Iconic photos of a changing city, and commentary on our Collections & Exhibitions from the crew at MCNY.org
“The Theater of Valentina: Costume or Couture?” is a question posed by Kohle Yohannan in his groundbreaking book, Valentina: American Couture and the Cult of Celebrity.[1] Indeed, it can at times be difficult to discern between Valentina’s designs for clothing and the stage. Her clients were among the most well-known theater personalities of the era, including Katharine Hepburn, Lynn Fontanne, Katharine Cornell and Zorina. Despite her celebrity clientele, Valentina was perhaps her own best model. Life magazine described the designer, “Tall, slender and exotic-looking, she launches her new styles on her own back at New York theater openings.”[2]
Valentina designed costumes for almost 100 theatrical productions. Her career as a costume designer spanned from the 1920s until well past she closed her couture business in 1957. Thanks to generous support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, on two separate grants – one to digitize of 30,000 images of Theatrical Productions, and a second to digitize our mid-20th century women’s garments – we can now share examples of these garments as well as productions in which they featured.
Valentina was born in Kiev in 1899 and fled her home country when the Russian Revolution broke out. She lived briefly in Rome and Paris before arriving in New York in 1923. She started out as a performer herself, playing a role in the 1923 play Casanova (she is #7 on the key sheet).
White Studio (New York, N.Y.) [“Casanova” theater stills.] 1923. Museum of the City of New York. Collection on Broadway Production. F2013.41.1578. ©New York Public Library
Valentina’s credit for her first major Broadway production came in 1934, for Come of Age, starring Judith Anderson. Her costumes were received better than the play itself, which closed after only 35 performances.
Photographer unknown. [Judith Anderson as Woman in “Come of Age”.] 1934. Museum of the City of New York. Collection of Broadway Productions. F2013.41.1755
Vandamm. [Lynn Fontanne as Irene in “Idiot’s Delight”.] 1936. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of the Theatre Guild, Inc., 1937. 37.183.13. ©New York Public Library
Vandamm. [Lynn Fontanne as Alkmena in “Amphitryon 38”.] 1937. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Virginia M. Herrick, 1982. 82.48.40. ©New York Public Library
Vandamm. [Katharine Cornell as Linda Easterbrook (Linda Paige) and Margalo Gilmore as Amanda Smith in “No Time for Comedy”.] 1939. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Harold Friedlander, 1968. 68.80.7688. ©New York Public Library
Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989). Costume worn by Katharine Cornell in the title role of “Antigone”. 1947. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Katharine Cornell, 1965. 65.100.48
Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989). Housecoat in ribbed brown silk and headscarf of chartreuse crepe. Worn by Katharine Cornell. 1947. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Nancy Hamilton, 1975. 75.108.2AB
Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989). Costume worn by Katharine Cornell in “Antony and Cleopatra”. 1947. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Katharine Cornell, 1964. 64.45.20
Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989). Dress in violet cotton voile. Worn by Katharine Cornell. 1947. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Katharine Cornell, 1965. 65.100.2AB
In 1970, the New York Times reported that Kitty Carlisle still wore her red wool dress designed by Valentina nearly two decades ago.[6] Valentina eschewed trends and overly complicated designs. She said in the late 1940s, “Simplicity survives the changes of fashion. Women of chic are wearing now dresses they bought from me in 1936. Fit the century, forget the year.”[7]
Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989). Dress in cadmium red wool twill. ca. 1950. Worn by Kitty Carlisle Hart. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Kitty Carlisle Hart, 1981. 81.90.2A-C
Valentina’s costume for Tammy Grimes in the role of Elvira in High Spirits echoes those designs she made 25 years earlier for No Time for Comedy.
Friedman-Abeles. [Tammy Grimes as Elvira in “High Spirits”.] 1964. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Solter, Roskin & Friedman, 1981. ©New York Public Library