Elizabeth Parke Firestone

Mrs. Firestone did not always sail to Paris in the 1950s to obtain her Dior and Balenciaga gowns. Instead, the couturiers assigned a vendeuse to Mrs. Firestone's account. This vendeuse was the couturier's saleswoman who worked within the company to procure all of Mrs. Firestone's dresses. The vendeuse sent Mrs. Firestone sketches, or perhaps photographs, of dresses that might be to her liking, soliticing input from Mrs. Firestone, regarding her fabric preferences. In addition, the vendeuse worked tirelessly with the workroom to ensure that the dress would fit Mrs. Firestone perfectly. Occasionally, instead of fitting Mrs. Firestone in the dress in person, the House of Balenciaga fit the dresses on a dress form constructed to Mrs. Firestone's measurements. The completed dress was then shipped to her in America without ever having been fit on the real Mrs. Firestone! The vendeuse would handle any problems with fit or repair. Of course, the client was always accommodated. Today, when we see the couturier's label inside their beautiful creations, we think about all the work that went into the creation of the garment. The couture house worked hard for its money. (Nancy E. V. Bryk, Curator of The Henry Ford Fundation)