Part three: Vicky Tiel : a couturiere in Paris. Jessie Franklin Turner : an intimate affair -- Virginia Woods Bellamy : the poet as knitter -- Tina Leser : global vision -- Sandra Garratt and modular clothing -- Part two: Developing an industry. Marion McCoy and Pauline Fracchia : mid-twentieth-century originators -- Fira Benenson : the people's countess -- Helen Lee and Suzanne Godart : chic for children -- Nicki "Catherine Scott" Ladany : Chicago's empress of fashion -- Jean Wright : the "real" Lilli Ann -- Mollie Parnis : tastemaker -- Elizabeth "Libby" Payne : designing for Mrs. Main Street America -- Ruth Finley's "fashion calendar" -- Part three: Hollywood, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue. Viola Dimmitt : Los Angeles entrepreneur -- Kiviette : star performer -- Zelda Wynn Valdes : uptown modiste -- Vicky Tiel : a couturiere in Paris.
Summary:
This book is the first in-depth exploration of the revolutionary designers who defined American fashion in its emerging years and helped build an industry with global impact, yet who have been largely forgotten. While names such as Charles James, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein are familiar, their once-eminent forebears have been largely erased from the canon of fashion history in the United States. From one of America's first couturiers, Jessie Franklin Turner, to Zelda Wynn Valdes, who dressed the likes of Josephine Baker and Ella Fitzgerald, the book captures the lost histories of the luminaries who paved the way in the world of American fashion design. Focusing on unsung female designers, the authors reclaim a place in history for the women who contributed to the rich tapestry of the industry as it stands today, including designers who dressed celebrities and socialites, and millions of fashion-conscious American women. This lavishly illustrated collection takes us from Hollywood to Broadway, from sportswear to sustainable fashion, and explores important crossovers between film, theater, and fashion, including couture, tailoring, millinery, costume, and accessory design. Uncovering fascinating histories of the design pioneers we should know about, the book enlarges the prevailing narrative of fashion history and will be an important reference for fashion students, historians, costume curators, and fashion enthusiasts alike.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.