At the crest of the millinery era of the 1930-40s, French-born American designer Lilly Daché (1892 – 1989) made 20,000 hats a year. She sold them in 500 shops at $60 to $150. Gradually she added dresses, stockings, gloves, lingerie, a hair-care salon, and a cosmetics firm. According to the Official Gazette of the United Patent Office, Lilly Daché began creating costume jewelry in March 1923.

In November 1954, Daché was on the first Selections Committee for Diamonds U.S.A. Awards, alongside Richard Avedon, Walt Disney, Polaire Weissman and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. She expressed the need for trained artists in the field of jewelry design and urged that designers should study everything modern.

Statement

“This is especially true of modern art,” she said, “But he should also study the old masters. How can you have a feeling in design unless you study the old masters? You must be inspired to design a beautiful piece of jewelry”, she stated. “To design a piece of jewelry is as much of a creative art as painting a picture or playing a violin”.

Interesting Facts

She adored big earrings, splashing jewelry, and vivid colors. Yet, her pride was a gold-and-topaz bracelet with her initials in tiny diamonds in Chinese.

Lilly was a short, lively with sparkling grayish- green eyes and auburn hair. Although she came to New York in 1924, Lilly never lost her French accent. Lilly talked somewhere halfway between French and English, and her accent got thicker every year.

Her husband was Jean Despres, executive vice president of Coty, Inc. With his calm disposition, he made an excellent balance for his volatile wife. Lilly and Jean were married in 1931 at the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in New York City.

Lilly hatted Marlene Dietrich, Clare Luce, Loretta Young, Rosalind Russell, Helen Hayes, Katharine Cornell, and Ethel Barrymore. It was Lilly who designed the famous Garbo slouch hat with its high crown and turned-down brim. And she made the famous flower-and-fruit-laden turbans for Carmen Miranda.

The favorite number 13

According to the designer, number 13 was favorite for her. Thus, she arrived in New York Cit on Friday the 13th, 1924, and the 13th has ever since been a favorite Daché date. She was married on the 13th, she dedicated her business building on the 13th, and bought her country house on the 13th. With a skimpy $13 in her purse, Lilly set out to look for a job.

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