Galitzine – PatternVault

Mirella Petteni photographed by Helmut Newton in Venice, 1966 — Mirella Petteni in Venice, 1966. Photo: Helmut Newton. Image: Tumblr.

Happy Mardi Gras! To celebrate the last day of Carnival, here’s a look at the star of Helmut Newton’s 1966 Venetian shoot: Italian model and socialite Mirella Petteni Haggiag.

Born in Bergamo, Mirella Petteni moved to Milan to work as a model. As the wife of film producer Robert Haggiag, Petteni was also a society figure with residences in Venice, Tuscany, New York, and Rome’s Palazzo Mengarini. (See T magazine.) She retired from modelling to become an editor at Vogue Italia.

Mirella Petteni in *Queen*, August 1966. Photo: Helmut Newton. Image: Sweet Jane.

Petteni can be seen on many Vogue Couturier Designs by Italian designers.

Mirella Petteni in Pucci — Image: PatternVault shop.

Vogue 1397 by Pucci, March 1965 retail catalogue. Image: Pinterest.

Petteni also appears in a Vogue holiday editorial that includes two Vogue Special designs (Vogue 6084 and 6054):

Vogue 6084 and 6054 as worn by Mirella Petteni in Vogue, 1963 — In Vogue 6084 and 6054, *Vogue*, December 1963. Photos: Irving Penn? Image: Youthquakers.

Here she wears Galitzine’s halter and culotte:

Mirella Petteni in Vogue 1393 by Galitzine — Vogue 1393 by Galitzine (1964) Image: Etsy.

Here, in Pucci’s bestselling cape-jacket ensemble, Petteni’s aspirational hair is an added bonus:

1960s Pucci pink ensemble pattern feat. Mirella Petteni Haggiag - Vogue Couturier Design 1394 — Vogue 1394 by Pucci (1964) Image: Etsy.

In white dresses from Fabiani and Forquet:

1960s Forquet 2-piece dress pattern feat. Mirella Petteni Haggiag - Vogue Couturier Design 1402 — Vogue 1402 by Federico Forquet (1964). Image: Etsy.

1960s Fabiani dress pattern feat. Mirella Petteni Haggiag - Vogue Couturier Design 1866 — Vogue 1866 by Fabiani (1967) Image: Etsy.

1960s Fabiani dress pattern feat. Mirella Petteni Haggiag - Vogue Couturier Design 1899 — Vogue 1899 by Fabiani (1968) Image: Etsy.

Sorbet colour-blocking from Pucci:

1960s Pucci culotte pattern feat. Mirella Petteni Haggiag - Vogue Couturier Design 1865 — Vogue 1865 by Pucci (1967) Image: Etsy.

1960s Pucci dress pattern feat. Mirella Petteni Haggiag - Vogue Couturier Design 1955 — Vogue 1955 by Pucci (1968) Image: PatternVault shop.

In Forquet’s short, half-bias evening dress:

1960s Forquet dress pattern feat. Mirella Petteni Haggiag - Vogue Couturier Design 1957 — Vogue 1957 by Federico Forquet (1968) Image: Vintage Pattern Wiki.

Here she poses with Benedetta Barzini in early Valentino:

Benedetta Barzini and Mirella Petteni in Valentino, at Agnese Bruguier's apartment in the Palazzo Borghese, Rome, 1968 — Benedetta Barzini and Mirella Petteni in Valentino, at Agnese Bruguier’s apartment in the Palazzo Borghese, Rome, *Vogue*, September 1968. Photo: Henry Clarke. Image: tumblr.

Mirella Petteni in Queen, August 1966. Photo: Helmut Newton — Mirella Petteni in *Queen*, August 1966. Photo: Helmut Newton. Image: tumblr.

1980s Bob Mackie swimsuit pattern McCall's 7138 photographed for McCall's summer news flier — McCall’s 7138 by Bob Mackie on the cover of McCall’s news, July 1980.

It’s been another hot summer here in Toronto. One of my earliest blog posts, Heat Wave!, surveys vintage beachwear patterns. This summer, let’s take a look at a more elusive beast: designer swimwear patterns.

1950s

The earliest pattern I’ve seen for designer swimwear is Pucci’s strapless one-piece, McCall’s 3977. This pattern was available in Junior sizes only. The suit was lined in jersey, and could be made with or without the brightly coloured appliqués:

1960s

From another Italian designer, Irene Galitzine, Vogue 1288 is a pattern for a bikini, dress, and hat. The bikini consists of a cropped, cowl-neck blouse and bikini pants with side ties:

1970s

The 1970s were the heyday of designer swimwear patterns, often with a coordinating coverup, and always for stretch knits. Vogue 1416 is an early design by Donna Karan; from Anne Klein’s collaboration with Penfold, the pattern includes both a maillot and a halter bikini:

From Bill Blass, Vogue 1455 includes a two-piece swimsuit with bra top and bikini briefs:

1970s Bill Blass jacket, pants, and swimsuit pattern Vogue 1455 — Vogue 1455 by Bill Blass (1976)

John Kloss licensed a number of swimwear designs with Butterick. This ad promotes his patterns with a poolside photo of Butterick 4808:

Only Butterick has patterns designed by John Kloss. 1976 Butterick / John Kloss ad — Butterick 4808 by John Kloss, Butterick advertisement, 1976. Image: eBay.

Another Butterick designer, Gil Aimbez, designed this one-piece bathing suit. Contrast bias binding outlines the cut-away sides and bodice seaming detail:

1970s Gil Aimbez swimsuit and coverup pattern Butterick 5449 — Butterick 5449 by Gil Aimbez (ca. 1977) Image: Etsy.

Like the Anne Klein Penfold pattern above, this Penfold pattern includes both one-piece and halter bikini bathing suits. The one-piece and bikini top are cut on the bias:

1970s Penfold pattern Vogue 1655 — Vogue 1655 by Penfold (ca. 1977) Image: Vintage Patterns Wiki.

Both Penfold patterns can be seen in a Vogue Patterns editorial photographed in Antigua:

1970s Anne Klein / Penfold halter bikini pattern by Donna Karan, Vogue 1416 in Vogue Patterns magazine — Beach beauty: halter bikini Vogue 1416 by Donna Karan at Anne Klein for Penfold, *Vogue Patterns*, May/June 1977. Model: Clotilde. Photo: Albert Watson. Image: TFS.

Newest waterways - Vogue Patterns May/Jun 1977 Penfold — Vogue 1655 by Penfold with Vogue 9808, *Vogue Patterns*, May/June 1977. Models: Lisa Cooper and Clotilde. Photos: Albert Watson. Image: TFS.

From spring, 1978, Vogue 1893 seems to have been the only Catalina pattern. Instead of a coverup, it includes three styles of bathing suit: low-backed view A, strapless view B with built-in boning, and blouson view C is a two-piece:

1970s Catalina swimsuit pattern Vogue 1893 — Vogue 1893 by Catalina (1978) Image: Etsy.

The magazine recommended making the Catalina suits in Thompson of California’s “second skin Tic Toc warp knit polyester crepes” in various prints:

Vogue 1893 by Catalina in Vogue Patterns May/June 1978 — Vogue 1893 by Catalina, *Vogue Patterns*, May/June 1978. Image: Vintage Goodness.

1980s

From 1980, McCall’s 7109 includes three one-piece swimsuits by the Italian label Basile: a mock wrap, belted halter-neck and variations on the strapless suit with gathered bust (available in the shop):

Jerry Hall (right) seems to be wearing the view A style in this Basile ad photographed by Irving Penn:

vogue italia 1980 penn basile — Basile advertisement in *Vogue Italia*, 1980. Photo: Irving Penn. Models: Michelle Stevens and Jerry Hall. Image: TFS.

Also from 1980, Bob Mackie’s strapless, colour-blocked swimsuit, McCall’s 7138, was photographed for the July counter catalogue and news leaflet (seen at the top of this post):

1980s Bob Mackie swimsuit and cover-up pattern McCall's 7138 — McCall’s 7138 by Bob Mackie (1980) Image: Etsy.

1990s

Finally, this early ’90s DKNY pattern, Vogue 2897, is labelled ‘dress and bodysuit,’ but was photographed as beachwear:

After a long swimwear pattern drought, the big pattern companies seem to have noticed the renewed popularity of sewing your own, custom bathing suit. For this summer, Simplicity reissued a 1950s bathing suit pattern, Simplicity 4307 / S8139, and The McCall Pattern Company has released a number of new swimwear designs, including one Vogue and two Lisette swimwear patterns.

Two designers with existing pattern licensing, Cynthia Rowley and Rachel Comey, both have swimwear lines. If we voice our support, perhaps we could soon see patterns for Cynthia Rowley surf wear and Rachel Comey Swim…