Amazing Fashion Designs by Jane Derby in the 1950s

Born 1895 as Jeannette Barr, Jane Derby was known as a top-of-the-line, ready-to-wear designer. She opened a retail business in New York in 1936 and Jane Derby Inc. in 1938. Her clothing was geared toward the mature women and featured three and four-piece town suits, as well as casual and full evening wear. She often showed dresses with jackets or shawls and used flattering necklines in soft silhouettes for her customer.

Fashion designs by Jane Derby in the 1950s

In the early 1950s, John Moore was her designer. Continuing to show conservative and feminine clothing, Derby ran her house till her death in 1965, when it was taken over by Oscar de la Renta, who was designing for the house at the time. From 1965 to 1967, the label was Oscar la Renta for Jane Derby.

Take a look at these amazing photos to see portraits of classic models wearing fashion designs by Jane Derby in the 1950s.

Dovima in dinner dress of black linen under a transparent white sheer French silk net jacket by Jane Derby, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, April 1, 1950

Dorian Leigh in gorgeous short black lace sheath with floor-length tulle overskirt by Jane Derby, Vogue, May 15, 1950

Dorian Leigh showing off accordian pleats of a straight-hanging sheer dress by Jane Derby, which can swirl into a ten-yard circle of flesh-colored chiffon, photo by Gjon Mili for Life, March 13, 1950

Dovima in an at-home costume of Celanese duo-tone panne satin by Jane Derby, Vogue, December 1, 1950

Dovima in beautiful ruffled lace dance dress by Jane Derby, photo by Lillian Bassman, Harper's Bazaar, October 1951

Dovima in fitted black jersey top with taffeta skirt appliqued with net and sprayed with jet by Jane Derby, photo by Richard Avedon, Harper's Bazaar, September 1951

Dovima in ruffled lace party dress by Jane Derby, photo by Lillian Bassman, New York, Harper's Bazaar, October 1951

Evelyn Tripp in short dinner dress in white Swiss organdie with many tiny lace ruffles down the front and sleeves, a blue faille corselet around the waist by Jane Derby, photo by Clifford Coffin, Vogue, January 1, 1952

Jean Patchett in pleated black crêpe dinner dress by Jane Derby, photo by Lillian Bassman, Harper's Bazaar, August 1952

Nina de Voogt in short bare-topped evening dress of ebony crêpe with sleeves that slip on like gloves and a stole to wind as you will by Jane Derby, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, July 1, 1952

Sue Jenks in lovely dress of pale gray Cone denim with white organdy cuffs and belt of lemon calfskin by Jane Derby, photo by Clifford Coffin, Vogue, January 1, 1952

Sue Jenks in navy blue tweed coat that reverses at night to a blond silk taffeta, by Jane Derby, photo by Frances McLaughlin, Vogue, March 1, 1952

Cherry Nelms in butter-colored cotton corduroy suit, with box jacket and invisible culottes over black wool jersey blouse with a V of orange, by Jane Derby, photo by Irving Penn at the MOMA sculpture garden, Vogue July 1953

Cherry Nelms in shapely wrap-around skirt and brass buttoned jacket of white cotton twill over a striped jersey maillot, by Jane Derby, jewelry by Monet, photo by Frances McLaughlin, Vogue, May 15, 1953

Liz Pringle in tailored brass-buttoned jacket and well-shaped shorts of good hard-faced twill with pale blue chambray shirt by Jane Derby, blue ear hoops by Coro, photo by John Rawlings in Jamaica, Vogue, May 1, 1953

Model is wearing tweed jacket with fringe collar over a narrow wool jersey skirt by Jane Derby, photo by Gordon Parks, 1953

Evelyn Tripp in a starched coif by Jane Derby, photo by Lillian Bassman, Barbados, 1954

Mary Jane Russell in black linen sheath with black satin stripe down the front worn with pink satin fringed stole by Jane Derby, coiffure by Michel of Paris, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, December 1, 1954

White satin evening dress by Jane Derby, photo by Nina Leen, 1954

Barbara Mullen in belted brown tweed jersey suit by Jane Derby, lynx muff by Revillon, hat by Emme, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, October 1, 1955

Barbara Mullen in long-bodied dress gently fitted of white batiste by Jane Derby, photo by Roger Prigent, Vogue, May 15, 1955

Carol McCallson in long dinner dress with a skirt of white brocade and bodice is of black silk jersey by Jane Derby, photo by Gleb Derujinsky, Town & Country, September 1955

Mary Jane Russell in short evening dress in emerald green brocade by Jane Derby, pearly necklace with "emerald" pendant by Marvella, silver brocade bag by Josef, photo by Richard Avedon, Harper's Bazaar, September 1955

Carmen Dell' Orefice in an Emba mink jacket by Maximilian, dress by Jane Derby and jewels by Cartier, photo by Virginia Thoren as seen in Vogue, March 1956

Anne St. Marie in black petit point wool suit, jacket has deep v-neck and is belted, by Jane Derby, Rhythm Step shoes, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, September 1, 1957

Anne St. Marie in floral print silk chiffon dress of rosewood brown on bisque by Jane Derby, coiffure by Roger Vergnes, earrings by Hattie Carnegie, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 1, 1957

Mary Jane Russell in short pink dinner dress of silk crêpe belted in satin by Jane Derby, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, May 1, 1957

Ghislaine Arsac in straight backed chemise in pink flecked wool with darts released at the midriff, by Jane Derby, straw padre hat by Dior-New York, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper's Bazaar, February 1958

Jessica Ford in bright red wool jersey suit over black linen blouse printed with white flowers, by Jane Derby, jewelry by Hattie Carnegie, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, January 15, 1958

Monique Chevalier in short black silk-crêpe evening dress with fringe veiling the skirt and the three-cornered shawl by Jane Derby, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, September 15, 1958

Anne St. Marie in evening dress and shawl of black and white dotted silk crêpe with white silk organdy bodice, by Jane Derby, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, February 1, 1959

Dovima in the look of a suit which is actually a beige topped sheath with jacket to match in black and white houndstooth by Jane Derby, hat by Walter Florell, photo by William Helburn, Harper's Bazaar, January 1959

Isabella Albonico in brown silk chiffon dress, a rose marks the high corsage above the graceful flow of the skirt, by Jane Derby, necklace by Nettie Rosenstein, photo by Saul Leiter, Harper's Bazaar, March 1959

Isabella Albonico in lovely silk surah floral print dress by Jane Derby, photo by Leombruno-Bodi, Vogue, June 1959

Isabella Albonico in pale blue satin dress under flowery cafe-au-lait Chantilly lace, by Jane Derby, turquoise and diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, photo by Lillian Bassman, Harper's Bazaar, October 1959