In yesterday's post, we mentioned costume designer Charles LeMaire, and this year marks the 40th anniversary of his passing. So, let's take a closer look at his career.
Charles LeMaire (sometimes spelled as Charles Le Maire or Charles Lemaire) was born in Chicago in 1897. He began his career as a vaudeville actor and singer, but his passion for fashion led him to a new path. Le Maire became a shopper for the couture house of André Sherri, a role that ignited his interest in costume design. This shift led him to Broadway, where he designed costumes for stars and set designs for shows like Atta Boy (featuring costumes by Sherri).
His talent was soon recognized, and he contributed designs for the final number of The Midnight Frolics (1919). He also worked on The Ziegfeld Follies of 1922, as well as the musicals Rio Rita (1927) and Sons O' Guns (1929), both with sets by Josef Urban.
LeMaire's work on The Cocoanuts in 1925 and many other memorable productions, such as Hello Daddy and Rainbow (1928) with choreography by Busby Berkeley, further cemented his reputation.
As the film industry evolved, LeMaire was called upon to adapt his designs for the screen: in a 1929 interview with Photoplay magazine, LeMaire discussed the challenges of translating his gowns for the new medium when The Cocoanuts was adapted into a talkie. The rustle of fabrics in early sound films for example posed a significant challenge, as the sounds could easily overpower the actors' voices.
He explained, "I have to take into consideration the fact that taffetas, metallic clothes, crystal beads, and beaded fringes are absolutely taboo." To solve this for the film adaptation of The Cocoanuts, he chose softer materials like lace, transparent chiffons, and shimmery silk velvets, which not only photographed beautifully, but also worked well in the sound era. For trimmings, he favored silk fringes, tassels, and smooth-textured flowers.
LeMaire's Broadway career ended in 1939 due to World War II, but his talents didn't go to waste: during the war, he was indeed assigned to produce and direct United Service Organizations (USO) shows, bringing his creative expertise to the entertainment efforts for soldiers.
After the war, he moved to Hollywood, where in 1943 he became Executive Designer and Director of Wardrobe at 20th Century Fox, specializing in costumes for Betty Grable movies. Le Maire remained at Fox until 1949 before establishing his own salon, where he continued to design until his retirement in 1962.
LeMaire played an instrumental role in establishing the Best Costume Design category at the Academy Awards, which was created in March 1949.
Over the course of his career, he was nominated thirteen times for Best Costume Design and won three Academy Awards - for All About Eve (1951, shared with Edith Head), The Robe (1954, shared with Emile Santiago), and Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1956).
As a Hollywood costume designer, he frequently worked alongside other notable designers, such as Bonnie Cashin, Travilla, Oleg Cassini, and Dorothy Jeakins.
LeMaire was known for his meticulous attention to detail, which is evident in some of his surviving sketches. These often surface at auctions, such as a 2006 sale at Bonhams featuring a collection of costume sketches for the Ringling Brothers Circus (1939). Rendered on onion paper in watercolor and pencil, these whimsical drawings depict characters from various cultures and time periods, including a medieval knight, a Spanish dancer, a Native American, and a court jester (View this photo).
In some cases, auctioned sketches like in the case of his drawings for George Gershwin's musical Tell Me More, performed on Broadway in 1925, even incorporated fabric swatches (View this photo) that gave a tactile sense of LeMaire's designs (View this photo).
Further examples of his detailed work can be found in the sketches preserved at the New York Public Library, including those for Charles LeMaire costume designs for the Greenwich Village Follies (1925; LeMaire designed costumes for this show in collaboration with Mark Mooring).
These extravagant costumes are brought to life in LeMaire's water color sketches, where feathers and embellishments shine in the intricate details. The sketches, that usually show a costume complete with accessories, from headdresses to jewelry, also include the names of performers and individual acts in the revue and include precise instructions to the costume makers.
Given his extensive and influential body of work, a retrospective of LeMaire's costumes would be a fitting tribute, but equally intriguing could be an exhibition of his sketches, or perhaps a book that showcases these artistic creations in all their colorful, detailed glory.
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