Fate once gifted the renowned fashion house Boué Soeurs (“The Boué Sisters”) with nearly 60 years of dazzling fame. During this time, the French designers, affectionately dubbed “lace swans,” became celebrated both in Europe and across the ocean, capturing the hearts of the most sophisticated and affluent women of the early 20th century.
Sisters Sylvie and Jeanne launched their business a year before its official inception, subtly highlighting the connection between the old and the new. However, by the late 1950s, the fashion house had vanished.
Fashion Treasures of the Art Deco Era
Today, recognizable Boué Soeurs garments can only be found in private collections and museums, which occasionally showcase these Art Deco rarities to the public.
Remember the ladies from “Downton Abbey” who adored French fashion? The stunning dresses worn by the passion-driven aristocrats are reminiscent of the creations crafted at the Boué sisters’ fashion house. Of course, the creators of the series likely wouldn’t have used original delicate designer dresses for filming; that would be far too expensive even for such a high-profile production. However, recreating the fabrics, silhouettes, and embellishments was well within the capabilities of the show’s designers.
Thus, the initial assertion about the sisters’ obscurity may only hold true to a certain extent.
Couture for Dolls
Fashion historians often trace the sisters’ success back to their childhood. They say the girls played with scraps of fabric, luxurious lace, and ribbons, dressing dolls and dreaming of creating clothing. The sisters themselves subscribed to this narrative when they were already famous and giving interviews to fashion magazines.
Traditional dress decoration from Boué Soeurs
But if it were merely about childhood hobbies, any girl sewing clothes for dolls would become a famous designer. Without the talent and determination of Sylvie and Jeanne, it would have been unlikely for them to carve a path into the snobbish fashion world of Paris.
The High Flight of the “Lace Swans”
Thus, the era of Baroness Jeanne d’Etreilly and Madame Sylvie Montéguy (née Boué), as mentioned earlier, began at the turn of the century: in 1899. That was when they created their debut collection of dresses and lingerie, laying the groundwork for the opening of their first store in the heart of Paris.
The peak of the Boué Soeurs era occurred during the 1910s to 1930s. A significant milestone was the designers’ entry into the fashion market of the United States. In 1915, Jeanne d’Etreilly became the owner of a boutique in New York City.
Evening dress ‘Bouquetiére’ by Boué Soeurs, 1928
The French brand seamlessly integrated into the style of The Great Gatsby, which, through the light pen of F. Scott Fitzgerald, is associated with the 1920s—an era of decadence, luxury, jazz, and wild parties.
The age of the lost interwar generation, technological progress, and political turmoil demanded fashion that could soothe the soul and the eyes.
The Boué designers provided their contemporaries with what they needed: ethereal fabrics in pastel and metallic shades, feminine silhouettes, unique lace with embroidered mesh, glossy ribbons, and signature roses. Each piece was a work of art and, of course, often came with a staggering price tag. In today’s terms, the cost of a designer dress could reach tens of thousands of dollars.
A Dramatic Epilogue with Notes of Optimism
Fashion experts often blame World War II for the short-lived existence of the Boué Soeurs fashion house. The decline of the business coincided with the war. The sisters, already of advanced age, attempted to revive their enterprise in Paris between 1948 and 1950. However, after several unsuccessful attempts, it ultimately faded away. The New York branch also faced tough times post-war and finally collapsed just before 1957.
In attributing the brief era of Boué Soeurs to the war, one must consider other factors as well. Even when the talented sisters were at the height of their success, they did not always demonstrate commercial savvy, and transporting clothing and their team to America posed challenges with customs duties.
Boué Soeurs clothing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
Another reason for the fashion house’s short lifespan was the founders’ reluctance to keep pace with current trends. Against the backdrop of radically new styles, colors, and silhouettes of the 1950s, the dresses of the French designers appeared quite anachronistic. Even then, they could have adorned collections of luxurious, exclusive, yet vintage attire.
But that happened later. Today, the name of the Boué sisters is primarily known to those connected to the fashion industry. However, the cuts and decorative details of their creations continually resurface from obscurity and are artistically reinterpreted in the dresses and blouses of our contemporaries.
Click on any photo to open a full gallery of stunning dresses with descriptions of the outfits.