1910-1986

Christine Wetherill Shillard-Smith was born in Philadelphia, USA in 1910. She studied at the Philadelphia Academy of fine Arts as well as the Sorbonne in Paris. Her mother was a painter.

She traveled all over the globe in her childhood. Her family was living with an Indian poet when she was 12. She had a lifelong fascination with ethnic textiles and used Indian fabrics throughout her career.

Tina married Curtin Leser in 1931 but divorced in 1936. She later married James J. Howley in 1948 and had a daughter named Georgina.

In 1935 using the name Tina Leser, she opened a small dress store in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she sold chinese brocade items as well as garments made of cotton, sailcloth and silk, onto which she hand-blocked prints.

Specializing in sportswear and playsuits, Leser gained a reputation as an innovative designer. In 1940, she visited New York, where her playsuits were shown to fashion editors. She was introduced to the Saks 5th Avenue department store, which ordered 500 playsuits. They sold out very quickly.

Since orders were coming in for her sports and play wear, in 1942, Leser moved to New York and designed her garments which were sold through a clothing manufacturer. She became so well-known that in 1944 she was awarded the Coty award.

Then in 1951, she finally managed to open her own business. The outfit shown in the picture at the top of the page is from 1951, published in Harper's Bazaar.

This skirt from the 1950's is made of pink curduroy, trimmed with handwoven gold braid on the waistband. The mendhi design print of daisy-wheels are surrounded by bronze glass beads.

During the 1950's, Tina Leser produced resortwear, Lastex bathing suits, cropped and harem pants, sarong-style skirts, toreador pants and Lurex pyjamas.

Many garments featured bold ethnic prints and patterns. The dress on the right is a vintage one from the 1960's. She was also noted for being the first designer to make cashmere dresses. She was also known for her plaid blanket dresses, sweaters cut like jackets and at-home clothes.

She died in Sands Point, New York in January 1986 at the age of 76.


AW 2002