Lili Damita was photographed at Studio Menasse Foto Salon in Vienna in 1930. Lili, a celebrated French actress, is best known for her marriage to screen actor and Hollywood hunk Errol Flynn. She was captured in this bohemian, yet elegant photo shortly before her screen career ended and she became a mom. It was wildly popular for well travelled women to be artistically photographed nude or in this case, nearly nude. Her lovely geometrically patterned assiut shawl features the strong linear forms popular during the art deco era.
Many people have written to me with the same inquiry, Where did you get _______? In an effort to share my costuming experiences with the world, here is a short list of the top resources I’ve used during the production of my next book, The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut. I hope that some of these links will prove useful in your own costuming projects!
Happy Costuming and Delicious Dancing ~ Davina.
Modern Assiut – Vendors in the US who have I have reliably bought modern assiut from.
Making a simple and easy vest out of an assiut shawl
One of the most simple, easy and affordable items to make out of a standard assiut panel is the One Slice Swing Vest. This graceful waterfall style of vest works best when made from cloth with intrinsic stretch. Assiut, with it’s strong hexagonal structure, is at once both extremely strong and quite flexible. However, I’ve made really nice versions of the One Slice Swing Vest out of jersey and fleece. If you are worried about making a mistake, you can make a sample first and give it a try.
To make the One Slice Swing Vest, all you need to do is cut a simple straight slice down the center of the fabric 14″ to 20″ long. Position this slice approximately 3″ – 4″ from one edge. This narrow edge will become the collar and will rest on the back of the neck. The longer length becomes the back which will rest from the waist down over the hips.
The one slice swing vest is a great way to integrate assiut into your daywear wardrobe! You can wear the vest dressed up with a dress, belt and heels, or you could play it down with casual jeans and sandals.
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of working on a dance costume for one of my models, Shalimar, for an upcoming performance in Las Angeles. We were under a deadline, and I had to crank out the outfit soup-to-nuts in 2 days. Since I’ve been working on the step-by-step construction portion of my upcoming book, The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut,I thought this would be a great opportunity to quickly test drive some of my ideas for the photography in the book.
Using my trusty cell phone and the power of Instagram, I very quickly documented the progress. The result was a series of step-by-steps that really work – but the photos are not quite up to publishing quality. However, rather than wasting them, I decided to hammer together this quick tutorial on my belt making method. This is sized for 8.5″ by 11″ so you can print it out if you like. Wanna see the final costume? You can scroll down and watch the video of Shalimar in her “test drive” performance on Wed before the big show on Friday night. We’ll be doing formal photography of this baby in a couple of weeks, and I’m looking forward to spotlighting this ensemble in my upcoming book!
Vintage assiut cloth experienced a major style moment in the early 1970s. Antique shawls were coveted by celebrities drawn to the glistening shimmer and provocative transparency that looked fantastic under stage lights. In the 1970s there was a rising nostalgia for the freedom, style, and lust for life of the jazz babies of the 1920s.
Image Right: Publicity still, First Artists via Wikimedia Commons
Assiut Ensemble in “A Star is Born”
In this publicity still for the movie “A Star is Born,” Barbara Streisand wears a stunning assiut dress. She designed this gown, part of a two-piece ensemble, from vintage assiut shawls pulled from her personal collection. As one of the producers of the film, Barbara had the power to make executive decisions. She chose this look for the pivotal scene when her character was receiving a Grammy award.
Image Below: Collage of photographs from the 2004 auction catalog “Her Name is Barbara,” published by Julien’s Auctions
In a slide show entitled “Signature Style: Barbara Streisand,” from the In Style Magazine website, Barbara comments on a 1976 publicity still for the movie:
“Here I am with Kris Kristofferson in A Star Is Born. I designed the dress: I took a couple of my silver and black shawls and draped them. Isn’t that cool? Slinky, snaky, shiny. I gave myself a little credit at the end of the movie-it just said, ‘Miss Streisand’s clothes from her closet.’ I was made fun of, but it was the truth!”
From Barbara’s Own Wardrobe
The design of the dress utilizes several shawls cut on the bias which conforms to every curve of her body. In contrast, the loose drape and flow of the overcoat echos the popular cocoon-style wrap coats that were a favorite of flappers. The assiut outfit appears in the scene where Barbara as Esther, attends the Grammy awards as a nominee, and ultimately, wins the award for best song. She takes the podium to receive her award clad in the full ensemble. Here’s a quick clip from the beginning of the scene before she begins her acceptance speech. You can really see the move and sway of this glorious ensemble.
Photo Right: Image grab from YouTube clip above.
Sold in a Charity Auction
In the 2004 charity auction “Her Name is Barbara,” at Julien’s Auction House the ensemble sold for $3,600.00. The auction catalog included these four superb photographs and this description:
“Full-length gown and cape made of silver and black metal mesh … It features a geometric design, spaghetti straps, skirt in two layers, gathered at back, slit at the left side, undergarment sewn into bodice, lined in velvet at décolletage area, zipper and snap closure at back, together with a matching wrap-around full-length cape featuring short sleeves, a body comprised of three sections including two front panels and one back panel, bodice lined in nude chiffon. The stunning ensemble was worn in the film for the scene in which Barbra Streisand as Esther Hoffman wins a Grammy award.”
Image Left: Cover of 2004 auction catalog “Her Name is Barbara” published by Julien’s Auction House in Los Angeles
Life Imitates Art
In a moment of life imitating art, Barbara took the Grammy award for best song for “Evergreen” in real life but choose a more sedate black lace dress at the ceremony. It’s a totally different look from the stunning dress in the movie. Image Right: Screen Grab of Barbara from a clip from the 1977 Grammy Awards
Learn More About Assiut
In 2014 I published my book, “The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut.” It’s become the definitive history book on the cloth. Learn more about this book or pick up a copy! It’s available on Amazon or direct from me on my Etsy shop.
Thanks for visiting! Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Updated July 2021
Curious to see some more of the looks from the movie and hear some of Barbara’s thoughts on the costume choices?
The one slice swing vest is a great way to integrate assiut into your daywear wardrobe! You can wear the vest dressed up with a dress, belt and heels, or you could play it down with casual jeans and sandals.
Assiut Spotted
From Barbara’s Own Wardrobe
