EmmyLew Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 This is probably the wrong place to post this, but does anyone know of where the patterns for the dresses worn in this film can be purchased. Surely there is a Classic Costume pattern shop somewhere in LA that specializes in recreating patterns based on movies. the dresses worn by Ava Gardner and designed by Beatrice Dawson are still some of the best work I've seen in a good while. Just e-mail me if you find anything out. I sew and so much want to recreate that yellow dress for summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaytonf Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 You may want to post this in the Information, Please! section, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprocket_Man Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Surely not. I've never heard of any such place, and I've been here in Hollywood for ywenty-nine years. You may wish to contact the Fashion Institute of Technology here in Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Museum, both of which maintain extensive collections of movie costumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovieProfessor Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 {font:Arial}Your request can be next to impossible to achieve. The reason for this is due to a majority of patterns for motion picture costumes weren’t always so easily available for sale on the open market. The best and most noted designers in {font}{font:Arial}Hollywood{font}{font:Arial} did at times offer their costume creations to the average consumer, but this was usually on a limited basis. Unlike today, years ago, any woman could walk into a Woolworth’s or Sears and find a few costume patterns from a major motion picture being sold. These patterns were argumentatively altered to some affect, meaning that the layout was never as precise as for the original design. Any sales of designer’s patterns, only occurred, if the star of the motion picture was considered glamorous and had a large following of fans. Naturally, the sale of a motion picture designer’s garments was considered part of the promotion of a major film. This situation resulted in a small handful of designer’s becoming famous and they had their own shops in and around {font}{font:Arial}Hollywood{font}{font:Arial} and separate contracts were made with major retailers, where a copy of a garment could be purchased. The most celebrated of these Hollywood designers were Edith Head, Adrian, Travis Banton, Milo Anderson, Rene Hubert; Irene (Lentz), Orry-Kelly, Adele Palmer, Walter Plunkett, Edward Stevenson, Bill Thomas, Bill Travilla (whom I knew), Vera West, and Jean Louis (who my mother worked for!) All of these designers had patterns of their gowns for sale and copies of their various works available either at their own stores or at a major retailer. The same could be said for the European market and the various known designers there. Dawson did have for a time, her own line of dresses available for sale in London. The problem with any gown designed by Beatrice Dawson is that she did not have such a huge following, at least in {font}{font:Arial}America{font}{font:Arial}. Although, I’m prone to feel that “Pandora and The Flying Dutchman” is her finest work, she is probably best remembered for “The Prince and The Showgirl” and her frantic association with Marilyn Monroe. A replica of {font}{font:Arial}Dawson{font}{font:Arial}’s work from that film can be seen in the current title, “My Week with Marilyn.”{font} {font:Arial}Today, patterns of motion picture garments available for consumers are few and when they do appear, they have a tendency of going out of circulation fast. Only those classic or popular designs from the past are the ones that continue to have constant sales. In {font}{font:Arial}Dawson{font}{font:Arial}’s case, the search for her garments, have two possibilities. The first is to try and track down an old copy of an English periodical from the time of the film’s release. This could take a considerable amount of consuming effort, because you would be looking for any ads of a store offering either a pattern or a copy of the gown. This sort of research, while painstakingly long would reveal, if there was anything available during that time. Also, check out some film libraries that might have “press-books” or publicity information about the movie. This could also lead to the point of whether or not any consumer items from a film were being offered. You might want to risk taking more time, by going to a big library, checking old major newspapers here in {font}{font:Arial}America{font}{font:Arial}, of the time “Pandora and The Flying Dutchman” premiered. Second, there are dress designers that collect patterns from times past. Your best bet is to surf the web, leave messages and see if anyone can help. These current expert designers can have the necessary means of directing you to the proper area. However, in most cases, a dressmaker will want to make a full recreation of the garment themselves for sale and not deal with the sale of a possible pattern. The plain and simple realization here is that you are dealing with a designer that wasn’t exactly so well known or popular in the {font}{font:Arial}U.S.{font}{font:Arial} If anything can solved this situation, it would have to be contact with someone in {font}{font:Arial}Britain{font}{font:Arial}. We have numerous members on the site from {font}{font:Arial}England{font}{font:Arial}. So, just maybe, one of them might stumble upon this thread and be able to help you out! I sincerely hope you find the pattern, because “Pandora and The Flying Dutchman” is one of my all time favorite films! And, my favorite gown of the movie is the most famous one, the stark black one, lined with flesh colored stripes and a white bouquet at the waist! Ava was never more beautiful than in that motion picture. {font} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaytonf Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Here are some links that might help in research and finding contacts woth people who can assist you: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080321203342AAJY8aC http://www.alleycatscratch.com/movie/ http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page http://www.squidoo.com/vintageclothingresearch http://vintagefilmpropsandcostumes.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprocket_Man Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 >Here are some links that might help in research and finding contacts woth people who can assist you: You make it sound as though Glinda, the Good With of the North, is descending on Munchkin Land in her Technicolor soap bubble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaytonf Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 You mean "The Good Woth of the North." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprocket_Man Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Good grief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueSueApplegate Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 You might want to check out the Classic Vogue patterns at your local fabric store. They have several dresses that are somewhat similar to a few of the "Pandora" vestments... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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