Skip to content

1931 Bachwitz magazine of elegant French fashions

Posted in Clothing, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents

I don’t usually look at clothes at auction, but the auctioneer was practically giving away some lovely coats and suits at this one. I could donate them to charity, I pondered, as I listened to him drop to $10 for a rack of women’s wool suits and dresses.

I’m planning an auction fundraiser for an historical house where I volunteer, and figured these would be good for that event. Then the auctioneer offered three vintage Persian lamb coats for sale – two with what he said were fur collars – for $3 each. I’m not into fur but some people still are, and I thought these were a steal. So I bought them, too.

Then I was finished with clothing – until I went into a room where the auction house was selling ephemera and other historical documents, Black Americana items and projectors, photographs, books and more in a special sale.

Left, style robe of taffeta and maline lace. Wrap in panne banded with fur. Right, afternoon robe of black taffeta, pink georgette yoke finished off with a bow at the back.
Left: style robe of taffeta and maline lace. Wrap in panne banded with fur. Right: afternoon robe of black taffeta, pink georgette yoke finished off with a bow at the back.

As I was previewing the items on a table, the dust-embedded gold-tone cover of one book jumped out at me. It had definitely seen better days: the front inside pages were almost detached and the spine was frazzled.

I wasn’t sure what the book was about but I loved the lettering on the cover: Beaux-Arts des Modes Modeles Originaux 1931. Flipping it open, past the printed explanations in French and English, I found page after page of the most lovely afternoon and evening wear. It was like flipping through an artist’s sketchbook, but these illustrations were much more refined and finished.

Each page of designs bore a signature that looked like Atelier Bachroitz. Googling, I found the name to be Bachwitz.

Promenade dress of black broadcloth. Caracul scarf, muff and banding.
Promenade dress of black broadcloth. Caracul scarf, muff and banding.

He was born Arnold Backwitz in 1854 in Brandenburg, Germany, and died in 1930 in Vienna. Bachwitz founded a fashion publishing company based in Vienna that produced more than 50 magazines that had a major influence on the fashion world internationally. His building in Vienna – descried as a “luxurious art nouveau house” built around 1908-1909 – is now the home of an art space called Palais des Beaux Arts.

His magazine Chic Parisien, was said to be his most popular publication.

Bachwitz hired hundreds of workers who hand-colored the designs. “On the top floor, in rooms bordering on courtyards, the blouses, dresses, and coats were designed in light-flooded studios, which, as drawings and patterns, delighted both the lady of the world and many Viennese tailors,” according to one account.

Alfred Bachwitz and his wife Rosine. Photos from data.synagoge-eisleben.de.
Alfred Bachwitz and his wife Rosine. Photos from data.synagoge-eisleben.de.

He and his family lived in an apartment on the first floor, which also held a gallery that featured artworks. The printing presses were in the basement.

Bachwitz’s wife Rosine took over the company after he died, but the Nazis seized it in 1938. She and her daughter Alice were taken to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in Terezin, Czechoslovakia, where Rosine was killed in 1942. Alice died the same year while being transported from Prague.

In 2003, descendants of the family received some restitution of at least 45 fashion magazines that were seized in the Nazi takeover.

Here are some fashions from the magazine at auction:

Afternoon dress of black panne, Yoke in one with sleeves of lace. In foreground: Satin and broadcloth coat with wrapped fronts, ermine collar and cuffs.
Afternoon dress of black panne, yoke in one with sleeves of lace. In foreground: Satin and broadcloth coat with wrapped fronts, ermine collar and cuffs.

 

Afternoon costume of drapella. Open, short coatee.
Afternoon costume of drapella. Open, short coatee.

 

 

Evening robe in satin with flounces put on in spirales. 3/4 long coat velours chiffon coat with shirred open sleeves fur banding and collar.
Evening robe in satin with flounces put on in spirales. 3/4 long coat velours chiffon coat with shirred open sleeves fur banding and collar.
Evening dress of crepe satin, trailing back. Short coat of lame brocade with ermine collar.
Evening dress of crepe satin, trailing back. Short coat of lame brocade with ermine collar.

 

Afternoon costume in zibeline, collar and sleeve garniture of Astrachan lamb. Dress of mongol.
Afternoon costume in zibeline, collar and sleeve garniture of Astrachan lamb. Dress of mongol.

 

Flamenga frock, sectional skirt.
Flamenga frock, sectional skirt.

 

Handsome ensemble of black frisson velvet. Wrapped jacket of summer ermine.
Handsome ensemble of black frisson velvet. Wrapped jacket of summer ermine.

 

Evening dress of georgette, bell skirt.
Evening dress of georgette, bell skirt.

 

Afternoon dress of velvet, fur-trimmed long tunic, waving ajour rows.
Afternoon dress of velvet, fur-trimmed long tunic, waving ajour rows.

 

Afternoon dress of romain. 3/4 long broadcloth coat banded with Astrachan lamb.
Afternoon dress of romain. 3/4 long broadcloth coat banded with Astrachan lamb.

 

Fashionable ensemble costume of velours chiffon, tunic gold lame, big collar and cuffs of Persian lamb.
Fashionable ensemble costume of velours chiffon, tunic gold lame, big collar and cuffs of Persian lamb.

 

Evening robe in black satin or panne . In back: lame brocade wrap from auction magazine.
Evening robe in black satin or panne. In background: lame brocade wrap.

 

2 Comments

  1. Hetty
    Hetty

    Stumbled on your post after a google search of “Chic Parisien”. My great Grandfather, Alexander Byk worked for Arnold Bachwitz. He was the Managing Director of the Chic Parisien magazine. My Grandmother Alice (his daughter) & her brother Egon also worked at the magazine

    May 25, 2024
    |Reply
  2. I almost skipped over your Pinterest post but anything Vintage catches my eye and I’m glad I stopped to peek in. I admire the Designs of yesteryears. I’m sure I’ll stop in again to browse .

    May 14, 2021
    |Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *