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CHARL ES JAMES
BENEATH THE DRESS
R. COURI HAY
CHARLES JAMES
BENEATH THE DRESS
R. COURI HAY
3
DEDICATED TO

MY NANA, R. LOUISE COURI,
WHO ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED ME TO CHARLES JAMES
THROUGH HER WARDROBE.
CHARLES JAMES,
MY FRIEND AND FELLOW TROUBLEMAKER
WHO NEVER CEASES TO INSPIRE ME.
ANDY WARHOL,
WHO GAVE ME MY FIRST JOB AT INTERVIEW MAGAZINE,
WHERE I WROTE MY FIRST FEATURE STORY ON
CHARLES JAMES IN 1972.
LARRY MCMURTY,
MY PULITZER PRIZE AND OSCAR-WINNING WRITING TEACHER.
TIMOTHY LEARY,
MY WEST COAST GODFATHER WHO EXPANDED MY MIND
ON EVERY LEVEL AND GUIDED MY CAREER AS A WRITER
AND JOURNALIST.
MY LATE LOVER, ROGER WEBSTER,
WHO WAS BY MY SIDE DURING THE FILMING OF
THE CHARLES JAMES STORY AND ENCOURAGED ME TO WRITE HIS
BIOGRAPHY FOR FOUR DECADES.
MY PARTNER, JOE H. ALEXANDER,
WHO PROVIDED ME WITH THE SERENITY TO CREATE THIS BOOK.
CHARLES JAMES ON THE NIGHT HE WON THE FIRST OF HIS TWO COTY AWARDS IN 1950.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIOT ELISOFON
4 5
FOUR- LEAF CLOVER GOWN
c. 19641967, black marker on paper This famous Charles James-designed gown originally created
for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr. (iiir) to wear to the Inaugural Ball of President Eisenhower
in 1953, however it was too large to fit through the doors of the White House. Mrs. Hearst did wear
the Four-Leaf Clover Gown to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II later that year in London. Three
exact duplicates were made for other clients, and several other garments with the same structure
but different colors and skirt details were made over the next few years.
BLACK AND WHITE FOUR-LEAF CLOVER MASTERWORK GOWN DESIGNED FOR MRS. WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST, JR.
TO WEAR IN 1953 PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETTMANN/CORBIS.
6 7
I remember growing up with the Charles James name and the clothes. My
maternal grandmother and my mother loved his hats and coats; my brother,
Walter, even wore Charles James baby clothes. When I nrst started coming
to New York on my own in the 6os, I had letters of introduction, including
one to my cousin, who was a close friend of Diana Vreeland and her hus-
band, lomas, but who Nana really wanted me to meet was Charles James.
Alas, Diana Vreeland and Charles never really got along that wellthey had a
classic love-hate relationshipso instead, Mrs. Vreeland decided to send me
along to Halston. It was a meeting that started a long anair with the designer.
I eventually met Charles James in i,66 at his 6oth birthday party at Maxs
Kansas City and he fascinated me from the word go. lere was a romance
about Charles, not to mention the theatricality and drama around his whole
personaincluding the time Jean Cocteau had to cut him down when he tried
to hang himself over a love anair that ended badlyand his multiple rooms
at the Chelsea Hotel on West :,rd Street. Everyone talks about how seedy and
rundown the hotel was in the 6os and os, but Tennessee Williams, Arthur
Miller, Willem de Kooning, Virgil lomson, Viva, lomas Wolfe, Ultra Violet,
Dylan lomas, and Richard Bernstein, the illustrator who did all the covers
for Andy Warhols Interview Magazine, had all called the Chelsea Hotel home
at one time or another. I recall seeing Lou Reed sing one of the nrst drafts of
Take a Walk on the Wild Side to Candy Darling, who the song was about,
in Charles room at the Chelsea. lere was magic and mystery and a palpable
charisma around Charles James, and it was New York for me. I can still see
Charles room at the Chelsea Hotel with a big wall of white paper roses that he
made in tribute to the French designer Balenciaga, his drawings, the peeling
paint, the big storyboard for the book he never had time to write, his faithful
protg Homer Layne, and always, his beloved beagle, Sputnik.
During this period I also embarked on a relationship with Halston. We
went to Fire Island, Greece and Paris where he would send me in to Yves
Saint Laurent to buy clothes, and he would say, Get the trench coat, get the
safari jacket, get this, get that. And then hed say, You know, Im just going
to move this button a half-inch and change the collar a little bit, and then
send it to Japan to copy; its a lot faster and cheaper than being Charles James
CHARLES JAMES & ME
BY R. COURI HAY
R. COURI HAY AND CHARLES JAMES AT THE CHELSEA HOTEL IN 1972
The first time I met Charles James, I was a 17-year-old student on my summer vacation from my New England prep school.
Charles was always bursting with ideas and energy and seemed infinitely more talented and committed to his craft than
other designers I knew at the time. For example, the sweater Im wearing in this photograph of Charles and me in the
Chelsea Hotel several years into our friendship had two buttons that fell off the pockets. One was re-sewn by my lover,
Halston, the other by my mentor Charles James. Guess which one stayed on? PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTON PERICH
8 9
and spending three years and s:o,ooo perfecting a sleeve. Id buy hats in
London from Herbert Johnson and Id come back the day of one of Halstons
shows and he would take the hat right on my head, put his label right over
Herbert Johnsons, and send it down the runway. Of course, I told Charles
everything and it fed right into what he not only felt about Halston, but about
Seventh Avenue.
When it came to design, Charless mantra was I give a woman the ngure she
wants but doesnt necessarily have. He was an engineer and an architect; he
built his clothes from the inside out. For example, at io pounds, the Four-Leaf
Clover dress, also known as the Abstract Dress, is one of Charles heaviest
gowns, but the bodice was tight and the gown was engineered so that all the
weight came to the hips. Charles was all about the point: Point of sexuality,
point of tension, point of interest, and point of weight. Austine Hearst, who
the dress was made for, said it became practically weightless when she wore
it to the March of Dimes Fashion Show and Queen Elizabeths coronation
ball. Charles was very proud of the fact that when they ran the nlm of the
gown in movement, it looked good regardless of whether the nlm was run-
ning forward or in reverse.
Despite his many clients and creations, I never really thought of Charles as
being in business. When Charles looked in the mirror, he saw Charles James
the artist; he never saw a designerhe hated that word. You are only as good
as the people you dress, said Charles, whos client roster comprised a whos
who of the ,os, os, ,os and beyond. lis group included Queen Ena of Spain,
Lady Dina Cooper, Millicent Rogers, Dominique de Menil, Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt Whitney, Gloria Vanderbilt, the sculptor Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas,
Elsa Peretti, and Babe Paley, whom Charles recalled, I ended my business
relationship with Mrs. Paley because she expected i:o yards of hem to be
shortened a half-inch by the evening, only coming in at three and didnt
expect to pay. And she wasnt the only one. Of Mrs. Vanderbilt he recalled,
Gloria Vanderbilt wore one of my big black and white dresses to the horse
show at the Garden, got the bottom all fouled up and then, I had to have
the skirt taken to pieces; she was very upset about having to pay to have it
repaired. I couldnt anord that sort of client.
Charles never saw himself as a businessman so money was always a problem.
He hated the fact that he had to make money in order to produce these beauti-
ful garments so he simply ignored the nnancial realities of his situation. Even
though he had all these rich patrons, he never had one that poured endless
streams of money into his accounts. I always felt protective toward Charles
because growing up, hearing that name spoken with almost reverence, and
knowing how much my mother and grandmother admired his clothes, I took
care of him in a friendly way. One winter, I bought him a grey cashmere coat
and a lambs fur hat at Brooks Brothers on my parents account. I would take
him to Maxs Kansas City or the local automat, just to have dinner and talk.
Charles was a peerless raconteur. He was the epitome of the romantic mys-
tique. And of course, he was a nashback to a time that I never knew.
I bought Charles drawings, some of which I posed for, one by one for s,oo
each from my trust fund, which is why today I have this collection; a selec-
tion of which were displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the
Charles James: Beyond Fashion exhibit at the Costume Institute. A more
thorough exhibition is currently mounted at le National Arts Club and is
spread out over the ensuing pages. I bought more drawings so that Homer
Layne could buy back many of the dresses that were also part of the Mets
show from an auction at Doyles. Its my great sorrow that I never wanted to
wear any of the dresses, although I did don his famous rainbow colored ribbon
cape and the white eiderdown evening jacket that Salvador Dali described as
the nrst soft sculpture to Studio ,. I just knew that Charles James needed
love, he needed attention he needed support, and he needed encouragement.
I hope I brought a youthful enthusiasm to his life. Back then I was a tornado
of energy. I would come into the Chelsea and turn the place upside-down and
it did seem to invigorate Charles.
I brought Charles out. I even took him to an opening of what turned out to
be a sex club with Prince Egon von Frstenberg and Charles disappeared into
CHARLES JAMES AND ELIZABETH STRONG- CUEVAS ON THE TOWN IN 1975
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTON PERICH
10 11
EIDERDOWN JACKET
c. 19711975, red and blue markers with lead pencil on paper This iconic design, that Salvador
Dali called the first example of soft sculpture, was executed in 1937 of white double face satin,
filled with eiderdown, the soft feathers from the breast of the female eider duck, a large sea duck.
The only jacket made was for Mrs. Oliver Burr Jennings, and was prominently displayed at the
recent Charles James: Beyond Fashion exhibition at New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art.
the darkness. I said, Charles, what on earth is going on? What are you doing
in there? And he said, I nourished someone. I almost fell down dead; I think
he was about o at the time. I also took him to parties at Studio ,, Salvation
and other trendy places of the day. I was not going to let him lock himself up
in his room so I dragged him out whenever I could. We went to the ballet and
the Philharmonic; I would take him to the opera, which we both loved, which
created all these wonderful memories.
Although Charles was gay, he was also married to Nancy Lee Gregory and had
two children, Charles Jr. and Louise. Society has always been two-gaited, he
assured me while poo-pooing the rumored anair between Greta Garbo and
his former Harrow schoolmate Cecil Beaton that he said Cecil had fostered
to make himself more interesting. He wants history to link him to Garbo
because he knows shell live on long after hes forgotten. le only thing they
had in common romantically was their love of the same sex, he sniped after
a bitter row with the photographer that ended their friendship.
Charles labored over his dresses, and sacrinced everything for his art. Its
my opinion that he was angry that he couldnt make enough money crafting
clothes and that his skills werent recognized in such a way that his work
would be supported so he could do more. He was the ultimate sunering
artiste in the Chelsea Hotel.
During much of our friendship, I was working for Andy Warhols Interview
Magazine, writing a column called Invasion of Privacy and doing stories
on Hollywood legends including Warren Beatty, Ginger Rogers, Lena Horne
and Bette Davis, who I knew because I went to school with her son, Michael,
and her husband Gary Merrill belonged to our WASP-y and stuny country
club until he was suspended for taking a shower in the ladies locker room
after a round of golf (and several other rounds at the bar with my father).
Charles really became a teacher as well as a father ngure to me. He propelled
my interest in writing into journalism, however he always disapproved that I
used my talent for gossip. You should only appear in biographies, he told me
repeatedly. People that appear in gossip columns like yours are already done
and gone for. I want new people.
Yet Charles loved to gossip and always had an endless arsenal of wonderful or
wicked stories to share about his friends, clients, and fellow designers includ-
ing Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, and Cristbal Balenciaga
as well as Marlene Dietrich, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dolores del Rio, Helen Hayes,
Jennifer Jones, Gertrude Lawrence, and Paulette Goddard. le fact that the
book Im working on about his life skews a little gossipy, for that, I apologize,
however, it is, in my own way, a biography. I was not Charles most focused
12 13
MULTI - RACIAL THREESOME
c. 19631968, blue marker on paper
student, although he was the great master who taught me important lessons
across the arts, but what he also always did was inspire me. Ill never live up
to being what Charles James wanted of me until I write that book, the precur-
sor to which you now hold in your hands. I hope youll enjoy perusing Charles
drawings and getting to know him just a little bit how I knew him.
September .,, .c:;
15
ROSE DRESS
1973, pastels on paper Made from rose satin and taffeta, this gown was created in 1950 and
photographed for the May 1950, Rose Issue of Flair Magazine. Versions of this dress were later made
for Millicent Rogers and Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr.
I VE HAD MY SHARE OF GOOD TI MES AND
BAD, BUT I T HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE
DRESS, NOT ME. I F I CAN CREATE BEAUTY AND
MAKE SOMEONE FEEL BEAUTI FUL I N ONE OF MY
DRESSES, THEN MY WORK I S DONE.
CHARLES JAMES
16 17
SQUATTING MALE NUDE
1965, black wide-tip marker on paper
BALLOON COAT
1968, red and black pastels with brown shoe polish on paper
18 19
FLYING FIGURE WITH BUBBLE TOP AND SKIRT
1969, grease and lead pencils on paper This drawing demonstrates Charles James use of layers of
air between the body and the garment.
FRONT AND BACK VIEW OF BUBBLE TOP DRESS
1970, grease pencil on paper This proposed design was developed from the bubble silhouette cre-
ated for the E. J. Korvette line in 1962.
20 21
ABSTRACT NUDES WITH BUTTOCKS TOUCHING
c. 19651970, brown marker on paper
STUDY FOR PIECE OF JEWELRY
1967, red marker on graph paper
22 23
SWAYING FEMALE NUDE
c. 19671969, blue and brown markers on paper
BUBBLE TOP AND SIDE OPENING PANT
1970, red, black and green markers on lined paper This sketch of a proposed design was developed
from the bubble silhouette created for the E. J. Korvette line in 1962. The look of the pants is a varia-
tion on James designs for childrens clothing, made for Alexis Infants Wear in 1956.
24 25
BALLOON OPERA COAT
c. 1960s, charcoal on paper Originally executed in velvet or faille, this garment was first created
in 1956, then remade as a velvet ball gown for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr. It later appeared
in the Brooklyn Museums The Genius of Charles James catalogue as well as in the Metropolitan
Museum of Arts companion tome to the recent Charles James: Beyond Fashion exhibition.
I HAD BEEN MUCH I MPRESSED BY A GOWN YOU
HAD CUT FOR A FRI END OF MI NE. I T SEEMED TO ME
NOT ONLY SKI LLFUL AND BEAUTI FUL, BUT SOMEHOW
WENT WAY BEYOND THE ORDI NARY LI MI TS OF THE
FASHI ON WORLD. I T WAS, I FELT, A WORK OF ART.
ALFRED H. BARR, JR.
THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART,
IN A LETTER TO CHARLES JAMES
26 27
GROSGRAIN CAPE
1969, charcoal pencil on paper This cape was created in 1936 from 18 grosgrain millinery rib-
bons. Originally made for Ruth Ford and Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith, the cape
was remade in 1975 from wool broadcloth for Mrs. Fritz Bultman. It then appeared in the Brooklyn
Museums 1982 catalogue The Genius of Charles James.
WRAPAROUND BLOUSE
1970, black grease pencil on paper The design, partially worked out with a student from Pratt, was
one of a series proposed for artist Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas but was never produced.
29 28
STOLE
1975, black and red grease pencils on paper This cranberry-colored stole was executed in silk
pique for Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas to wear with a Charles James-designed orange and white
evening gown.
CHARLES JAMES I S NOT ONLY THE GREATEST
AMERI CAN COUTURI ER, BUT THE WORLDS BEST AND
ONLY DRESSMAKER WHO HAS RAI SED I T FROM AN
APPLI ED ART FORM TO A PURE ART FORM.
CRI STBAL BALENCI AGA
30 31
DRESS WITH SCARF
1963, grease pencil on paper Charles James inscribed this drawing in memory of 33.
SPIRAL WRAPAROUND DRESS WITH BUTTONS
1971, black marker on paper This sketch was a proposed design developed from James iconic 1929
Taxi Dress. Charles James inscribed this drawing, variations of design created in London 1929.
32 33
BACKSIDE OF MALE NUDE
1965, green, turquoise, black and red markers on paper
COAT
c. 1970, black and red grease pencils on paper
34 35
GALA DALI DRESS
c. 1972, grease pencil on paper The bias cut dress with asymmetrical neckline was created for
Mme. Salvador Dali in Paris. Charles James inscribed this drawing, executed for Mme. Salvador
Dali Paris, 1937.
I THI NK I T WAS WRONG TO PUT [CHARLES JAMES]
I N THE MARKETTHATS LI KE TAKI NG PI CASSO AND
SAYI NG YOURE A PAI NTER, PAI NT THE HOUSE. THI S
I S A MAN WHO SHOULDVE BEEN KEPT I N THE
EXPERI MENTAL LABORATORY DEVELOPI NG THESE
THOUGHTS HE DI D.
BI LL CUNNI NGHAM
PHOTOGRAPHER AND FASHI ON HI STORI AN
37
[CHARLES JAMES DRAWI NGS] WERE MORE
POWERFUL AND MORE TO THE POI NT THAN
ANY OF THE WORK SUBMI TTED BY SO CALLED
REGULAR ARTI STS. I HAVE NEVER MET CHARLES
JAMES, I DONT PARTI CULARLY NEED TO, BUT
I THI NK THAT CHARLES JAMES I S A GENI US.
ROBERT MOTHERWELL
ARTI ST
ONE HALF COAT SILHOUETTE
1961, black and brown markers with brown shoe polish on paper
38 39
INDECISION
1969, silkscreen print Fourth from a set of five prints made and sold to raise money for the Electric
Circus show, produced by Halston, in December, 1969. This image was used in a poster that ad-
vertised the event, displayed within the NYC subways. The original drawing, that portrays a male
nude being f layed with whips, symbolizing all the trials man has to endure when life goes wrong,
was executed in black marker and brown shoe polish in 1963. It was drawn two years after his
divorce from Nancy Gregory and the collapse of his business.
THE CAPE- COAT
1963, black marker and brown shoe polish on paper This drawing is part of a series that Charles
James titled Meta Morphology, which showed alternate seams dissecting the same shape to make
them seemingly different designs.
40 41
COLLAR FRONT WAIST PANTS
c. 1975, grease pencil on paper James created this proposed design for men based on his personal
swimsuit that was made in the 1930s.
SHIRT AND PANTS FOR MEN
1973, grease pencil on paper This Charles James-designed shirt is a variation of a pair of pajamas
made for Marquis de Cuevas around 1937, while the wrap-over pants are a variation of the trouser
skirt made for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr.
42 43 42
BACK VIEW OF SILK JERSEY AND SILK SATIN DRESS
c. 1967, charcoal on paper Originally created in 1944, this garment was made for Gypsy Rose Lee
and other clients.
DESPI TE THE BOUTS OF FURY BROUGHT ON BY
ARTI STI C DESPAI R OR PERCEIVED PROFESSI ONAL
SLI GHTS, CHARLES JAMES CONTI NUE[D] TO CHARM
AND CAPTIVATE THOSE WHO MET HI M WI TH HI S
WI T, I NTELLECT, AND CHARI SMATI C DI SREGARD FOR
CONVENTI ON..
JAN GLI ER REEDER
CO- AUTHOR, CHARLES JAMES: BEYOND FASHI ON
44 45
BUBBLE TOP
1970, grease pencil on paper One in a series of designs proposed for Halston using the bubble
silhouette developed for the E. J. Korvette line in 1962.
BACK VIEW OF SURPLUS WRAP HALTER TOP AND SKIRT
c. 1967, charcoal pencil on paper The sketch is the back view of an original top that was executed
in turquoise taffeta, and black satin skirt that was made for Mrs. Edmund Bradfield in 1948.
46 47
CROUCHING MALE NUDE
1966, black marker on paper
TELEPHONE DRESS
1967, grease pencil on paper This illustration reveals the development of the elliptical skirt
silhouette that was used for skirts and culottes made for artist Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas circa
19721974.
48 49
MALE NUDE FROM BEHIND
1965, red ballpoint pen and pastel on paper
CONVERSATION
1969, silkscreen print Fifth from a set of five prints made for and sold to raise money for the
Electric Circus show, produced by Halston, in December, 1969. The original drawing from 1964 was
created using blue and turquoise ballpoint pens.
50 51 50
MALE NUDE FACEDOWN
1970, blue, red, green, turquoise and yellow ballpoint pens on paper, mounted on vinyl
DRESSMAKI NG I S THE MOST VI TAL I F I T CARRI ES
WI TH A FORM OF LOVEMAKI NG FROM THE
MAN WHO DOESNT WANT TO MAKE I T WI TH
THE WOMAN.
CHARLES JAMES
CHARLES JAMES
52 53
BACK VIEW OF ABSTRACT MALE NUDE
1965, black marker on paper
THE BLACK LADY
1969, silkscreen print First from a set of five prints made for and sold to raise money for the Electric
Circus show, produced by Halston, in December, 1969. The original drawing was made a year earlier
using black marker, black acrylic paint and brown shoe polish on paper.
54 55
FEMALE NUDE
1973, gold and brown markers with Liquid Paper white out on paper
THREE VERSIONS OF THE SPIRAL WRAPAROUND OR TAXI DRESS
c. 1971, brown marker on paper
MALE GENITALIA
1964, brown shoe polish on paper
56 57
PAGODA DRESS WITH POCKETS
1969, rust, blue and black oil pastels with purple watercolor on paper
MALE TORSO PIN
1963, brown, red and black markers on paper This piece of jewelry was to have been made in metal
with enamel as well as possibly pearls or colored stones.
58 59
META MORPHOLOGY
1969, silkscreen print Second from a set of five prints made for and sold to raise money for the
Electric Circus show, produced by Halston, in December, 1969. The original drawing was created in
1967 of black acrylic paint and brown marker on hard cardboard from the back of a sketchpad. This
print portrays the Cocoon coat designed in 1956.
I WOULD WI SH OTHERS WHO ONE DAY CAN
I NFLUENCE FASHI ON, HAVI NG THE GUTS AND
CAPACI TY TO DO SO, LIVE THROUGH ME
WHEN I M GONE.
CHARLES JAMES
60 61
ABSTRACT OF LEG AND MALE GENITALS
1976, black marker and lead pencil on paper
SIDE PROFILE OF FEMALE NUDE
c. 19721975, red, blue and pink pastels on paper
62 63
ONE MALE AND THREE FEMALE NUDES
c. 19681970, purple maker on paper
BUBBLE TOP (THREE VARIATIONS)
1970, blue marker, red and brown grease pencil on paper These designs were proposed for Halston
using the silhouette developed for the E. J. Korvette line in 1962.
64 65
MALE NUDE WITH LONG HAIR
1963, black marker on paper
THE AVERAGE CLIENT AWAITING THE MIRACLE IN THE FITTING ROOM
c. 19651969, black and blue ballpoint pens with turquoise, yellow and red marker on paper
66 67
MALE NUDE LYING DOWN
c. 1970s, acrylic paint on pink vellum mounted on brown paper
PORTRAIT OF HALSTON FROWICK
1970, red marker on paper This disparaging sketch was drawn after Charles James business rela-
tionship with Halston ended in 1970.
68 69
EMBRACING BI - RACIAL MALE NUDES
c. 19651968, blue, black, brown ballpoint pens with brown shoe polish on paper
MIRRORED IMAGES OF GOWN CREATED FOR ELIZABETH STRONG- CUEVAS
1973, grease pencil on buff textured paper A design executed by James protg, Homer Layne,
in orange and white double-faced satin, the gown was worn by Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas, who
accompanied the look with a cranberry-color stole, to the opening of The Genius of Charles James
exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in 1982.
70 71
SELF- PORTRAIT HOLDING A PENCIL
1968, red, black and blue ballpoint pens with yellow marker on vellum tracing paper Charles
James drew this self-portrait while seated on his bed, sketching.
I DONT BELI EVE I N HOMOSEXUALI TY; I BELI EVE
THAT PEOPLE ARE SEXUAL OR THEYRE NOT.
CHARLES JAMES
72 73
BUBBLE TOP AND FUR SKIRT
c. 1967, charcoal and grease pencils on paper James created this proposed design for the
E. J. Korvette line in 1962. The garment comprised a bubble top in two fabrics or colors developed
with an A-line skirt made in horizontal rows of fur.
MALE NUDE BEING FLAYED WITH WHIPS
1965, turquoise, red, blue and black ballpoint pens, black marker, and brown shoe polish on paper
74 75
FUR SKIRT WITH FITTED TOP
1970, grease pencil on paper
MALE NUDE FROM BACK
c. 1963, marker on paper Charles James inscribed this drawing Chelsea Hotel, NY
76 77
WORK SMOCK/SHIRT
1972, pencil on paper This sketch is another design proposed for artist Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas.
GENITALIA
1969, silkscreen print Third from a set of five prints made and sold to raise money for the Electric
Circus show, produced by Halston, in December, 1969. The original drawing was executed in black
marker on paper. Charles James inscribed this drawing, edition limited 20/2
78 79
R. Couri Hay: Did you really think that the black-and-white Four Leaf Clover gown was
going to be the last dress you would ever make?
Charles James: Yes, I felt I had come to the end of dressmaking. It took many people to
make. It couldnt even get through the door.
Who did you make it for?
Austine Hearst.
Howdid you get it through the door?
We trimmed it, and it would be made for Mrs. Nixon... and she didnt pay. So I took it away.
She was a curious beauty. She said it was far too elaborate of a dress for her to wear as the
wife of the Vice President. But later, when Mrs. Hearst wore the dress to the March of Dimes
Fashion Show, it took the whole stan to make that dress. I sent over :oo gardenias, all sewn
up in an organdy blouse. She took a suite up in the Waldorf and when she came down, the
other society tots, who were posed as modernists, were furious at the gardenias. Nobody in
the audience knew they were gardenias until the end of her parade. She threw her jacket at
the press and they all but fainted from the smells. In a way, Mrs. William Randolph Hearst,
Jr., was one of the most beautiful women I ever remembered; we were like brother and sister.
Why did you think this was the last dress you were ever going to make?
Because I was tired. I worked very long hours. I had to do what other people didnt do,
couldnt do.
Lets talk about Diana Vreeland.
Shes very cruel but she can be kind. Mrs. Vreeland is the queen of perversity; her idea of wit
is to say something perverse. Mrs. Vreeland uses [designers of the past] to promote her own
legend as somebody of knowledge, which she lacks. I dont know anyone less informed than
Mrs. Vreeland. Shes one of the parlor maids of the fashion world.
Are you saying this because she left you out of the American Women of Style exhibition
at the Metropolitan Museumof Art?
No. Years ago, she never wanted to see anything that was very good. She wasnt fair about it.
Isnt Diana Vreeland an important fgure in the fashion industry today?
She is a pretentious woman who, I believe, was born of a doctor in Newburg. Despite being
pretentious and having great ideas of grandeur, she was quite good looking though. You
might not think that but theres this one drawing of her when she was about :o in London
and its perfectly beautiful.
She has been infuential in the fashion world, Charles.
No, I think shes destroyed it. Shes destroyed enort; shes destroyed the desire of young tal-
ent to develop their own inspiration. Shes really a wholesaler expert. She knows what will
sell. Her great word is chic. Now chic isnt fashion; beauty is fashion. Beauty has so many
forms but chic has not.
Is there anything you think students should knowabout the design world?
le school system is heavily endowed by industry and the political world. Students really
may never go into dressmaking, or what they call designing. What they want, above all, is a
degree. Probably their parents will give them a prize.
A CONVERSATION WITH CHARLES JAMES
From R. Couri Hay and Anton Perichs .;-hour documentary le Charles James Story, flmed
between :,,, and :,,:
LEFT: PORTRAIT OF CHARLES JAMES REFLECTED IN A PIANO PHOTOGRAPHY BY CECIL BEATON
80 81
But you teach.
I teach dropouts. leyre the ones whove made good. I dont really know how to qualify
because I see the kinds of things that Miss [Mary] McFadden makes, which look like sleep-
wear, and I dont see how that could be considered fashion. Its not erotic, it has no nnesse;
its just there to publicize. Everything that you could buy in a pattern book youll nnd in her
line. All the capital behind those houses spend an enormous amount of money to make no
statement of any sort, no conviction.
Are there any schools in Europe or America that are turning out good designers?
An artist, a sculptor, or designer turns himself out. Get that straight through your head. You
cannot teach somebody something that they are not born to be.
What about Halston?
Halston is a middle-of-the-road man who would be better as a buyer in the store or a stylist.
He knows how to select good things to copy but his passion has been to put his name on it.
le word plagiarism is correct.
Tell me about dressing Marlene Dietrich in the BowDress for Vogue?
When I remade it for Elizabeth Arden, io years after nrst making it for a lady who was, at
that time, o and innnitely distinguished and very quiet and witty, Miss Dietrich chose to
be photographed in it, and then wished to buy the dress. I thought she looked badly in it,
and Miss Arden wouldnt let it be sold to her. She felt that the way she did her hair was unin-
spired, and certainly she was extremely grouchy at the photographic sitting. It was a hot
daythere was no air-conditioning at Miss Ardens in those daysI got an immense block
of ice and put a fan behind it, and it still did not please her. le dress was in one piece, cut
on the bias, with ties on the diagonal opening from which allowed a certain amount of nesh
to be seen for those whose ngures justined thissuch as the divine Dietrich.
BOW DRESS
1962, pencil on paper Bias cut crepe evening dress made in 1944 for Marlene Dietrich. This dress
was originally executed in 1932. MARLENE DIETRICH, 1944 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN RAWLING. COURTESY OF VOGUE/COND NAST
82 83
You also dressed Paulette Goddard, howdid that go?
Well, Miss Goddard seemed to think that any design she took home to consider on memo
became automatically her property. A transparent lace trouser suit was lent so she could
plan where to wear it. Decision was the White House... We never got the design back until
my colored maid served her with a summons at the side door of the Pierre Hotel; the full
price was paid within hours by a former husband. She, too, became a nrm friend after this
act of discipline on my part.
Howdoes sex relate to fashion ?
Sexuality related to precision and tension of designs by which shifting areas of the body are
emphasized at the expense of othersor the signincance of others diminished. lat loose-
ness casual look depends, in actuality, on deviation from points of tension as in drawings
by great masters. lis requires expert handling by artisans trained by masters.
Critics say that your work is dated, that its too shaped and too structured. Howdo you
answer this?
I dont think that my work has ever been out of date, in that it was ahead of its time,
therefore, it was a matter of waiting until it became a New Look; and right now I feel that
what Im working on can replace the tacky, fag-hag-drag that which has been passed on as
fashion by those who never learned the rudiments of cutting and ntting; usually working
from sketches and plagiarizing the process designs produced by the couture markets of the
world.
Is it true that you think blue jeans is the only art formin apparel that America has ever
produced?
Absolutely yes, though one must understand that its origin goes back to the eighteenth
century; it started in what was called kersey, the early word for jersey under the Regency
launched by Beau Brummel it was the type of cut and shape; the tight look for pants. le
fact that it was developed here in denim because there was a shortage of something else,
doesnt alter the fact that the construction of the silhouette was court invention; it was for
the court under the Regent later to become George IV... worn by Beau Brummel; and also
late by Mlle George Sands when seeking to please Chopin, who was known as also liking the
male sex. le blue jean is the only art form in apparel and Ive been saying this ever since I
appeared at the Neiman Marcus Award Show, dressed in jeans, to Mr. Marcuss horror, but
to lessen the blow in a white silk evening jacket and cummerbund; and as a result of this,
Mr. Marcus found it necessary to acclaim jeans. lis was in i,,,.
Do you think there is a conspiracy in the fashion world to hide you away?
Yes, because I show them their own ineptitudes. lats not an unusual situation, you know.
Howdo you cope with that, Charles? Howdo you feel about it?
I feel, sometimes, quite desperate. Ill tell you a very curious thing; in Chicago, money was
given to the Brooklyn Museum for ,oo drawings and theyve never been able to be found.
Its generally thought they must be in Mr. Rileys (Curator of the Industrial Division at the
Costumes and Textiles Department of the Brooklyn Museum) care so that he can have a
wonderful show when Im gone.
Lets not talk about that. Te point is, with all this talk about being wrecked by the rich,
being hidden away, and not being encouraged by the fashion industry, you still have new
ideas, Charles. Youre still bursting with energy. Howdo you do that? Whats your secret?
I have a mind that extrapolates. Give me one point and Ill reach another. I can really only
work by routine, by discipline, by method, by plan and then I can vary my plan and make it
go wild.
One of my favorite models of all time is not a name well known among the contemporary
set such as Veruschka, Pat Cleveland, Jerry Hall, or Beverly Johnson, but a name thats in
the annals of modeling history and thats Dorian Leigh. Didnt she model for you?
Yes, in a dress I made for Mrs. Paley, Gypsy Rose Lee, and probably about six people in all, no
more.
Were you friends with Dorian Leigh on a personal level?
Yes, very. She was the nicest person in the world to work with. She was very short for a
model though.
You also had three pieces on the cover of Vogue. Tere was one of a model that looks like
shes looking into a windowor a mirror in a Charles James coat.
le color was changed. le promotion was tiger. I set my own colors, always. ley had
a yellow issue, so they thought it could nt into the category of yellow.
Wasnt it hard to clean these clothes?
No, there were always special cleaners in Paris who had a special iron and steam
arrangements.
I hate to send clothes to the cleaners. I think the cleaners ruin clothes.
A new suit is an old suit the nrst time its cleaned. I dont know what the answer is.
Fortunately, Homer [Layne] arranges to have them spun and pressed but I have trousers
pressed at dinerent cleaners. le ones Im wearing now were given to me by Jacques Bellini
to wear to an appearance at Studio ,.
What do you think of Studio ?
I think its an outrage on the publics sense of entertainment. In the past, there was a great
deal of discretion and quietness and insistence and persistence on the pulse of music and a
lot done with lighting that people werent being made afraid every second that something
was going to descend on their head from the ceiling and crush them.
CHARLES JAMES IN A CAPE AND SOMBRERO ON HIS WAY TO THE OPENING OF STUDIO 54
IN 1977 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTON PERICH
84 85
MALE GENITALIA, ERECT AND FLACCID
1965, red and black markers on paper, framed with yellow acrylic over drawing
Charles, I dont think youre the disco type.
Im not. Im the type that likes to tango under the stars in Biarritz on an open boxing ring.
You are working on your autobiographywill you tell all?
I get much more pleasure out of telling what turned me on than to tell of all the treacheries
normally to be expected of people whom you have done something for who are a little timid
in their reward. I will print facts, but without venom, and without any intent of hurting
someone for the sheer fun of it. However, facts must be told if they have been falsined.
Finally, what would you like to say about yourself?
lat I only wish I had :o more years ahead of active work during which I could continue the
nght to train young people having the desire to become top artisans, a few of whom when
this will have come out will certainly be strong and positive enough to help save the apparel
industry from the morass into which it has plunged itself by listening to the wrong voices,
and spending on everything but the improvement of workshop processes. lrough my
clients I may be said to have lived vicariously, it is true, but I would wish others who one day
can innuence fashion, to live through me when Im gone.
86 87
SWIMSUIT
c. 1972, red, black and blue marker with pencil and liquid paper on paperwith the word secretary
and tea stain The swimsuit was designed for James himself in late the 1920s to wear in Capri.
GROUP OF MALE AND FEMALE NUDES
1964, blue, turquoise and purple ballpoint pens, with black and turquoise markers on paper
88 89
FELLATIO
1964, grease pencil, red, black and blue markers with shoe polish on paper
BI - RACIAL MALE NUDES
c. 1964, black marker on paper
90 91
MALE NUDE FROM REAR
1965, marker on paper
BUBBLE TOP WITH HAIR
1970, marker on paper
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PEAR SHEATH DRESS WITH BEADING
c. 1968, pencil on paper The drawing is inscribed, All over abstract bold embroidery of bugle &
beads on sheer upper body dark lower half nude.
DRESS WITH WIDE NECKLINE AND SHORT SLEEVES
c. 1970, grease pencil and pencil on paper A work sketch which says muslin in the upper left
corner.
95
YOU THI NK I M DI FFI CULT. I CAN REALLY ONLY
WORK BY ROUTI NE, BY DI SCI PLI NE, BY METHOD,
BY PLAN AND THEN I CAN VARY MY PLAN AND
MAKE I T GO WI LD.
CHARLES JAMES
FUR JACKET
1965, grease pencil on paper
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TRANSPARENT SKIRT AND BUBBLE TOP
1977, red and black ink wash with liquid paper and transparent tape on paper The drawing is
inscribed For Cherie from Charles James, a rough plan for change of silhouette & structure
to be made in 1978.
BALLOON LEG PANTS
1969, pencil on paper Drawn while at Halston but not for him.
98 99
MENS PANTS WITH WRAPOVER TAB BELT CLOSING
c. 1973, grease pencil on paper
MANS JACKET
c. 1975, grease pencil, red marker and liquid paper on paper This drawing shows the cut of a
sleeve and tilt of armhole and is inscribed por il Miguelito.
100 101
JEANS ON THE SUBWAY
1965, marker and liquid paper on lined notebook paper This sketch shows the jeans and inseams
of a man sitting on the subway.
SQUATTING MALE NUDE
c. 1965, maker on paper
102 103
MALE NUDE FROM BACK
c. 1964, marker on paper
CHARLES JAMES I S AMONG THE HANDFUL OF
FASHI ON DESI GNERS WHO CAN BE SAI D TO
HAVE TRANSFORMED HI S MTI ER... HE WAS AN
AUDACI OUS VI SI ONARY I N FASHI ON DESI GN
PI ONEERI NG GARMENTS LI KE THE WRAP DRESS
AND EI DERDOWN JACKET, WHI CH EVENTUALLY
BECAME UBI QUI TOUS.
HAROLD KODA
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART CURATOR- IN- CHARGE AND
CO- AUTHOR OF CHARLES JAMES: BEYOND FASHION
104 105
ONE SLEEVE CAPE COAT FROM THE BACK
By Antonio Lopez, c. 1974, blue marker on paper A study sketch of a garment made for Elizabeth
Strong-Cuevas in cerise matelass and black wool.
LONG FRONT CAPE FROM BEHIND
1969, grease pencil on paper Drawing of a cape made for Mme. Chanel in black grosgrain in
Paris about 1937.
106 107
EIDERDOWN JACKET FROM THE BACK
By Antonio Lopez, c. 1974, blue marker on paper, drawn on Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas
GIGI WEARING THE WHITE SATIN EIDERDOWN EVENING JACKET IN THE CHELSEA HOTEL IN 1976
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTON PERICH
108 109
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Salvador Dali, who helped me recognize and understand Charles James, the artist, not just
the haute couturier.
Homer Layne, Charles James faithful protg and heir, who helped me do my part to pre-
serve Charles legacy and who I partnered with to acquire many of the dresses and pieces
that wereor will begiven to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other museums
around the world and without whom this book would not have been possible.
Anton Perich, who photographed and nlmed our documenatary, 1e Charles James Story.
Charles James, Jr. and Louise James for their longtime support of my projects about their
father.
Bill Cunningham, for appearing in 1e Charles James Story and encouraging me to mount
the National Arts Club show and screen Anton Perichs video.
le National Arts Club, and its members including Dianne B. Bernhard, Director of Fine
Arts, and Angela Bernhard lomas for making the nlm Charles James: Beneath the Dress.
le Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute team for allowing me to participate
in the exhibition Charles James: Beyond FashionHarold Koda and Jan Glier Reeder, who
included me in their elegant and dennitive book Charles James: Beyond Fashion and selected
a group of my Charles James drawings for the Metropolitan Museums show.
Alina Cho, who interviewed for me for the Metropolitan Museums audio tape Recalling
Charles James, as well as Chris Noey, Staci Hou, and Nancy Chilton, the Costume Institutes
Head of Communications.
Glen OBrien, my editor-in-chief at Andy Warhols Interview Magazine who commissioned
my original story on Charles James for s:, in i,:.
Frank Zachary, the editor emeritus of Town & Country magazine who assigned me to write
Dressing le Rich, my second story about Charles James.
Tama Janowitz, the author of Slaves of New York for encouraging my writing and line reading
my nrst novel When Fun Was Not Enough.
Jay McInerney, the author of Bright Lights, Big City, and Bret Easton Ellis, the author of Less
1an Zero for inspiring me to write my yet-to-be-completed novel Secret Lives in i,s.
Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman, for their support of this project as well as buying
and planning to re-launch the Charles James brand and the Weinstein Company including
Charles Prince and Brad lompson.
And nnally, to all my friends and colleagues including: Noel Allum, for the photographs of
the Charles James drawings; Eileen Boxer, for her elegant design of Charles James: Beneath
the Dress; Janna Bullock for introducing me to the international contemporary art world;
Janis Cecil; Grace Coddington; Elizabeth Ann Coleman, who wrote the seminal book 1e
Genius of Charles James; Colette; Cornelia Guest, my original partner in crime; Michele
Gerber Klein; Veronique Hyland; Alice and Paul Judleson; Tom Knapp, my art curator;
Christina Lessa; Antonio Lopez, for showing me how Charles designs translated into the
visual arts; Aileen Mehle, the legendary columnist who taught me how to write about high
society; Justin Mitchell; Laura Morton, for her advice on how to publish a book; Maggie
Norris; Christopher Pape; Anel Pla; Daisy Prince, my supportive editor-in-chief at Avenue
magazine; Jill Sieracki, for showing me how important (and necessary) editing is to a
writer through my work at Hamptons and Gothammagazines; Richard Snyder; Elizabeth
Strong-Cuevas, Charles James last client who made his later years easier; Terrie Sultan,
for her advice on how to create an art book; Samantha Yanks, my savvy editor-in-chief at
Hamptons magazine for inspiring me to write this book by assigning me to write pronles
of cultural icons; and the talented team at R. Couri Hay Creative Public Relations who
worked on this adventure with me: Natalie Anise, for her adept social media promotion;
Marie Assante; Brenden Davey; Matt Dillon; Suhey Estevez, for her in-depth research; Sarah
Gartner; Meaghan McKee; Isaiah Negron, for helping organize this project; Constantine
Panagiotatos; Mimi Richman; and Elizabeth Rodricks.
DIAGONAL WAIST PANTS AND CUPLESS BRA
By Antonio Lopez, c. 1974, blue marker on paper A study sketch of pants and bra, drawn on and
made for Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas.
110 111
DISSECTED FEMALE NUDE FROM REAR
1969, pencil and pastel on paper
Charles James, one of the leading ngures of fashion in the :oth-century, was widely recog-
nized for his extraordinary and innovative use of highly structured designsmany of which
were recently featured in a major exhibition at le Metropolitan Museum of Art. We are
now honored to have the opportunity to present a complementary viewing of James art,
exploring the deep complexities of the designer and his work Beneath the Dress. In this
extensive exhibit of James fashion and erotic works on paper, we not only recognize the
brilliance behind the architecture of his designs, we also discover his complex nature.
In James studio at the Chelsea Hotel, fashion evolved from schematic drawings to craft,
art, then engineered masterpieces. He used his drawings to explore the natural planes of
the body and how he could transform those truths into sculptural beauty. Cutting directly
into fabric with his large scissors, he intuitively recognized the feng shui of the dress which
created a rhythm and now in his gowns. le visible parts of his designs show only a fraction
of his understanding of the hidden energy of form.
lis collection of his erotic art reveals an insightful portrait of the inner life of Charles
James. Similar provocative art movements like Dadaism and later Surrealism gave rise to
artists of poetry, painting and sculpting. Just as other art disciplines focused on provoca-
tion, James himself proclaimed that dressing his clients was a vicarious form of making
love, so that they could make a great impression on their men. James conception was that
beauty was found as an association of form and movement. His medium was cloth and
his sculptures in fabric became inventions. le works on paper in this exhibit are both
classic and contemporary and display the magnitude of innuence James had on the fashion
industry.
le National Arts Club, its Board of Governors and members are indeed grateful to R. Couri
Hay for the loan of his private collection. We are delighted to also include personal photo-
graphs, taken by famed photographer Anton Perich, that depict the private world of Charles
James, his assistants, friends and models during his residency at the Chelsea Hotel in the
6os and os. A trailer from a short documentary in production by Angela B. lomas also
will be shown on a loop throughout the gallery. le nlm utilizes never-before-seen footage
that reveals even more of James esoteric character and personality.
As viewers of this exhibition will discover, the National Arts Club is a place at which great
works of art and important ideas converge. We are grateful to the art world at large, our
members, and especially their guests for their deep commitment to fostering education
through the understanding and interpretation of visual culture.
DIANNE B. BERNHARD
Director, Omce of Fine Arts, le National Arts Club
CHARLES JAMES
JULY 18, 1906SEPTEMBER 23, 1978
112 113
MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION
TO THE GLAMOROUS LADIES WHO HOSTED
THE OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION FOR
CHARLES JAMES: BENEATH THE DRESS.
CORNELI A GUEST, AMANDA HEARST,
ANNE HEARST MCI NERNEY, PATRI CI A HEARST SHAW,
GI LLI AN HEARST SI MONDS, KI MBERLY ROCKEFELLER

REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY
TO AN EXHI BI TI ON OF FASHI ON & EROTI C DRAWI NGS BY
MONDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2014
COCKTAI LS, 6: 00 TO 8: 00 I N THE EVENI NG
THE NATI ONAL ARTS CLUB, 15 GRAMERCY PARK SOUTH
DRESS: HAUTE COUTURE & BI JOU
RSVP MI MI @RCOURI HAYCPR.COM
CHARL ES J AMES
BENEATH THE DRESS
THE PRI VATE COLLECTI ON OF R. COURI HAY
114 3
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