When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion

In 1925, American designer Elizabeth Hawes arrived in Paris to begin work at a copy house, a manufacturer that produced less-expensive versions of high fashion dresses. The house where Elizabeth worked was run by a French woman named Madame Doret, who was famous for using the same materials and finishings as the originals. Sometimes the originals were purchased surreptitiously by employees like Hawes; other times, they were brought to the copy house by customers who traded access to originals for discounts on copies of other designs. In one instance, an American buyer named Ellis allowed Elizabeth to take eight Chanel suits purchased for American clients to Madame Doret’s copy house for the afternoon. After sketchers copied the design and took careful measurements, Elizabeth returned the suits to Ellis, who shipped them off to her clients in America.

After leaving Madame Doret’s house, Elizabeth took a job with an American manufacturer who required her to copy designs at fashion shows. Some houses tolerated this practice; others, like Chanel, immediately removed sketchers. When Elizabeth was caught sketching, she returned to America and began an independent career as a designer.