A LEADER OF FASHION

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1324, 30 December 1911, Page 11

A LEADER OF FASHION

Madame do Cianeros, who left Sydney recently to fulfil her American engagements, "made as great an impression upon Sydncv women bv her beautiful gowns as by her fine acting and singing and her "magnificent appearance. Both on the f>tngc and off her clothes were always of great interest to her many admirers, and a privileged few who wero allowed a peep into her boxes saw somo wonderful garments read v. for next season. All her gowns were made by the great Paquin, and especially designed for the wearer. It is interest ills; to read how business is carried on bv that great modiste. For moro than a decade Mine. Par]inn has bet-a a strong personality in lending the fashions in Paris, writes the .".New York Times." AYlien her famous husband was with her ho saw to it that she wore all the novelties which he introduced, and wore them first. She has introduced moro lasting fashions than probably anv other woman in Pans, for she has tho" good senso never to be extreme, and her artistic husband never allowed her to yvear anything that was bizarro or that would cause unpleasant comment. So the fashions she has created aro lastin" because thev were simple and dignifietl - , ■ , u Since her husband passed on, and sne has boon the head of tho Paris and Loudon bouses, she has continued tho practice of wearing the best gowns her house creatos. Mile. Claire, one of tho designers of tho house, creates for Mme. l'anuiu more ingeniously even than she does for tho public, 'and she herself is the most observed person, next to madame, on the opening day, -when the dressmakers and buyers aro admitted.

These two women launch tho best gowns'of the house by wearing then, each day during dressmakers' week, and the buyers never fail to order duplicates of each. Both women are exceptionally fine looking, with good figures, and carry their clothes in an impressive way.

You can't imagine how interesting it is to watch for the appearance of these women on the opening day, and hear the comments and exclamations of approval from the line of buyers who are occupying the chairs along the wall. There is always an overflow into the. private salons, and into each one of these Mine. Parjuin and Mile. C'lairo go, so that no one will miss seeing their gowns.

They do this in the most inconspicuous manner. Naturally, they do not parado as do the mannequins; their visit to the buyers is h social one, as it were, and no one deals in a financial way directly with either of them. '

It is these episodes that make dressmakers' week so absorbing in interest, for the public is not admitted, tho individual patron is not admitted, and every moment is fraught with interest.

Mme. Paquin bos this season gene in for gorgeous colour schemes in a way that startled the public. Thcro was <i vague feeling among thoss who knew the hous9 well that she had been stimulated to imitate Paul Poiret, for no other house except his dealt with such lavish colours in such a" frankly elemental way. One sees a good deal that is daring and new at Paquin's, but little that is eccentric. For instance, this was the

one house in Paris that obstinately refused to exploit the divided skirt" last spring, and ivould not executo orders for them; yet there ivas a mixture tf Russian and Babylonian in tho gowns this year that caused one to sit up and wonder if it was really tho house of Paquin. To summarise the different fashion points that Mme. Paquin brought out or continued from last season: The drapei-v from one hip to tho opposite knee, the immense collar that covers the lop of Hie figure, the two sides of (he bodice ■ made differently, the looso three-quarter sleeves with tho crystals or rhino-stones embedded in the mesh and tho ej.lra long shoulder, the Wall of Trov tiimniing iu velvet or satin ribbon, the short walking skirt that has a simulated division at the side by reason of trimmine, the ornamental belts to yvear on the outside of the coats, and tho wide use of ec.ru crash towelling for trimming asd blouses.