Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 October 1950 — Page 13

DESIGNERS : APARTMENT-—Pure Victorian is ‘the living room done- by Tina Leser for hor

New York apartment,

Leser Apartment Located In Converted: Brownstone

Thhes Special

NEW YORK, SORTS ‘fashion designer's ingenuity is likely

to crop up in all the faeetsiof her existence. ‘In the case of one of the most ingenious, Tina Téser, the“tralt is reflected in her New

York apartment .

/, decorated’ by Tita herself.

Philadelphia-born Tina has ‘Been out in front in fashion

Fanks since 1935 when she opened ‘a retail store in Honolulu:

where she did her own designing for friends and a recommended clientele. Returning here on a buying trip in 1940, she brought a dress with shorts made of Filipino labor shirting —and the first “playdress” was born when a Fifth Ave, department store ordered 500 of the garments. In 1942 she opened her own wholesale business here and in’ 1943 became the designer for Edwin H. Foreman, doing playclothes and sportswear, She's the one credited with rise in popularity of Hawaiian and - hand-painted prints, the Mexican influence, the “bare brown look” and sarong-type playclothes, She's designed clothes for film stars and fabrics for fabric firms. She's even touched the men’s fashion field, becoming a desigoer in 1948 for the Signet tie firm.

No Flossy Airs

SMALL wonder, then, her designing talent and ingenuity should spill over dnto the interior tion field. It's reflected in apartment where she and her husband, Jim Howley live. The apartment is in an old converted brownstone house

that »

near the Yorkville sector . . . ‘an area not noted for flossy airs, That didn’t worry Tina; she shut out the view with frosted window panes. The apartment has a first.

floor living: room which Ting,

has done in pure Victorian style, from marble - topped tables to carved rosewood sofas. A typical Leser touch is white-painted wrought iron grill work used as a valance above ceiling-to-floor curtains shading from amethyst down through sea blue. Loser-designed lamps also carry out the Victorian feeling, Bases are crystal cylinders through which clusters of flow~ ers.and fruit show-—just as wax bouquets appeared beneath glass bells in oldtime Victorian parlors. In addition to the old brownstone’s central hallway and stairwell there is a small winding private stairway from the living room to the second floor where the rest of the apart-

c th- also has Victorian overtones, notably in white-painted: wieker chairs ‘bf. the kind which used to orha-

Husband Jim Howley whips up brunch while Tina looks on.

Upstairs sitting and workroom (left) has plaster stripped off to reveal bricks of exterior walls. Whitewashed, these lend interesting

ment front porches, A marble

mantel and more wrought iron .

add to the Victorian feeling. The iron is used to outline a brick -walled plant corner. Headboard of the Victorian

makes the counterpane and pillows. .

Jutting Fireplace STRICTLY non-Victorian are the - upstairs sitting-and-work-room and. the kitchen. In both these rooms, Tina had the old

“textural” effect. Tina designed her own living room lamps fright)

with clusters of flowers and fruit encased in crystal cylinder

plaster peeled off to expose the rough brick of the exterior walls, Then she had them White washed to provide an interesting textured effect. : In the sitting room, the color scheme combines emerald and vellow-green. Recesses formed

More Victoriana in Tina's bedroom, with white- pained wicker work.

fireplace. An old Clark's sewing

thread chest serves as storage space for Tina's paints, brushes and other artist's materials,

(She does practically all of her Signet tie designing .at home — always working on two tie de-

signs simultaneously.) This particular spool chest once served as part of the equipment

in a California general store. In the photograph, atop the spool chest, is one of the Tina Tie Trees, which will be used to display her holiday ties. Utility reigns in the Kitchen with modern equipment sharing space with colorful copper and spice racks and built-in ovens. (Husband Jim, in the kitchen photo, wears a shirt whose fabric was designed by Tina. Former Princeton football player, Pan American Airlines man and member of the famed “ferry command” during World War II, he now manages and co-ordinates all the Leser business enterprises.) Tina and Jim like to have as many meals as possible out of doors. For this they have an open terrace outside the kitchen -— hung with striped awning material to screen out nearby neighbors, They also can pull a canvas oversthe top to protect themselves from rain and bad weather, It's on the dining terrace that pleasure and Leser - business deals frequently find themselves mixed . . . to the delight of

guests who may range from writers to canny businessmen.

ases

by the jutting fireplace breast have been planted with greenery and make a dramatic and effective setting.

Thread Chest MORE Leker decorative ingenuity is spotted beside the

chairs and wrought iron ile

Dove-Hohn Wedding Held

Rev. Clutton Reads Church Ceremony

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dove will be at home at 3834 E. Washington St. The couple was married at 7:30 p. m. Saturday in the Tuxedo Park Baptist Church. The bride was Miss Helen Louise Hohn. The Rev. U. 8. Clutton officie ated. Mr. and Mrs. George Hohn Sr., 118 8, Bradley Ave. and Gil bert Dove, 926 Cecil Ave., are the couple's parents. ’ Mrs. Louis Wabnitz served as the . matron of honor while the bridesmajds were Mrs. Howard Clark, Mrs. Ben Sexson and Miss Loislee Wabnitz. Roslyn ' Kay Hohn was . the flowergirl, Edward Blackwell was the best mian and the ushers were Virgil Hohn, George Hohn Jr. and Mr. Clark.

Sorority Chapter To Have Rush Party

Kappa Sigma Chapter, Pi Omicron Sorority, will hold a rush party at 8 p. m. tomorrow in the -home of Mrs. Walter Miller, 3850 Graceland Ave. Party theme will be the, * ‘Gay: Nineties.” | Mrs? Clayton J. Enerson is so= icial chairman for the group. Offiicers are Mrs. Miller, president; Miss Shirley Richardson, vice (president; Mrs. N. Dale Watson, [secretary and Ai ane Rogers,

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