San Francisco County
Biographies
MRS. E.
MARVIN MOTTÉ
One of the most interesting stories in the
business history of San Francisco is that of Motté, Incorporated, situated at 406 Geary
street, which was founded and is owned by Mrs. E.
Marvin Motté. It is the story of the development of a
prosperous business enterprise, which was born of a chance incident, and which
has grown under the nurture of a woman’s brilliant talent and business
sagacity.
In
the year 1920, Mrs. Motté received as a gift a number
of cleverly fashioned organdie flowers. Such colorful creations were then much
in vogue for feminine wear. The beauty of the flowers appealed to her and,
possessed of artistic and creative ability, she made copies of them, partly for
her own diversion and partly for the thrill of creating something beautiful,
something satisfying to her inspiration. No thought of commercialism entered
her mind at this time. The first flowers made, new ideas came to her, new
combination of colors and materials suggested themselves in overwhelming flood,
and soon she had made a sizable collection. The idea of selling them was
suggested by her friends who saw the result of her work, and they
enthusiastically urged her to seek a market for them, which she did, at first
with some hesitation and a little diffidence.
Her
first sales trip was to a large department store of San Francisco, and the
buyer purchased. Next she solicited an Oakland store, and here several gross of
flowers were ordered. In this manner, Mrs. Motté’s
business started. A quick public appreciation of her appealing products brought
a wave of demand which she had to supply. She first began making her flowers in
her own home, but increasing business soon necessitated more space. Seven
months after she started at her home, she moved down-town to her present
address. Here she started operations January 10, 1921.
Once
again fortune was destined to smile upon Mrs. Motté.
Upon a certain day, one of her buyers noticed a small hemstitched handkerchief
which she wore tucked under her bracelet, the dainty bit of chiffon having been
her own handiwork. He immediately requested her to make a quantity of them for
his store, and thus a new era was begun in her business. Orders came in large
number, and with the growth of business, Mrs. Motté’s
extraordinary ability to create new designs and produce new effects began to
assert itself even more. She made her own patterns, made hand-decorated
designs, and even went so far as to use rhinestones, pearls, feathers, and lace
in the motiffs. The demand for the flowers which had
hitherto been manufactured decreased, as all vogues do, and by degrees the
labor of Mrs. Motté and her employes
was directed toward the handkerchief trade. These little articles of dress are
now shipped to every metropolitan center of the world. They are all hand-made,
and developed from sheer, dainty materials, such as chiffons, laces, georgette,
and rare Irish linens, some of the latter dyed at their source to match
milady’s costume. The handkerchiefs range in size from a mere wisp of texture
to one of a yard square. At the beginning Mrs. Motté
found it necessary to send some of the work to Porto Rico to be done, but is
now having it taught in her own organization. Half of the sales of these
handkerchiefs is made in the territory east of the
Rockies, and among the steady customers are some of the most noted stores in
the country, such as Wanamaker’s of New York. A new line has recently been
established, which is most promising. This is the making of table decorations
of original linens, artistically decorated with the same creative strength as
the handkerchiefs. Designs for luncheons and dinners, formal and informal, have
been made, and it is expected that the production of these will have a steady
growth. Original designs for the exclusive trade are now being shown.
Another
indication of the phenomenal success which Mrs. Motté
has enjoyed in the business world is the growth of her payroll. She started in
one room, and soon had a half dozen employes, which next became a dozen, and today over forty
workers are employed in her Geary street studio. The annual pay-roll has
recently run to the figure of sixty thousand dollars. A sales staff of
seventeen covers the east and midwest,
and there is a branch in New York, also representation in Honolulu. Work is
supplied likewise to almost three hundred part-time home workers.
From
her girlhood days Mrs. Motté has manifested a talent
for design in textures. Color combinations and their arrangement in her
products come to her spontaneously, and the increase of the public demand has
naturally meant the greater flow of ideas. She has taken great enjoyment in
teaching the girls in her employ, and in a number of instances has discovered
and fostered real genius. There is harmonious cooperation throughout her
organization, and a spirit pervading the workshop and salesroom which is
uncommonly pleasant. Mrs. Motté has been a student of
her profession throughout her career. In the days when she was making flowers,
she took lessons from a French designer in dyeing materials, making French
flowers, and in other phases of the art. Business methods were at first a care
to her, as her skill was directed more along the creative channel. The handling
of accounts of the orders, and the source of details incident to a growing
business swamped her, but with the assistance of a willing and will informed
friend she eventually learned the method which she now utilizes. Her
outstanding success come from the unique ideas she has had the courage to
express in her own way; her persistence and courage; and her business principle
of producing and guaranteeing absolutely perfect work. San Francisco may well be
proud of this distinctive manufactory which exists in the heart of its business
district, and is conducted by one of the city’s most representative and
charming women..
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 3 Pages 329-332.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S SAN
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