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Piggy Fur clip, signed by Nettie Rosenstein
sterling vermeil silver, ca. 1940
A particularly beautiful piece by the designer, who was born in Vienna and emigrated to the USA, and whose work is represented in all renowned US museums.
Nettie Rosenstein (1890 - March 13, 1980) was an Austrian-born, American fashion designer, based in New York City between c.1913 and 1975. She was particularly renowned for her little black dresses and costume jewelry.
In the 1920s American fashion business, imported fashions by named French couturiers were considered the best to be had. At this time Rosenstein's designs were sold by stores under their own labels, though purchasers were told that the dresses were in fact by Nettie Rosenstein. Through word of mouth Rosenstein earned name recognition and her own-name label became a valuable commodity. Her clothes were retailed around America, but only one store in each city was permitted to carry fashions bearing Rosenstein's label.
In 1927 Rosenstein tried an early retirement, but resumed designing in 1931, when she reopened on West 47th Street in collaboration with her sister-in-law Eva Rosencrans and Charles Gumprecht.
In 1937, Rosenstein was described by Life Magazine as one of the most highly regarded American designers. She was one of the first recipients of the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award on its launch in 1938. In 1940, Rosenstein clothing was sold out of 92 shops and department stores across the USA, at prices ranging from $98 to $500. Whilst these prices were beyond the range of most consumers, Rosenstein's designs were so widely copied that she still influenced the average American woman's wardrobe. One such design was the "little black dress" designed to go from day to evening with low-cut evening necklines combined with daywear silhouettes and materials. Nettie Rosenstein designs also included printed dresses with gloves to match, and she was also known for her accessories and striking costume jewelry. Many of the more striking Nettie Rosenstein garments were designed by Eva Rosencrans as Rosenstein preferred to focus her attention on running the business, and her sister-in-law was happy to let Nettie take credit for her work.
Nettie Rosenstein announced her second retirement in March 1942, inspiring a tribute in TIME Magazine. However, this retirement did not last long, as she resumed fashion design a few years later, winning a Coty Award in 1947. Nettie Rosenstein was responsible for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's dress commissioned by Neiman Marcus for the 1953 presidential inauguration Ball, and the subsequent 1957 ballgown for the second presidential inauguration was designed by Eva Rosencrans, a good friend of Mamie's since 1950.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
Piggy Fur clip, signed by Nettie Rosenstein
sterling vermeil silver, ca. 1940
A particularly beautiful piece by the designer, who was born in Vienna and emigrated to the USA, and whose work is represented in all renowned US museums.
Nettie Rosenstein (1890 - March 13, 1980) was an Austrian-born, American fashion designer, based in New York City between c.1913 and 1975. She was particularly renowned for her little black dresses and costume jewelry.
In the 1920s American fashion business, imported fashions by named French couturiers were considered the best to be had. At this time Rosenstein's designs were sold by stores under their own labels, though purchasers were told that the dresses were in fact by Nettie Rosenstein. Through word of mouth Rosenstein earned name recognition and her own-name label became a valuable commodity. Her clothes were retailed around America, but only one store in each city was permitted to carry fashions bearing Rosenstein's label.
In 1927 Rosenstein tried an early retirement, but resumed designing in 1931, when she reopened on West 47th Street in collaboration with her sister-in-law Eva Rosencrans and Charles Gumprecht.
In 1937, Rosenstein was described by Life Magazine as one of the most highly regarded American designers. She was one of the first recipients of the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award on its launch in 1938. In 1940, Rosenstein clothing was sold out of 92 shops and department stores across the USA, at prices ranging from $98 to $500. Whilst these prices were beyond the range of most consumers, Rosenstein's designs were so widely copied that she still influenced the average American woman's wardrobe. One such design was the "little black dress" designed to go from day to evening with low-cut evening necklines combined with daywear silhouettes and materials. Nettie Rosenstein designs also included printed dresses with gloves to match, and she was also known for her accessories and striking costume jewelry. Many of the more striking Nettie Rosenstein garments were designed by Eva Rosencrans as Rosenstein preferred to focus her attention on running the business, and her sister-in-law was happy to let Nettie take credit for her work.
Nettie Rosenstein announced her second retirement in March 1942, inspiring a tribute in TIME Magazine. However, this retirement did not last long, as she resumed fashion design a few years later, winning a Coty Award in 1947. Nettie Rosenstein was responsible for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's dress commissioned by Neiman Marcus for the 1953 presidential inauguration Ball, and the subsequent 1957 ballgown for the second presidential inauguration was designed by Eva Rosencrans, a good friend of Mamie's since 1950.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
