No survivors from the 1949/1950 time frame, or so it seems, but Helene Verin describes the very first collection:
“The Levine’s first collection, in February of 1949, consisted of one shoe, named “Femme Fatale”, which had a thin wrap-around ankle strap and a V-Cut closed toe vamp on a single sole. They showed it in a myriad of bright colours (which were considered vulgar at the time) and fabrications: satin with coloured stones, suede with grosgrain ribbons, kidskin with pearls and so on.”
Helene VerinBeth Levine Shoes (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009)
And here it comes the very first advertisement we could find: December of the same year, and the Verin's shoe description fits.
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1949 | Herbert Levine Festive footnote - jet-flecked suedes Source: The Salt Lake City Tribune | December 4, 1949 |
Given the good response of their debut, a few months later they didn’t stray to much with the second collection named “ Merry Gala”:
“For a fresh, smart, spring-feel afoot! They can’t resist the opulence of Herbert Levine’s “Merry Gala” collection… blonde, honey-mellow calf, emblazoned with minute, gold railheads. Hand lasted and masterfully designed, these are shoes you’ll wear, with distinction ’til after midnight!”
Makoff advertisementFebruary 9, 1950
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1950 | Herbert Levine Merry Gala collection Source: Salt Lake City Telegram | February 9, 1950 |
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1950 | Herbert Levine ... more ankle straps Source: The Corpus Christi Caller Times | November 19, 1950 |
