems that while the lovers in his life got one side of Gustav, Emily got the other. His tenderness and care for her is so evident in these letters. He had a whole host of nicknames for her and frequently sent her notes throughout the day by way of a messenger. Little banal things like noting the weather or he just had, like, a vague general complaint about something. Other messages to her notify her of his time of return by train and hope that she will meet him at the station. It's a very interesting relationship, Cass. You know, something more than a friendship. It was a devoted partnership of sorts that never became a marriage. But for all intents and purposes, Emily was the wife figure in his life.
Cassidy Zachary
And while their personal intimacy ran deep, the two actually maintained separate personal affairs. Emily was independent financially. She did not seem to mind the arrangement that they had, and it's not really known if she longed for more. But it has been noted that following Gustav's death in 1918 at the age of 56, Emily never sought out a romantic partner, and she more or less carried on as she had before, heading the Schwestern Floga.
April Callahan
Yes, and this is something that we haven't really mentioned yet, but according to former employees, despite the presence of her two older sisters, it was Emily who was a driving force behind the business. A former assistant recalled, quote, it was Emily Floga in particular who kept the salon going. It was due only to her initiative that the firm reached such a height. I was particularly fascinated about how busy she was, how industrious. She was one of the first in. In the morning and she also, this assistant, went on to note how Emily personally draped garments on custom mannequins that were created in the measurements of their most important clients. And I just love this idea. This is just so wonderful. They were definitely not the only couture house to do this, but it is charming.
Cassidy Zachary
Yeah. In some couture houses, those mannequins still exist and they have like the names of the famous client. Right. So there's. They're a treasure. So at the height of Schwestern Floga's success, it's estimated that they employed as many as 80 seamstresses. However, by the 1930s, that number had shrunk to some 20 seamstresses and two cutters. As was also the case for the Weinerwerkstaatz fashion division. Patrons who had come for dresser form styles in the 19 aughts were now getting older. And the number of clients began to dwindle down naturally during the late 1920s.
April Callahan
It seems that Emily never flagged in her efforts, however, to keep the offerings of the Schwestern flogge fresh and new. One of the house models from the 1930s recalled Emily returning from Paris bringing back, quote, patterns from Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior and Schiaparelli. And of these, Schiaparelli fashions were primarily used for evening wear. End quote. So until researching this, I had no idea that there was a connection between two of my all time favorite designers. Cast.
Cassidy Zachary
I know. I learned so much in this episode. Although we will say this, we might need to question this former model's recollections, as she does mention Dior. And as we know, Dior launched his namesake couture house in 1947, so long after Spester and Flogge had shuttered its doors. So maybe it could be that she was buying Dior Designs before he was actually in the employ of Robert Piquet. But the timing of this all seems a little off.
April Callahan
Yeah. Piguet hired Dior in 1937 or 1938. And 1938 is the same year that the restaurant Floga closed. In light of World War II looming on the horizon, former assistant Herta Vanke. Again, quote, I stayed with the firm until its closure in 1938. I helped wind up the business, in particular, clearing up the many, many things that were there. And sadly, in 1938, the furnishings were worth hardly anything. No one was interested in Jugenstiel. And my employers were very unhappy because the furniture and fittings were of good quality and beautifully made by the Weiner werkstadt. So in 1938, we closed down and the ladies moved to Ungargasse 39. Helene Dunner, who was the niece of both Emily and Gustav by blood Cass was the last of the Klimt dynasty, lived there too, until her death in 1980. End quote.
Cassidy Zachary
Emily herself had passed in 1952 at the age of 77, living the last 33 years of her life without her beloved Gustav. And while they never married, perhaps any legal recognition of the relationship was superfluous to them both. It was, after all, Emily who Gustav asked for upon his deathbed, and his last written words to her were I should like to get away.
April Callahan
At the time of the founding of the Schwechenfloga, Klimt scholar Wolfgang Fischer writes that, quote, a clarion call had been issued by the quote, Viennese ladies, dressmakers and the local fashion industry, a call that was answered by Klimt and Floga in their explorations of the aesthetic outer limits of fashion at the time. While eccentric more than 100 years ago, their garments, as is often the case with fashion's greats, still look fresh and modern and even avant garde to us today. The love beating between these two hearts is evidenced in their fashion collaborations.
Cassidy Zachary
And April, you did such a lovely job on this episode and I was just curious if you know of any of these Western Floga garments survive in museum collections or private collections? Where did you find them?
April Callahan
There are lots out there. Obviously it is no surprise that a lot of them reside in Vienna and there's more textile examples in museum collections and that's something that we're actually going to get into into a bit on Thursday.
Cassidy Zachary
Until then, dress listeners, I think that does it for us today. May you consider where the love resides in your closet. Next time you get dressed, please head.
Sponsor Voice
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, remember we always love hearing from you.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
So if you'd like to write to us, you can do so@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.
Sponsor Voice
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 shop show notes to our Bookshop Bookshelf. So that address is bookshop.org shop dress and there you can find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles and.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
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.
Sponsor Voice
We are also excited to now be.
April Callahan
Part of the Airwave Network and their.
Sponsor Voice
Premium ad free free history subscription Airwave History plus available on Apple Podcasts. The subscription brings dress and also 27 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.
Dressed Podcast Announcer
Thank you as always for tuning in and more dressed coming your way very soon. Dress the History of the Fashion is a production of Dress Media.
Expedia Announcer
Mike and Alyssa are always trying to outdo each other. When Alyssa got a small water bottle, Mike showed up with a 4 liter jug. When Mike started gardening, Alyssa started beekeeping.
Cassidy Zachary
Oh come on.
Expedia Announcer
They called a truce for their holiday and used Expedia Trip Planner to collaborate on all the details of their trip. Once there, Mike still did more laps, surround the pool.
April Callahan
Whatever.
Expedia Announcer
You were made to outdo your holidays. We were made to help organize the competition. Expedia made to travel.
April Callahan
Yeah.
Film Vault Podcaster
Film Vault. We are one of the original film podcasts. That can't be true. There was like two other film podcasts when we began. Brian, how long are we doing this show? You and I first sat down and did a version of the show over 20 years ago. My God. Two episodes each week. One we are review movies and the first episode the second one different top five every week. Movies that made you cry. Worst movie accents. Most disturbing movies. All right, the Film Vault. Check it out. Wherever you find, find podcasts. That's right, the Film vaults. Going on 20 plus years.
Podcast: Dressed: The History of Fashion
Episode: Klimt's Muse: The Fashions of Emilie Flöge (Dressed Classic)
Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary
This episode explores the life and innovative fashion legacy of Emilie Flöge—Viennese designer, businesswoman, and the iconic muse and confidante of Gustav Klimt. The discussion brings to light Flöge’s own achievements, her work as head of the Schwestern Flöge (Flöge Sisters) fashion house, her influential position in the Viennese dress reform movement, and her unique, deeply affectionate relationship with Klimt that defied categorization. The hosts also address how Emilie’s creative impact has often been overlooked by art history in favor of her association with Klimt.
[01:49-04:45]
[05:27-08:58]
[09:19-16:26]
[17:00-18:36]
[22:57-26:39]
[25:06-26:39]
[26:39-34:05]
[30:37-33:43]
[34:05-end]
On Emilie’s style and presence:
"She is described as...a tall, slender figure...reduced to simplicity and clarity of outward appearance."
(Cassidy Zachary, 04:07)
On Klimt and Emilie’s unique bond:
"It seems that the love that existed between them was a rare and abiding platonic affection of the deepest kind."
(April Callahan, 04:45)
On the radical fashion of Schwestern Flöge:
"All 10 looks are dress reform styles that follow the established...tent dress silhouette...and the sleeves...feature fanciful tiers of ruffles."
(April Callahan, 13:30)
On fashion’s enduring modernity:
"Their garments, as is often the case with fashion's greats, still look fresh and modern and even avant garde to us today."
(April Callahan quoting Fischer, 34:05)
On price and prestige:
"Their prices were about 10 times higher than what it would cost to hire a private dressmaker..."
(April Callahan, 25:06)
On the emotional correspondence between Klimt and Flöge:
"His tenderness and care for her is so evident in these letters. He had a whole host of nicknames for her and frequently sent her notes throughout the day by way of a messenger."
(April Callahan, 29:27)
Legacy:
"At the height of Schwestern Floga's success, it's estimated that they employed as many as 80 seamstresses."
(Cassidy Zachary, 31:22)
This episode offers a vivid, affectionate portrait of Emilie Flöge as a creative force in early 20th-century fashion and as the muse, confidante, and equal partner to Gustav Klimt. Through their fashion house and personal alliance, Flöge helped usher modernism into Viennese style, both defying and setting trends that still seem prescient today. Listeners are encouraged to seek out images of Flöge’s designs, which remain fresh, bold, and thoroughly modern more than a century later.
“May you consider where the love resides in your closet next time you get dressed.”
(Cassidy Zachary, 35:04)