Dotties Divine Designer Database
Welcome to Dottie’s Divine Designer Database Page. A growing resource of the great designers throughout the ages. Go directly to the designer of your choice or read them all!
- ASHLEY, LAURA
- CASHIN, BONNIE
- DACHE, LILLY
- ESTEVEZ, LUIS
- FATH, JACQUES
- FOGARTY, ANNE
- FURSTENBERG, DIANE VON
- GERNREICH , RUDI
- GIVENCHY, HUBERT DE
- LAURENT, YVES SAINT
- LEVINE, BETH
- MCCARDELL, CLAIRE
- NEUMANN, VERA
- PERLBERG, FRED
- PUCCI, EMILIO
- SHAHEEN, ALFRED
- TRIGERE, PAULINE
- VERSACE, GIANNI
LAURA ASHLEY
Laura Ashley, (September 7, 1925–September 15,
1985) was a Welsh designer.
While working as a secretary and raising her first two children, part time she designed napkins, table mats and tea-towels which she printed on a machine in her flat. Laura’s inspiration to start producing printed fabric came from a Women’s Institute display of traditional handicrafts at the Victoria & Albert Museum. When Laura looked for small patches carrying Victorian designs to help her make patchworks, she found no such thing existed. Here was an opportunity, and she started to print Victorian style headscarves in 1953.
Audrey Hepburn inadvertently sparked the growth of one of the world’s most successful fashion and home furnishing companies. Hepburn appeared alongside Gregory Peck in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, wearing a headscarf. As such a fashion icon, she instantly created a style that became popular around the globe.
The Ashleys’ scarves quickly became successful with stores, retailing both via Mail Order and high street chains such as John Lewis - Bernard, her husband, left his city job to print fabrics full time. This put them on the road to becoming an international company with a brand that is recognized around the globe. Laura designed the prints and Bernard built the printing equipment; Laura remained in charge of design until shortly before her death, while Bernard handled the operational side. Employing staff to cope with the growth of sales, the company was originally registered as Ashley Mountney (Laura’s maiden name), Sir Bernard changed the name to Laura Ashley because he felt a woman’s name was more appropriate for the type of products.
In 1966 Laura produced her first dress for social rather than work attire. The long length silhouette become the Laura Ashley trademark. This was to work in the company’s favor, as
fashion switched from the mini to the maxi skirt at the end of the 1960’s. Laura Ashley was the quintessential dress for the English country rose look with its floral prints, smocking and long ruffles. Ashley’s style possessed old world charm with individual rustic freshness, reflected in traditional beliefs of bygone days. Victorian nightshirts, Edwardian-style dresses, the introduction of the long smock in 1968, delicately trimmed with lace, pin-tucked bodices, tiered
skirts, and full puffed sleeves became her trademark, aimed at the middle market and retailed at affordable prices. Laura Ashley Ltd. rose from the modest beginnings of a small cottage industry, producing a simple range of printed headscarves and table mats in the Ashley kitchen, to the development of a company that became a huge enterprise of international renown. The success of her clothes peaked in the 1970’s.
The first shop under the Laura Ashley name opened in Pelham Street, South Kensington, in 1968, with additional shops opened in Shrewsbury and Bath in 1970. It was the opening of the
Paris shop in 1974 which was the first to feature the distinctive green frontage and stripped wooden interior, and in the same year the first USA shop opened in San Francisco. A licensing operation led to the opening of department store concessions in Australia, Canada and Japan
from 1971 onwards.
Laura Ashley is the quintessential English brand. The brand is both classic and contemporary. Drawing on an over 50-year heritage, Laura Ashley collections are kept contemporary by
refreshing the color pallet and adding new twists to traditional styles. In 1999, HFN Magazine voted Laura Ashley the second most recognized lifestyle brand in the US, after Martha Stewart.
Most recently, original styles and prints from the 60s and 70s have been adapted to launch the
Laura Ashley Archive range in 100 per cent organic cotton. The capsule collection includes smock tops and halter neck dresses and a fab rangeof bags, espadrilles and a patchwork string bikini, all with vintage prints. The range is available online and in selected stores now so you can recreate your own summer of love.
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bio by:
glamoursurf
Chic is where you find it! Bonnie Cashin (1908-2000) was one of the foremost American fashion designers in the second half of the twentieth century. At the vanguard of her field for nearly forty years, she had an enormous influence on twentieth-century design. Bonnie was best known for modular, layered clothes for Sills and Co. and accessories for Coach. She was hired in 1937 by Adler & Adler, a coat and suit manufacturer. From 1943-49 she moved to California to work for the theatre and movies at 20th century Fox before returning to NY again to work for Alder and Alder and many other companies designing wool and tweed coats, suits, knitwear, rainwear and lingerie. In 1953 Cashin went to work for Sill’s & Co predominately working with leather as fashion and mixing this with various other textiles.
From 1962-1974 Bonnie designed for Coach. Her design philosophy matched that of Coach: simple, functional, stylish. Beginning in the mid-’60s, Cashin was responsible for a host of
brightly colored, uniquely styled bags. Many of these bags feature what have become signature features of Cashin’s Coach designs. Built-in change purses with multi-colored striped lining, top closures placed either on the inside or outside of the bag, brass toggle closures usually on her late-’60s and early ’70s bags and the tell-tale black “Bonnie Cashin” signature patch. Bonnie used the signature “C” on some of her clasp details. These are all assurances that a bag is a Cashin
design. Some of her early Coach leather bags and purse designs are highly sought after by collectors and sometimes referred to as Cashin-Coach. Bonnie Cashin retired from designing in 1985, but her designs retain a timeless look today.
bio by:
glamoursurf
LILLY DACHE
Lilly Dache 1904-1989, Beigles, France; was a French-born milliner who established a flourishing hat business in the United States with made-to-order creations.
At 16, Lilly moved to the United States, where she lived with an uncle in Atlantic City. She soon found a job as a millinery saleswoman in Macy’s Department store in New York, and after only a few months she left to work at the Bonnet Shop. After saving enough money Lilly bought the store from the owner, starting her own salon. In the late 1920s, with the financial success of her business, she established the Lilly Dache Building on East 56th Street.The first test of Dache’s ingenuity came during the wartime ’40s, when there were limits on materials and many women were going to work instead of lunch. It’s also when the Dache Net, a hair net, debuted in drug stores. A Dache snood, a covering for women’s hair buns, appeared on the cover of a 1942 issue of Vogue, and by 1944 she was making work-friendly turbans and kerchief-style hats. For the more formal hats that she continued to make, Dache turned to trimmings — such as lace and ribbon, which were not rationed — as the primary material for hats.
At a time when hats were considered more important than dresses, Lilly was considered the top milliner in New York. She was well know for her flamboyant style; including close-fitting brimmed cloche hats, Snoods, caps and draped turbans. Also designing hats for movies, she designed for stars including Betty Grable and Marlene Dietrich.
Following World War II Lilly added dresses and accessories to compliment her millinery line, and continued to create ready-to-wear millinery collections throughout the 50’s and 60’s. In 1968 her husband, Jean Despres, who had spent 50 years at Coty and had risen to vice-president, retired and Lilly decided to follow suit. After closing her salon that same year, she went on to enjoy 20 years with her husband at their homes in New York and Paris. She continued to remain active in the world of fashion, art and design until her death in a French nursing home in 1989.
Daches creations on exhibit at the ‘Glamour at the Drop of a Hat’ exhibit at the FIT Museum in NY.
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bio by: glamoursurf
60’s hat
It’s label
Luis Estevez (b. 1930) was born in Havana, Cuba, to a family of sugar growers.
Estevez attended prep school in the United States then returned to Havana to study architecture.
it was a summer job at Lord & Taylor in window display led him to a career in fashion.
Estevez attended the Traphagen School of Fashion, worked for a Seventh Avenue dress manufacturer and then went to
Paris and apprenticed in the House of Patou to learn couture.
In 1955, after returning to the United States, Estevez began designing under his own name for the
manufacturer Grenelle. His goal was to produce couture-like clothes at a moderate price.
He successfully brought a fresh concept of color and style to the American mass market.
He made a big impact with cut and line and unusual necklines for his fashionable but seductive clothes.
He designed figure molded cocktail and evening dresses with saucy and skin revealing bodices with narrow or wide skirts.
His first collection was an immediate success.
In 1956, he became the youngest designer to win the Coty Award (the American Fashion Critics Award).
His designs are slender and simple, with intricate revealing necklines.
In 1962 he was a founder of the CFDA (the Council of Fashion Designers of America) along with a group of leading fashion designers.
This body was formed to further the position of fashion design as a recognized branch of American art and culture.
Since 1968 Estevez has lived and worked in California. In 1971 he designed a clothing line for the actress Eva Gabor,
which sold under her name. The project later expanded with a separate division for Luis Estevez’s own label.
He also produced custom-made clothing for Hollywood celebrities and political influencers.
He was introduced to Betty Ford by Eva Gabor’s husband, a friend of Gerald Ford and in 1975 designed clothes for Betty Ford
while she was first lady at the White House.
Luis is very proud of his hispanic heritage. Along with Oscar de la Renta and
Carolina Herrera, two other leading hispanic designers, he is a member of the
Honorary Board of Hispanic Designers Inc.
Now in his 70’s, Estevez resides in Santa Barbara, California. He still considers fashion his first love, but devotes much of his time to writing his memoirs and designing beautiful homes.
In 1990 Luis was awarded the Hispanic Designers Life Time Achievement Award.
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bio by:
glamoursurf
Jacques Fath
Jacques Fath (1912-1954) was born in a town just outside Paris, France, in 1912. Fath was a self-taught designer who learned his craft from studying museum exhibitions and books about fashion. Fath was considered as one of the dominant influences on postwar haute couture.In 1937, Jacques opened his own salon. His first collection was just 20 garments. Within 2 years he was acknowledged as one of the most promising of the young designers. One of his peers and rivals was Christian Dior. Several leading designers have worked at Fath’s salon, including Gerard Pipart, Herbert Kasper, Hubert de Givenchy and Guy Laroche.
He is the first designer to export his creations to the United States. In 1948 he contracted with a 7th Avenue, New York, ready-to-wear manufacturer Joseph Halpert to design two collections every year consisting of dresses and suits keeping the sexy sophistication which the young people of that time wanted.
Fath was famous for his hourglass shapes, plunging necklines, tiny waists and full skirts. To some extent, an unsung hero of fashion, he anticipated the style of dress which in 1947 became Dior’s “New Look”. His garments created soft lines with curving, simple, structured shapes. Fath worked directly with the fabric, draping it on a mannequin himself. His clothes are masterpieces in the display of movement. Diagonal lines, sometimes accented by buttons, cut across his suits and dresses. Angled collars and pockets, slanting or zig-zagging skirts, bustles or fans jutting out from skintight dresses, tucks, tiers and knifesharp pleats all contributed to the kinetic quality of his clothes.
Fath was the first to introduce stockings with Chantilly lace tops. His Playboy-bunny look of 1950 was a shock, consisting of evening dresses showing nothing but skin and cleavage between a strapless décolletage and a wing-collared choker. His clothes were sometimes considered risqué, but they appealed to a young, highly sophisticated clientele.
He dressed many of the most glamorous women of the 50’s, such as Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo and Kay Kendall.
He died at the height of activity in 1954 and his wife Genevieve tried to continue designing. The first collection after his death was accepted very well, but she did not have the heart to continue and closed the house in 1956.
From 1957 till 1992 the house of Fath continued only for Perfumes. The Jacques Fath company was relaunched in 1992 and in March 1997 was bought by the group EK FINANCES. In 1997 New York designer, Elena Nazaroff took over the artistic direction. Since the Fall/Winter 1998, Octavio Pizarro has been in charge of the pret-a-porter Couture of Jacques Fath.
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bio by: glamoursurf
Anne Fogarty
Anne Fogarty was born Anne Whitney, February 2, 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a child she "wanted to dress like a princess" and (to the chagrin of her mother) liked to experiment with forbidden color combination
After high school she attended Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania from 1936-37. She studied drama at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from 1937-1938 and then moved to New York to pursue a career in acting. It was not until she took a job as a fitting-model at Harvey Berin to help pay the bills that she began to consider a career in fashion. While modeling, Anne became interested in fashion and began to learn about fabric, cut and tailoring. Seeing this interest Berin encouraged her to go back to school to learn how to draw and offered her a practicum in his own studio.
By 1948 Anne began designing clothes for Youth Guild. Youth Guild marketed to teenagers who were perfect for the narrow waist and full skirts of the popular "New Look" which Anne was very fond of. In 1950 Fogarty began designing junior-sized dresses for Margot, Inc. To help create the "paper-doll" shape, the designer adopted the idea of crinoline skirts made popular during the Edwardian era and even encouraged wearing two at a time to enhance the silhouette.
Fogarty continued to design for Margot, Inc., and eventually for Saks Fifth Avenue. In 1962 she opened her own business (Anne Fogarty, Inc.) It was at this time that she added Misses' sizes to her line of clothes.
Fogarty adapted her designs with the ebb and flow of the times. Her designs included: the tea cozy dress in which the full skirt fell from a dropped, rather than natural waist, narrow silhouettes without fullness, the Empire line, with its emphasis on the bust line, she introduced the "camise," a chemise which fell from a high yoke. Fogarty designed separates and long dresses, quilted skirts over hot pants, and mini skirts. She produced designs in a peasant style, blouses with ruffles, long skirts with ruffled hems, and ethnic styling. Whatever the silhouette or fashion type, her interpretation was youthful, with details like puffed sleeves and round collars.
Fogarty produced different design collections under the names of A.F. Boutique, Clothes Circuit, and Collector's Items. Fogarty closed her business in the 1970's but continued to design. Just months befor her death In January of 1981 she completed a collection for Shariella Fashion.
During her career Fogarty worked with a variety of silhouettes and fabrics, in a broad range of sizes. She was a prolific designer who was able to adjust to a changing market, responding with designs that typified the all-American look.
Awards and Professional recognition:
1950: Young Women of the Year by Mademoiselle magazine
1951: Coty award for dresses
1952: the Neiman Marcus award
In 1959 Anne wrote her famous book "Wife Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well Dressed Wife".
The book was first published in 1959 and has just been re-issued with an
introduction by fashion writer Rosemary Feitelberg. It is dated and sexist
by toady's standards, however, it is a great window into the fashion of the
time period in which it was written and gives a clear picture of what was
expected of woman in the late 50's and early 60's. The following are some
quotes from the book:
"Wife-dressing is many things, An art, A science, A labor of love, A means
of self-expression, And, above all, a contributing factor to a happy marriage."
While dated, some of the information is still useful today such as the chapter
on how to care for your wardrobe:
"Uniformity of hangers gives your wardrobe cohesion. It's good for your morale
to open your closet door and see everything looking nice."
In the book she encourages woman to find their own style and color but recommends
an "understated" look
that does not slavishly follow the fashion of the day.
bio by: Bring It Back Vintage
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG
Diane Von Furstenberg created the wrap dress in 1972 and exploded onto the fashion scene, the rest is history. Born in Brussels, Belgium in 1946 Diane Von Furstenberg married an Austro-Italian Prince and had two children whom she raised in New York. By 1976 von Furstenberg had sold 5 million of her iconic wrap dresses which had quickly become a staple of women worldwide. Her wrap dress landed her on the covers of every fashion magazine and opened the door for more ventures including a perfume & cosmetic line, luggage, and much more.
In addition to being a fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg was a Vanity Fair magazine editor, founder of Salvy a publishing house for French language citizens who have “achieved the American dream”, and is the President of the Council of Fashion Designer of America (CFDA). The wrap dress continues to be Von Furstenberg’s greatest seller and every season she continues to use at least one reissued print from her early collections. Diane Von Furstenberg supports such charities as the Women’s Global Leadership Network Vital Voices and the Diller – Von Furstenberg Family Foundation. Diane Von Furstenberg splits her time between homes in New York, Connecticut, The Bahamas, and Paris.
You can see more Diane Von Furstenberg Fashions here and even read her diary!
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RUDI GERNREICH
Rudi Gernreich (August 8, 1922- April 21, 1985) moved into fashion design via fabric design at Hoffman California Fabrics, and then worked closely with muse model Peggy Moffitt and photographer William Claxton, pushing the boundaries of “the futuristic look” in clothing over three decades Gernreich’s clothes embody the aspirations and contradictions of his day, especially regarding the role of women as increasingly independent individuals. His knitted fabrics and daringly skimpy cuts emphasized the uniqueness of the individual human body and its movements. Many are reminiscent of a dancer’s practice clothes, not surprising for a designer who worked as a professional dancer and designed his first costumes for dance.Like many others in the 1960s, Gernreich exploited brilliant new colors and psychedelic patterns sometimes inspired by Op Art and other 1960s trends. Perhaps best known for his swimwear design of the Monokini, the first topless swimwuit, and later the Thong, Gernreich’s career was full of ‘firsts’.
Here from The Rudi Gernreich Book by Peggy Moffit & William Claxton are a few of Gernreich’s firsts.
Took inner construction out of bathing suits.
Designed first knitted tube dresses.
Was the first to use cutouts in clothes.
First to use vinyl & plastic in clothes.
Introduced androgyny - men’s suits & hats, etc. on women.
Designed the first see-through clothes.
Designed the first soft transparent bra - the “no bra” bra.
Invented body clothes based on leotards & tights
Used hardware-zippers, dog leash clasps etc. as decoration.
Did the first designer jeans.
Designed the first thong bathing suit.
First to design men’s underwear for women.
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bio by: glamoursurf
Custom made piece for Gertrud Natzler
Picture provided by Kitsch-y-Cool-Vintage
HUBERT DE GIVENCHY
Hubert de Givenchy was born in1927 in Beauvais, France. He started out working in various fashion houses from 1945-1951. He worked with note worthy designers Christian Dior, and Elsa Schiaparelli . In 1952 he opened his own house of fashion. His colors and prints where bold and inventive yet elegant . Contrasting the more stark couture designs of the times. His lines where clean and simple. In 1952 he did a line of silk fabrics featuring animal prints. The next year he did prints in fruits, vegetables, and sea fare. Fath and Dior used his prints in their own designs that year.
His fame came from many of the stars he dressed. One of his most famous clients was Audrey Hepburn in 1953. He and Edith Head worked on her wardrobe for Sabrina. He was uncredited for it. Edith won the Oscar. He continued creating her image through out her career. He was again ushered into international attention when he dressed the entire Kennedy family for J.F.K.’s funeral .
In 1954 he was the first couture designer to have a high end ready to wear line Givenchy Université.
In 1957 he created his first perfume for Audry Hepburn.
In 1968 he started his pret-a-porter collection.
In 1974 he created Gentleman Givench.
In 1995 he retired from fashion design.
He was succeeded by John Galliano.
His 70’s men’s line followed his beginnings with creative uses of inventive prints. Creating some of the better disco shirts around. Body fitting shirts with great prints. His ready to wear line continued to show a consisitent high end flair.
Books
The Givenchy Style by Francois Mohrt
Audrey Style by Pamela Clarke Keogh
Website
Givenchy
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bio by: Gypsy Wear Vintage
1953 Pearls in an oyster silk print
1953 Pineapples silk print
Pictures from American Fabrics 1953
YVES SAINT LAURENT
Yves Saint Laurent was born 1936 in Oran, Algeria. After winning first prize in the International Wool Secretariat contest for his asymmetrical cocktail dress in 1954, Saint Laurent went to work for Christian Dior and continued to work for Dior until his death. He immediately started to develop a unique style that combined Dior’s elegance and tradition with a more wearable, realistic style. Saint Laurent became Haute Couture designer when Dior died in 1957.
He introduced the trapeze dress in his first collection for Dior in 1958. In 1960, Saint Laurent created his revolutionary “Beat Look” collection which used couture techniques to refine streetstyle. He was replaced by Mark Bohen in 1960, when he fulfilled his military obligations. Afterwards, he opened his own couture house, financed by Pierre Berge, in 1962.
Saint Laurent’s goal in designing clothes for women was “not just to make women more beautiful but to reassure them and give them confidence.”
Saint Laurent frequently uses ethnic themes in his garments, as well as bright colors contrasted with black. The inspiration for Saint Laurent’s clothing came from cultures across the globe. An important source of inspiration for both his clothing and his choice of runway models was his childhood in Africa. He was also the first major designer to use models from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds.
Ever the innovator, he introduced a series of firsts into female fashion including the trench coat, the Mondrian print dress, the female tuxedo, and trouser suits. His day clothes have a slightly masculine flavor, and his luxurious evening wear is tinged with fantasy. He is famous for “Le Smoking” tuxedo jacket, the reefer jacket (1962), the sheer blouse (1966), the jumpsuit (1968),see-through blouses (1968), peasant blouses, bolero jackets, pantsuits, and smocks.
In October 1998, Yves Saint Laurent showed his last ready-to-wear collection for the Rive Gauche label he had founded more than 30 years before. US designer Alber Elbaz was hand-picked to succeed him, but found that his career there was swiftly terminated after the Italian fashion Gucci bought full control of the business at the end of 1999 and handed the reins to powerhouse designer Tom Ford. Yves Saint Laurent retained control of the haute couture business and continues to show in Paris each season. In January 2002, the 65-year-old designer retired.
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bio by: glamoursurf
an 80’s top and tag
Pictures provided by glamoursurf
BETH LEVINE
Beth Levine, was (born Elizabeth Katz), in 1914 in Patchogue, New York. During the 1930s, Beth moved to Manhattan and worked as a shoe model. Later, Beth became a stylist. Beth Levine and her salesman husband, Herbert, who she married in 1944, were leaders in shoe design throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Under the label of her husband Herbert Levine, Beth was the best-known American women’s shoe designer from the 1950s to the early 1970s, and is still referred to as “The first Lady of American Shoes Design.”
The Levines’ greatest influence is considered to be the re-introduction of boots to women’s fashion in the 1960s and the popularization of the shoe style known as mules. Shoes were taken to a level of jewelry at this time, costing typically from $400 to $600, a lot of money in the 1960s. Many of these shoes were photographed for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar by world-famous fashion photographers, or used in the display windows at Sak’s Fifth Avenue. Beth is accredited for her design of the spring-o-lator mule, the stocking boot (panty hose with heels attached), clear plastic shoes and reintroduction of boots as haute couture.
Levine’s designs are noteworthy for their one-of-a-kind inventiveness and use of unconventional materials. Beth set out to create designs that would make women with average shoe sizes look more delicate and feminine in their shoes, and in the process changed the silhouettes of American fashion. She experimented with cutting away more and more of the leather to expose more and more of the foot, in the process creating shoes that were regarded as both sexier and more elegant than her predecessors. Beth Levine’s innovations in shoe design continue the work of designers working earlier in the 20th century such as Perugia, Ferragamo, and Vivier.
Levine won a Nieman Marcus Award in 1954 and the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award in 1967 and 1973 for her contribution to the shoe trade. Levine retired in 1976. Although the company closed in 1975, many Beth Levine designs remain on display in museums in Europe and North America.
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bio by: glamoursurf
Late 60’s shoes
Pictures provided by
Dorothea’s Closet Vintage
CLAIRE MCCARDELL
In 1905 Claire McCardell was born in Fredrick, Maryland USA. The oldest child in a family of 3 younger brothers, she group up loving sports and loving fashion. As a child she would cut her mother’s fashion magazines into paper dolls creating silhouettes of femininity and function which translated into her future career. In 1925 after graduating from high school McCardell attended Hood College in Fredrick because her parents thought she was too young (at 16) to go off to New York. She later transferred to Parson’s School of Design in New York (then called New York School of Fine and Applied Arts). She spent her second year at the Paris branch of Parsons. It was in Paris where she began to recognize the absence of a relationship between style and comfort. The seed of her designing philosophy was planted.
McCardell became the first designer to use zippers, popularize leotards, wear tweed evening coats and put spaghetti straps on evening gowns. While working for Townly in 1938 she created her first signature dress design the “Monastic” which is characterized by large patch pockets, loose sleeves and a loose-fitting dress, cut straight from the shoulder to the hem and gathered at the waist with a belt or sash. It is still popular today.
During WWII America was isolated from Europe which gave American designers such as McCardell a context for developing a style that was truly its own. The “American Look” was easy, comfortable, versatile and affordable. 1942 saw one her most popular designs the “Popover” which was the answer to the Harper’s Bazaar reader outcry for a dress in which a woman could do housework and still look smart. The popover could be used as a dressing gown, swimsuit cover up, house dress or party dress. Another one of her popular designs was the “Diaper” bathing suit.
According to McCardell “Most of my designs come from solving my own problems”. An excerpt from an excellent and extensive article in the Monday, May 2 1955 Time Magazine states:
“To Designer McCardell, garments must have a reason. After shivering on shipboard during a transatlantic trip in a flimsy, French-designed evening wrap she turned out a wrap in tweed. She went skiing, got cold ears, did a wool-jersey hood. After lugging a trunk and five suitcases around Europe, she decided to save space by making dresses in parts, switching the pieces around for variety—a bare top and covered-up top, for example, to be worn alternately with shorts, slacks or short or long skirts. That was one of the fashion world’s first important experiments with “separates,” now a mainstay of American sportswear design.”
In 1943 she married Texas born architect Irving Drought Harris.
Even though she was known for casual attire, her gowns were also magnificent. McCardell was interested in the draping and styling of classical Greek and Roman design and many of her gowns were truly classical in style.
TIMELINE
1905: Claire McCardell born in Fredrick, Maryland USA
1925: Graduates from high school at the age of 16
1925-1928: First attends Hood College in Fredrick, transfers to Parsons School of Design, spends last year at Parson’s Paris branch
1927-1930: embarks on a succession of frustrating jobs
1930: Hired as assistant to designer to Robert Turk
1932: Turk dies suddenly in sailing accident, Claire finishes his collection 1938: First designer success with the “Monastic” dress
1939-1940: Townly folds, McCardell spends brief stint working for Hattie Carnegie
1940: Townly reopens, McCardell brings out her first line with them
1942: Designs “Popover” dress
1943: Marries Texas born Architect Irving Drought Harris, Wins fashion’s Coty award
1941-1945: America is isolated from Europe during WWII
1952: McCardell becomes partner and vice president of Townly
1955: McCardell Uses the designs of artists including Chagall, Leger, Picasso, Miro and Dufy to make cotton resort clothes. Spread in LIFE magazine (November 1955) of this line with Artists in their studios.
1958: Sadly Claire McCardell dies of cancer at the young age of 53
In many ways McCardell’s ideas laid the groundwork of today’s fashion industry. The marriage of elegance and practicality into an affordable mass produced ready to wear line can be traced to McCardell’s innovations. As one of the first American designers to license her name, McCardell’s business savvy set the tone of some of the most successful designers that came after her. Donna Karen, Isaac Mizrahi, Cynthia Rowley, and Jeffrey Banks are among some of today’s designers that have been influenced by McCardell. As you can see the essence of this truly “American” designer is woven into the very fabric of what we know today as fashion/the fashion industry which is among the many reasons her work is highly sought after today. Having a McCardell in one’s vintage collection is definitely a feather in one’s cap!
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bio by: Bring it Back Vintage
VERA NEUMANN
Vera Neumann (Stamford, Connecticut, 1907-1993) who had been a designer of children’s furniture and murals,
used only her first name after founding VERA (1946), with her husband, George Neumann, and F. Werner Hamm.
She was a print designer who began her unique career designing place mats. Eventually she expanded into other home furnishings and fashions
to create a major design company. Vera expanded her line through licensing agreements with
Mikasa(china),Burlington(bedding and window dressing), Island Wooster(pottery) and Shumacher(wallpaper and fabric).
Known worldwide simply as Vera, she is acclaimed for her use of brilliant colors, floral patterns and the ladybug trademark.
Vera Neumann created and maintained one of the largest and popular textile companies in the United States for over forty years.
Vera is most famous for her scarves, which she conceived of as unique works of art. She began making them using army surplus parachute silk.
From the 1950’s to the late 70’s, Neumann would create several thousand different designs,
many of them considered to be master examples of constructivist sophistication.
After George’s death, Vera sold the company, but continued to design.
She herself designed prodigiously almost until her death in 1993, but was assisted by a design team in producing the 500 to 600 different scarf designs each year. Her most famous assistant designer was Perry Ellis, who spent 2 years creating scarves for her.
Neumann was the first designer to incorporate a signature logo.
Different attributes can be found in her signature logo as it evolved through the ages.
From 1947 through the early 50s the signature logo is “vera” in small print with no symbols.
The labybug & © copyright symbol were added to the small “vera” sometime in the mid 50s.
The ladybug remains into the 60s, and the “Vera” signature gets larger.
Sometime in the mid to late 60s, the ladybug is removed and the copyright symbol remains.
The Signature Vera continues to get larger through the 70s and 80s.
When Vera died in 1993 her name was licensed. All post-1993 signatures have a small “vera” and the copyright symbol.
Vera’s designs are once gain being reissued to the delight of many collectors.
Vera Textiles: Add Color to Everyday Fashion by Jeanette Michalets, is a wonderful book with an autobiography of Vera, over 500 photos of her designs and a price guide for collectors.
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bio by: glamoursurf
Fred Perlberg (1901-1991)- Fred Perlberg started his career in fashion design at the age of 16 in his native
Fred Perlberg Originals were known for their feminine, tasteful, and fun line of party and dance dresses. Many of his early dresses seemed to be influenced in their shape by flowers, in particular the tulip. All of his pieces became hugely popular with young women who found them to be moderately priced and within their budget, yet still high in quality and extremely fashionable. It seems he had the gift of creating pieces that were current and stylish but also timeless and forever classic. This is why today Fred Perlberg has become a favorite among collectors and wearers of vintage clothing. Perlberg designed through the late 1960’s, until he retired in 1968 and Roger Milot took over to design for the company. It was also in 1968 that Fred Perlberg was named Man of the Year by the fashion industry.
In addition to his love of fashion and creating dresses for women, Fred Perlberg had a kind heart and was generous with his giving. Throughout the years he supported several philanthropies including: an auditorium for the
After raising his son with his wife Gertrude and retiring from Fred Perlberg Originals, he retired to
bio by: Rice and Beans Vintage
late 40s or early 50s dress and it’s tag
pictures by: glamoursurf
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EMILIO PUCCI
Marchese di Basento Emilio Pucci ( November 20, 1914 - 1992) was an Italian fashion designer. Born in Naples, Italy, the son of an Italian noble, Pucci studied in both Italy and the USA, eventually gaining a doctorate in political science in 1941.
Pucci was a member of the Italian olympic ski team of 1934, and in 1935 won a skiing scholarship to Reed College in Oregon. He first ventured into clothing design at Reed by creating the ski team’s uniforms. He graduated from Reed with the class of 1937.
In 1947 he was photographed by Toni Frissel, a photographer working for Harper’s Bazaar, wearing skiwear Pucci had designed himself. Upon learning this, Frissel’s editor asked Pucci to design skiwear for a story on European Winter Fashion, which ran in the winter 1948 issue of the Bazaar. The exposure encouraged him to create and sell clothes for women, and he opened a couture house in 1950 on the Isle of Capri. Pucci became well known for his signature use of bright colours and bold patterns, which often clashed. Popular early creations were a line of wrinkle-free printed silk dresses. Each piece of fashion is signed with his signature ‘Emilio’.
Pucci was hired by New York ad agency Jack Tinker and Associates to re-design the hostess wardrobes for Braniff International Airways. Pucci would end up designing seven complete outfits for Braniff hostesses, pilots and ground crew between 1965 and 1977. Pucci incorporated Alexander Girard’s “BI” logo into some of his prints.
After his death in 1992 his daughter, Laudomia Pucci, continued to design under the Pucci name.
The Pucci brand was revived by the French firm Louis Vuitton-Moet-Hennessy Group, who acquired the rights in 2000.
The brand has been synonymous with bold, brightly colored graphic patterns with a kaleidoscopic, slightly psychedelic feel. Pucci prints usually appear on clingy, stretchy fabrics, and are widely applied in every category—evening wear, ready-to-wear, swimwear, accessories, shoes and home décor; they have even been featured in the logo of the Apollo 15 space mission and the interior of a Ford Lincoln Continental.
From 2002 - 2006 French designer Chrsitian Lacroix was Artistic Director at Pucci.
The clothes which Emilio Pucci designed over the years are valued immensely and vintage gowns are treasured. Some wonderful examples can be found in museums and exhibitions such as: The Phoenix Art Museum, Emilio Pucci Fashion Design Gallery.
Books:
Emilio Pucci by Luiki Settembrini
Emilio Pucci by Mariuccia Casadio
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Tunic for Form Fit Rogers
Sunglasses
Pictures provided by
Dorothea’s Closet Vintage
ALFRED SHAHEEN
Alfred Shaheen, the son of Hawaiian custom clothing makers George and Mary Shaheen, was born in 1922 in New Jersey. Alfred Shaheen is legendary for his fashionable creations of Hawaiian Garments and fabric textiles from the 1950’s through the 1980’s. Alfred Shaheen designed and manufactured fabrics and clothing for over 40 years and Shaheen’s pieces are among the most prized in vintage fashion collections. His earliest labels include Alfred Shaheen, Shaheen’s of Honolulu, Surf ‘n Sand and Kiilani. Shaheen is best known and recognized for sarong dresses, halter full skirt dresses, swimwear and Aloha Shirts.
In 1953 Shaheen built his own factory in Hawaii to produce the textiles and hand screen prints that would make up the majority of his aloha shirts, dresses and swimsuits. All screening was done by hand, and workers were told to force more ink into the shirt fabric to enrich the colors. Shaheen fabric usually had three- to five-color designs, which were part of a library of more than 1,000 dye colors. Shaheen’s textile designs and fabrics are legendary and were inspired by Hawaii, the South Pacific and Asia. Shaheen was the most creative and prolific of all of the Hawaiian manufacturers in the heyday of ‘50s and ‘60s fashion. Shaheen’s vision, inventiveness, engineering brilliance and unreserved commitment to authenticity and excellence earned him Hawaii’s Lifetime Achievement Award in July of 2001.
Because Shaheen was the only Hawaiian manufacturer to print his own fabric, he was able to create and distribute exclusive exotic clothing for many national top retailers. By the mid-1950s, Shaheen’s clothing was sold in such stores as Bergdorf Goodman and Marshall Field & Company and spotlighted in such national magazines as Vogue, Mademoiselle and Town & Country.
In the early-1960s, Shaheen opened his own chain of retail stores in Hawaii and established Alfred Shaheen departments in national department stores. The exotic beauty of Shaheen clothing held no cultural boundaries, and all cultures were celebrated in Shaheen’s “East Meets West” departments, which opened in such stores as Bullocks, Macy’s and Scruggs Vandervoort Barney. It is widely believed that Shaheen popularized the cultural influence in fashion that exists today.
Recently, a new collection of Alfred Shaheen prints have been brought into production. In keeping with family tradition, Alfred Shaheen and Timothy McCullough, the son of famed shirt maker Reyn McCullough, have teamed up to create The Alfred Shaheen Collection by Reyn-Spooner.
Camille Shaheen, Alfreds daughter, has carried on the marketing and promotion of her fathers legendary collections.
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bio by: glamoursurf
examples of late 60’s dresses
tag from an early 70’s dress
Pictures provided by Tialey Vintage
PAULINE TRIGERE
Pauline Trigere (1912-2002) was born into a French tailoring family and moved to New York
City in 1937. Her mother was a dressmaker and her father was a tailor who had made military uniforms for the Russian aristocracy.
Pauline was employed as a trainee cutter at Martial et Armand in the Place Vendome, Paris. She also worked as the freelance designer, going to the fashion houses of Paris to sell her sketches.
This is when she met Adele Simpson, a buyer from America, who told her all about the New York fashion world. So in 1937, at the age of 25, she moved to New York. Trigere first found work at Ben Gershel, where Adele Simpson worked. She then became assistant designer to Travis Banton at Hattie Carnegie. She worked for several design houses in New York, and opened her own shop in 1942. She began producing ready-to-wear lines in the late 40’s. In the 1950’s, she produced costume jewelry to accompany her outfits.
She won her first Coty Award from the jury of the American Fashion Critics in 1949. She later won it again in 1951 and 1959 and was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame. In 1993, she received a lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Trigere was among the first to use common fabrics like cotton and wool in evening wear in the 1940s. In the 1960s, she introduced the jumpsuit as a fashion staple.
Coats were Trigère’s most recognized garment; her innovations in their cut and style continued for 30 years. Trigère is noted for creating the first reversible coat, the sleeveless coat and coats with detachable scarves. Her signature design is the turtle, which can be found in many of her fabrics.
She created clothing for royalty and celebrities, including style icons like Bette Davis and the Duchess of Windsor. Her designs had such staying power that her vintage gowns have popped up on Hollywood red carpets in the 21st century.
In June 2002, Pauline Trigere died at the age of 93.
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bio by: glamoursurf
60’s Dress
Pictures provided by Purse Diva Vintage
Another 60’s Dress
60’s Label
Pictures provided by Special Somethings
GIANNI VERSACE
Gianni Versace (December 2, 1946 – July 15, 1997) was an accomplished Italian designer of both clothing and theater costumes. He was influenced by Andy Warhol, Ancient Roman and Greek art as well as modern abstract art; he is considered one of the most colorful and talented designers of the late 20th century.
Gianni was the founder of famous fashion tag Versace. The first boutique was opened in Milan’s Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world’s leading international fashion houses.
Gianni learned his craft from his mother who owned a small tailor shop to support the family. She taught him to fist cut and then sew his own designs. Gianni loved designing the clothes himself and soon he was selling them out of his mother’s shop. He moved on, furthering his understanding of the rag trade by working as a fabric buyer.
He studied architecture before moving to Milan at the age of 25 to work in fashion design. As a freelancer he was creating fashion collections for Genny and Complice and Callaghan. It was in a collection for Complice that Gianni’s own name was first included in the brand name. He became famous for designing flashy, sexy, beautifully cut outfits in strikingly extreme colors, patterns, fabrics, and leathers.
In the mid-Seventies, his knits drew the attention of head-hunters at Genny and Callaghan. Complice hired him to design their leather and suede collections, and a few years later, encouraged by his success, Versace presented his first signature collection for women at the Palazzo della Permanente Art Museum of Milan. His first menswear collection followed in September of the same year. After presenting his menswear collection he joined Jorge Saud, who would become later and also partner with Giorgio Armani.
In 1982 Versace won the Cutty Sark & Golden Eye awards for his 1982-1983 Fall/Winter Womens collection. He went on to win the Golden eye again in 1984, 1990 and 1991.
In 1985, Versace added the Instante label to his fashion empire. Similar in style to Versace couture, it was targeted at a less affluent and younger crowd.
He was a personal designer for famous celebrities such as Courtney Love, Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John and others.
In 1988 the jury of the Cutty Sark Award named Versace “the most innovative and creative designer in the world.” In 1993, the Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded the American Fashion Oscar to Versace, and he was honored by the Italian and French presidents.
1994 marked the opening of the Versace flagship boutique in the prestigious Kurfürstendamm, Berlin. In September, the “Versace Signatures” exhibition opened at the Kunstgewerbemuseum.
Also in 1994, Versace published “Designs” the English version of his book, “Vanitas - Ricami e Decori - Decori e Ricami.” Collaborating with publisher Leonardo Arte, photographers Richard Avedon, Bruce Weber and others, Versace produced three more highly-acclaimed volumes: “Men Without Ties” (1994), “Do Not Disturb” (1995) and “Rock and Royalty” (1996).
In 1995 the first Versus fashion show was held in New York. That year, Versace sponsored the Haute Couture exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as Richard Avedon’s “1944-1994,” both of which met with great success.
Gianni Versace died on July 15, 1997 in Miami, Florida.
In September 1997, Versace’s brother Santo Versace, together with Jorge Saud were announced as the new CEOs of the Versace holding. Gianni’s sister, Donatella Versace, is the new head of design.
Versace designs, markets and distributes luxury clothing, accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings under the various brands of the Versace Group.
These brands include: Gianni Versace, Versus Versace, Versace Jeans Couture, Versace Ceramic Designs, Versace Classic, Versace Classic V2, Versace Sport, Versace Intensive, Versace Precious Items, Versace Young and Palazzo Versace.
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bio by: glamoursurf
80’s Versace Star Jeans
Versace V2 Label from men’s sport coat jacket
Versace Versus Label
Pictures provided by glamoursurf
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