IRENE

(1901-1962) - Born in South Dakota, Irene Lentz went to Hollywood as a young woman, where she found work as an extra at MGM.  She ended up taking design classes, and opened a small dress shop near the UCLA campus.  After the death of her husband in 1930, Irene left California for Europe, where she lived in Paris for several months. 

Returning to Los Angels, Irene opened another dress shop, and she became a popular dressmaker to the stars.  In 1935, she started doing custom work through Bullock's Wilshire, a Los Angeles department store.

Irene had done freelance design work at RKO Studios off and on sine 1932, and in 1942 she replaced Adrian at MGM. In 1947, she established her line of ready-to-wear, continuing at MGM until 1949.  Many of her designs were produced exclusively for department stores around the country, and her label was a huge success. She was best known for her feminine suits and dresses. Irene died in 1962, but the business continued under the design of Hubert Latimer until 1970.

See also:  Irene