Madeleine Vionnet Labels: History and How to Date Them
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Madeleine Vionnet (1876 to 1975) was the Paris couturier who made the bias cut her signature. Her house ran successfully from 1918 until she retired in 1939, and her labels carry distinctive details, such as an inked thumbprint and a stamped number, worth comparing against any piece offered as Vionnet.
Company history
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) records that Vionnet trained as a dressmaker's apprentice near Paris, ran the workrooms at the London dressmaker Kate Reilly, then worked at Callot Soeurs for five years from 1900 and afterwards at Doucet. She opened her own house in 1912, but it was under-financed and lasted under two years. She tried again in 1918, successfully, and developed bias cutting, draping and cutting directly on small mannequins. She retired in 1939. Our 1930s hub notes that the bias cut she developed in the 1920s became the standard for 1930s evening gowns.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| First Vionnet house | 1912 to about 1914 | Short-lived; very rare |
| Madeleine Vionnet | 1918 to 1939 | Her main house |
| White silk label embroidered "Madeleine Vionnet" with an inked thumbprint and stamped number | Seen on a 1922 to 1923 dress | A documented early-1920s form |
| Thumbprint label | Seen on 1930s gowns | The VFG shows examples |
| "Adaptation" or licensed export label | Late 1930s | A licensed copy, not house couture |
The 1922 to 1923 label detail comes from an Augusta Auctions sale cited in our 1920s hub.
What it helps date
- Bias-cut gowns point to the late 1920s and 1930s, though the cut was copied later.
- Hems were sometimes let down, so look for old fold lines: 1920s hub, repair or leave it.
- Couture labels are copied and moved: designer label fakes.
Values
The 1920s hub records a Vionnet beaded dress of 1922 to 1923 that made $90,000 at Augusta Auctions in 2014, a famous outlier. Prices are estimates.
check sold prices for vionnet vintage gown on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Madeleine Vionnet
- 1920s Clothing: How to Date and Value Flapper-Era FashionDate 1920s clothing by waistline and hemline, spot real beaded flapper dresses versus costumes, and see realistic 2026 auction values by garment type.
- 1930s Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate 1930s clothing by bias cut, natural waist, shoulders, zippers and NRA labels, tell it from later copies, and see realistic 2026 auction values.
- Auction Houses That Sell Vintage Costume and TextilesWhich auction houses sell antique costume, couture and vintage fashion, what each accepts, how consigning works, and when auction beats selling online.
Related
- How to Spot Fake Designer Labels on Vintage ClothingTell a genuine vintage designer piece from a counterfeit, licensed product or adaptation by checking the label, construction, fabric and history.
- Should You Repair Vintage Clothing or Leave It?When mending vintage clothing adds value, when it destroys it, and how to make small repairs the conservation way: reversible, minimal and honest.
- ACWA Union Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate men's suits, coats and shirts by the ACWA union label: the first label of 1916, the 1949 design with and without the registered mark, and ACTWU.
- Adrian Labels: History and How to Date ThemAdrian Original and Adrian Custom labels explained: Gilbert Adrian's move from MGM costume design to his own Beverly Hills house, and suit values.