Designer Moment: Jole Veneziani

Well before designers like Armani and Versace called Milan their home, there was Jole Veneziani. A true fashion pioneer, Veneziani, who rose to fame during Italy's post-war industrial boom, taught Milanese ladies a little something about elegance. She was know for her lavish cocktail gowns and elaborate silk, beaded and velvet gowns, as well as feathered bathrobes and turbans.

1950's Spanish-influence Flamenco dress by Italian fashion designer Jole Veneziani

Jole Veneziani with models circa 1960's

Jole Veneziani was born in the southern Italian city of Taranto and moved to Milan as a child. She set up her furrier shop in 1937 and built her dressmaking and Haute Couture business in the mid-1940's. She had been acclaimed in 1951, at the historical and first fashion show of Villa Torrigiani in Florence,that marked the beginning of the Italian Haute Couture, and she became a pioneer of "Made in Italy" all over the world. She appeared on the cover pages of the most important glossy magazines, and she created dresses for the most important stars of that time, such as Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich, Maria Callas, Elsa Martinelli to name a few. 

 Model Iris Bianchi in dress by Jole Veneziani, circa 1950's

Jole Veneziani 1960's designs