Teal Traina once pointed to the entrance of his Seventh Avenue showroom and said: “It should say ‘school’ over the door.” That is because Teal, who inherited the label from his uncle Anthony Traina, hired many young designers who were just starting their careers. Geoffrey Beene, Dominic Rompallo, Chester Weinberg, Rodriguez and Kay Unger all worked for the label at some point. His uncle was also the financial backer for the Norman Norell label so you will often see a collaborative label between the two companies from the original partnership that started in 1941. Traina Inc launched in 1959 after the Traina-Norell partnership closed. At this point Geoffey Beene joined the company and remained there as the designer until 1963 when he left to start his own label. He said of his time there; “Traina was one of my original boosters. He left me alone and made it possible for me to do my own things. He had a great sense of humour. I shall forever be humbled to him.” This dress would have been made during the Beene years so has a double dose of fashion history as it is a fabulous example of the Traina label and a very early example of Beene's work as a young designer.
The dress is beyond gorgeous. It is made out of a heavy silk satin and this fabric choice allows it to maintain its wonderfully crisp lines while still feeling soft and romantic. There is that banded bodice that Beene would go on to do variations of throughout his career. The bodice is high set in an empire cut and is a simple wide band of a deep olive silk that wraps all the way around you. Above that a soft pale turquoise silk curves over the shoulders and is set on an angle in towards the banding on both the front and back. Sleeves extend down in a slim long line in the same pale turquoise silk. The skirt comes out from underneath the banding at the bodice and falls to the floor, widening out as it nears the hem. The skirt is a soft lavender colour. The unusual mix of colours that he has chosen is part of what gives the dress its beauty and the silk is heavy enough to help keep the shape you see. At the back the banding lies over the zip closure and then closes with two thick metal buttons that are covered in rhinestones. It is very beautiful and even though it is not 100% perfect it is sound and wearable and a fantastic dress that I personally would wear as is in a heartbeat. Overall great condition with notes below to review.
The bodice is lined in the same turquoise silk used on the exterior. The skirt is lined in a white silk mix muslin. It closes at the back with a metal zipper and then the banding buttons to close over that. Some stones are missing out of the buttons and there is a line of fading down each side of the skirt. Some grubbiness along the hem line. Sound and wearable. Extremely well made
Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 11.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 47.5" from waist to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3596
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
