Edward’s death having temporarily effaced every trace of colour, modistes had to resort to other means to introduce variety into their creations. With a branch of Lucile Ltd newly established in New York, Lady Duff Gordon had been promoting Ascot gowns made of textiles woven in American mills to the readers of the papers to which she contributed columns. It had been her intention that her designs should be executed in a floral palette of pinks, blues and mauves. Now that that was out of the question, she reassured clients that ‘the present styles lend themselves most gracefully to mourning
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