Main Rousseau Bocher - Mainbocher

The Mainbocher Influence in the 1950s

The Chicago-born American designer, Main Rousseau Bocher, best known for the wedding gown designer for the Duchess of Windsor, remains influential with his eye for elegance, glorious fabrics and is still nothing short of magical in his way of details. A Mainbocher cardigan might have been designed with stunning jewelled buttons that announced excellent taste of the wearer or for those who coveted his evening and ball gowns, it was all about femininity, lace and sheer fabrics. Think Katherine Hepburn alongside Cary Grant or Spencer Tracy or Grace Kelly alongside any of her Hollywood co-stars. Those classic high-waisted trousers that made women's legs appear far longer than what they were, but also magically reduced a woman's waist size, are the essence of the Mainbocher influence.

Bocher made a significant contribution to stage productions and even designed war uniforms. He is solely responsible for strapless evening gowns, those still worn today on red carpets across the globe. The difference then was the inclusion of those ultra-girly short white gloves. It was all about the blacks and whites with this renowned designer. One tell-tale sign of a Mainbocher creation was the sleeveless white blouse that fell just below the waist and rested atop a flowing full length black skirt. Paired with the classic gloves and stiletto heels, magic was born. The Mainbocher designs were expensive, indeed; however, women flocked to each season's new arrivals with the anticipation we now have for contemporary designers such as Donna Karan or Versace.

Mainbocher, now in his late seventies, has declared himself the "Rolls-Royce of the fashion trade" and we couldn't agree more. Some things never change and there are those styles, courtesy of great designers such as Mainbocher, who as revered now as they were in the 1950s.