Dolly Tree - costume designer

[evaeva]

Does anyone have any info on this great designer? There is an excellent website dedicated to her life and work http://www.dollytree.co.uk up to the time she left Hollywood in 1942. Dolly Tree died in upstate New York 1962. The last 20 years of her life are described as a depressing time for Tree, but it's an unsupported comment.



I admire her work and I'm wondering if Tree moved onto other fields of design after Hollywood.



IMBD:

Dolly Tree (1899-1962) had an international reputation as a designer for stage and screen costumes during the 1920's and 1930's in London, Paris, New York and Hollywood. She was England's leading stage designer during the 1920's and her ingenious costumes proliferated in major revues, musicals, pantomimes and cabaret in London and the regions. Dolly Tree was also involved in designing costumes for the British film industry and was allied to the couture house of Jean Peron. Her work also had a great vogue in Paris where she became the first English person and the first woman to design for the Folies Bergere. In New York in the late 1920's she became famous for creating the quintessensial 1890's look for Mae West and it is believed that she was one of the first designers to propogate the use of the strapless evening gown. Finally Dolly Tree became one of Hollywood's major screen designers, working for MGM during the 1930's. Here she maintained the style and glamour of costume for which MGM was famous, designing elegant creations for Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Rosalind Russell, Virginia Bruce and Judy Garland, besides the historical costumes for the classic David Selznick movies such as Viva Villa, David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities.

[torinfan]

I am not familiar with Dolly Tree - I did bookmark the link to her site - I love fashion myself and will have to take a further look at her beautiful creations. Thanks!

[evaeva]

thanks torinfan...

I've always been struck by her name on film credits - Dolly Tree sounds like a company! She was born near Bristol and moved to London about 1912. She started illustrating magazines and moved onto theatre work. It would be great to fill in the blanks from 1942 on...an accessible data base from New York State?



Here's an illustration from Pan magazine 1918 and a design worn by Myrna Loy in The Thin Man 1934.

[torinfan]

I love the dress worn by Myrna Loy! Dolly was very talented.

[Gazzakot]

Most of the stuff on the web @ Miss Dolly Tree is from me ! I have researched her life & career for a very long time and have a big collection relating to her. The website was mine too but now old & I have no control over it. New one forthcoming. After Hollywood DT did very little design work. If you need to know more please let me know & I will oblige...

[evaeva]

Hello Gazzakot! Thanks for making contact.

That's a beautiful site about Dolly Tree. Did you write The Dolly Sisters?

I've seen Dolly Tree's name often on film credits and now I'm curious about her life after Hollywood. It's sad that it seemed to fall apart after films. I've always wondered if she went back to designing clothing for a fashion house, like her earlier years at Peron. Who knows, maybe that vintage day dress I have is a Dolly Tree.

Is a book on Tree forthcoming? - hope so.

[Gazzakot]

I meant to mention my website is : www.garychapman.biz - links to all sorts of things and email (gazchappers@btinternet.com). Yes, I did write the biog @ the Dolly Sisters. After MGM and then a short stint at Fox Dt floated around in HW for a while and then appears to have relocated to NYC but was already on a downward spiral of drink & seemingly depression. All very sad....

[evaeva]

I enjoyed looking through your website Gary. Please keep us informed when your book projects will be published - I would like to see more pictures of Dolly - especially in the American years.

Here's a glam pic of my mother in the 40s or early 50s wearing a dress she made herself - it now looks to me like a version of the Myrna Loy dress!