Travilla 1960s Gina Cord & Oleta Robinson

I found both ladies thanks to the Internet. And we communicated on and off for several months. I'm so glad to have gotten an insider's look at not only the personal side of Travilla, but a peek to the inner sanctum that was Travilla Inc.

Gina Cord

"I joined Travilla in 1959. He would fit Loretta Young's entrance dresses on me as I was the same size, only an inch taller. We make them on me which would cut down on the fitting time when she came in. We worked very hard when the collections came out, traveling mostly across Texas, Arizona, and locally. It was a production, with all the girls, suitcases and equipment. My favorite was traveling to New York. After a day of shows for buyers, we'd be ready to go out. Dinner was usually at 21 or some small Italian place. Both Bills were incredible and watched over us girls like parents. They took excellent care of us." 

(Gina was with the Bills in the Summer of 1962 at La Scala when they ran into Marilyn Monroe the week before the actress died. Cord witnessed Marilyn have difficulty recognizing her former friend for a few minutes due to intoxication of some sort. Cord remembers him saying on the ride home, "She was on something." She confirmed that it was easy to see Marilyn wasn't in her right mind.

1962

 

A wool flower-print quilted coat in blue, green, and flamingo pink tones over a sweeping ballgown of the same pink tones. Travilla and Gina at the Del Mar Racetrack.

Another appearance at Del Mar.

Cord posing after one of many the designer did shows to raise money.

1963

After a couple of years, I modeled less after I moved up to coordinator, which means I arranged travel, shows, etc. I was the one who submitted his name to TWA when they were looking for someone to remake their uniforms. I left in the Fall of 1965, shortly before getting married.

After I moved to Arizona, he'd use some of my girls for his shows. I sent some girls to Los Angeles to work with him." Gina became the director of the Miss World pageant, whose 1972 winner was singer/actress Lynda Carter, who would gain fame as Wonder Woman.

She was with a San Diego public relations company for the Tijuana and Baja Tourism Industry when we talked. 

1971

Three sketches labeled "Gina" by Travilla, who would create designs with specific models in mind. Others in the Estate collection have a variety of names.

Both the sketch and of one of the many dresses the designer gifted to the model, who in turn gifted it to me. It has a chiffon skirt, sequined bodice, and sheer over blouse.

Two pieces of art gifted by Travilla to Gina.

"Both Bills were terrific men. But "T" was sweet, intelligent, funny, and generous. I ended up with so many beautiful clothes in my closets. [Cole sent me three pieces for a never-realized exhibition. She died before I could return them.] His talents as a fashion designer are so ignored. He was a genius."

Oleta Robinson

Oleta Robinson worked with Travilla in 1961 and stayed with him for six years, leaving shortly after Valley of the Dolls. She also worked with Don Loper and Georgia Bullock when she and her husband lived in Los Angeles. After 35 years, the couple retired to Wichita Falls, Kansas, where I located her after discovering her in an article. Thank you, Google.

Her job was a super important one. "My title was 'assistant designer and pattern maker.' Travilla would bring a sketch to me in color on approximately 14" X 18" poster board. My job was to use muslin and drape it on a form, making it look as much like the sketch as possible. Travilla would check it over, sometimes making changes, and when it was accepted, I would trace it on pattern paper, add seam allowances, cut them out, label each piece, and have them cut from fabric and stitched." She made a flat image into the three-dimensional dress that walked the runway. She was almost as much a genius as he.

Two shots of Robinson with Travilla for a 1962 article on the designer and his process. "The one annoying habit he had was continually having a cigarette in his hand. He'd walk away, leaving a burning butt in the ashtray on my desk."

"My department consisted of a sample cutter, sample maker (a person that stitched the garment together) a draper and a finisher. When several garments were finished, a model was called in so we could see how the dress looked on a real person. We produced four seasons a year, fall, winter, spring, and summer, 20 to 30 styles each season." [Some of the reviews mentioned 60-90 pieces.]

Most of the department stores sent "buyers" from the larger cities to view the lines and place orders. This would tell us which designs would be the best sellers, and then I would grade the patterns up and down according to the sizes ordered. We made four sets of duplicates to be sent out with our sales force.

"The garment industry was a stressful business, especially for the couture section, as the cheaper houses would send someone to the department stores to purchase an expensive dress, take it back to their shop, rip it apart, trace off a pattern, then mass produce them for a fraction of the cost. When the cheaper dresses appeared on the market, there would be no more sales for the originals. The cheaper garments were called "knockoffs."

Robinson, like Cord, adored her employer. "Travilla was a true artist and designer, a very talented man."

Both were sweet ladies, and I am so glad they opened up a bit about their former boss and friend.