1960s Paganne Purple Art Deco Print Knit Dress MRS Couture

Bold 1960s – does – 1920s Art Deco print dress by Paganne! The dress falls below the knee, has long sleeves, and a jewel neckline. The dress has a loose sheath silhouette, with an A – line skirt and a more fitted bodice. The print is primarily purple, with splashes of light and dark green, as well as white. The piece features an amazing print of fashionable, flapper – type women strolling and posing. The print is very much Erte and Lepape, with strong shapes and stylized forms.

The Paganne label was created by Gene Berk in the 1960s. Berk studied to become a lawyer but found himself working in the fashion industry, merchandising for menswear, and at one point creating sportswear for Oleg Cassini. In the late 1960s Berk struck out on his own, and sent hand sketched designs to Italy so that they could be screen printed onto fabric. He was the American answer to the various French and Italian designers (Pucci, Lanvin, Leonard, and Bessi) who prized bold, graphic prints.

Berk would begin his creative process by designing the print first, and then deciding how it would be formed into a garment; often times the fabric would be used for various pieces. His prints were varied – botanical, geometric, modernist, figural – but all had the same 1960s/1970s bold flair, printed onto silk jersey, cotton knits, velvets, and Qiana nylon synthetics.