Influential Images: Richard Tyler

Richard Tyler Ad from New York Magazine

If you were an avid reader or watcher of fashion in the 1990s, then the name Richard Tyler should most definitely ring a bell. Tyler was a Vogue favorite whose sexy suits and red-carpet gowns were all the rage during that time. I’ve been wondering recently what happened to Mr. Tyler and his business.

Sarah Jessica Parker at the Golden Globes in 2000 (InStyle)

Today, I found this article from the LA Times, written in 2006, about Mr. Tyler’s rise and eventual fall. From what I can tell, 2006 was the last year that the designer showed his collection on the runway. Tyler’s backstory, as told by the newspaper, was not unlike so many industry players before and after him,  who have burned brightly and faded from the world stage.

According to the piece, Tyler grew up in Australia, and followed in the footsteps of his mother, who designed ballet costumes for the Tivoli Theatre and also embroidered priests’ robes on the side. He began sewing at age 5. Later on, after dropping out of school, he worked as an apprentice and cutter of corsets, swimwear and shirts. This early education surely contributed to his keen sense of cut and of lean silhouettes. He opened a shop with his mother in the 1960s, and Australian celebrities came calling for his rock-n-roll sexy jackets. A backer approached him a few years later, and Tyler opened a store first in London, and then in Los Angeles. At the time of these huge adjustments, Tyler was also parenting a young son, by himself. California seems to have been a string of financial challenges and strange jobs, from dressing celebrities to working in a factory shut down for selling drugs.

But at 40, everything changed for Tyler. He met his second wife and eventual business partner Lisa Trafficante, who turned out to be the tough manager he needed to succeed. He envisioned a high-end fashion brand, and she helped turn that dream into a reality; retailers quickly fell for his sublime tailoring. Trafficante Tyler opened in 1988 in LA. He began designing women’s wear and attracting top celebrities to the boutique. He showed on the NY runways to major acclaim. What I hadn’t known previously, that was quite interesting, was that Anne Klein named him as head designer, although his edgy romantic aesthetic did not work well with AK’s classic sporty look. He won a CFDA award in 1993. Tyler and Trafficante lived large, buying huge homes in Los Angeles and in Manhattan (and later sold  the one in NYC for a huge profit).

In 2000, Tyler was at the top of his game:

By 2000 Tyler had, as Susan Rolontz, executive vice president of the retail newsletter the Tobé Report, put it, “pinned the tail on the donkey.” In addition to the Beverly Boulevard boutique, he and Trafficante were running a couture business that earned more than $14 million annually and a manufacturing operation with more than 150 employees. They had also licensed a line of shoes and accessories and a posh ready-to-wear line, the Richard Tyler Collection, that was made in Italy and sold at Bergdorf, Neiman Marcus and other stores. (The Wearing and Tearing of Richard Tyler, Dubler, LA Times, 2/26/06)

And then, as is so often the case in the what’s new/what’s next-addicted fashion industry, Tyler’s star began to fall. Retailers were looking for more casual clothing, rather than the fantastically cut and beaded pieces Tyler was known for. Tyler had an experienced, expensive staff of 150 at the company’s height, meaning it was a very capital-intensive business. His look began to be less ‘relevant’ and less adaptive to the Britney Spears fashion era in LA and NYC. The article also alludes to problems in Tyler’s operational systems; stores had been willing to put up with late shipping and problems in the company’s heyday, but not as its popularity waned.

Tyler had problems with alcohol in the aftermath, but quit drinking in 2002 after a small accident. He continued to dress more classically-inclined stars for the red carpet, but systematically downsized his business at the same time. He partnered with Delta Airlines on new uniform; in the mid aughts, before the present co-branding craze, these kind of partnerships were frowned on by the fashion industry as potentially cheapening. I don’t know if he’s gone on designing, or if he still has a shop. If anyone knows, please send along the info. It seems to me that so many designers have Tyler to thank; Stella McCartney, Hedi Slimane, and dare I say…Tom Ford.

Designer Richard Tyler

A Richard Tyler Dress found in NY Magazine

Richard Tyler Fall 2005

Influential Images: Marathon Running

2010 NYC Marathon Winner, Edna Kiplagat

I’m a bit short on time this week for a full Influential Images history post, but wanted to wish lots of luck to all of those running the New York City marathon this weekend. It’s fun to go and cheer on both the elite runners and all the rest who spent past months dedicated to training for the 26 mile race. Forget the Kardashians; athletes, with their strong physiques, willpower and sportsmanship, are the ultimate style setters.

 

 

 

 

Influential Images: Donald Brooks

Donald Brooks' Plaque on the Fashion Walk of Fame

Yesterday, designer Donald Brooks (1928-2005) was inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame on Seventh Avenue. In fashion history, Brooks hasn’t been quite as lauded as the other two of the “Three B’s” of fashion, Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene, so it was nice to see him get the industry’s recognition and respect. I myself have always loved the look of Brooks’ work in the 1960s and 70s; glamourous, clean-lined, and so American in it’s attitude. His clothes were the kind I wish I saw more of on today’s runways and in stores.

Donald Brooks 1958

Donald Brooks was born in 1928 in New Haven, CT as Donald Marc Blumberg, and grew up in Manhattan. His passion for theater started at the Yale School of Drama, which he attended after graduating from Syracuse University. He went on to study at FIT and at Parsons, before becoming a window designer for Lord and Taylor. His window work was noticed by the store’s president at the time, Dorothy Shaver (check out the link, she had a pretty incredible life story herself). Shaver recruited Brooks to design a private label collection for Lord and Taylor. In 1958, Brooks went to work for Townley Frocks, the same manufacturer that employed Claire McCardell. Below is a Brooks-designed Townley Frocks dress that Jackie Kennedy wore on her trip to India.

Donald Brooks 1960

A Donald Brooks dress, worn in 1962, by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, on her trip to India

Donald Brooks 1963

In 1965, Brooks went out on his own, and began designing an eponymously named collection, backed by Seventh Avenue financier Ben Shaw (who also funded Oscar de la Renta and Halston’s businesses, among many others). His collection consisted of fashionable sportswear with simple silhouettes, elongating lines, and bold but tasteful prints.

Donald Brooks 1965

Supermodel Veruschka in Donald Brooks, 1968

Donald Brooks ad in Vogue 1969

But the draw of the stage and screen were so great to Mr. Brooks that he ultimately spent much of his career in costume design. His work on Broadway included Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park and Promises, Promises, as well as No Strings, starring Diahann Carroll, a play for which he received a Tony Award Nomination. For TV, he is best known for his costumes for The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, and for the TV movie, The Letter, starring Lee Remnick, which he earned an Emmy Award for. Brooks went on to become a three-time nominee for an Academy Award for Costume Design for the films Star!, Darling Lili and The Cardinal.

Brooks stage work did not prevent him from continuing success in the fashion industry. He won three Coty Awards, as well as the Parsons’ Medal of Distinction. In 2003, he was the subject of a retrospective exhibit at FIT.  Here are a few more images from his line, from the 1970s. They still feel really modern to me. I’m going to take a visit to his Fashion Walk of Fame plaque soon.

Donald Brooks in Vogue 1970

Donald Brooks in Vogue 1970

Donald Brooks 1972

Donald Brooks 1972

 

Sources:

Stegemeyer, Anne, Who’s Who in Fashion, Second Edition, New York, 1996

Donald Brooks, 77, Designer of Stage and Screen Fashion, Dies at 77 (Wilson, NY Times, 8/3/2005)

Donald Brooks Fashion Encyclopedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Influential Images: Liz Claiborne

Designer Liz Claiborne (from Liz Claiborne: The Legend, The Woman by Art Ortenberg)

This week brought shocking news that Liz Claiborne Inc. was in the process of selling, among other brands, its own namesake line. How could they sell the brand on which the corporation was built, that was their essence? Of course, this choice was made due to financial difficulties. Liz Claiborne Inc. had amassed a number of brands under its umbrella over the years, some of them successful (Kate Spade, Lucky Brand), and some of them less so (also the DKNY Jeans license is ending). They’re letting go of the under-performers to focus on those currently bringing in huge sales. The strategy makes sense, but still, the news is sad. Liz Claiborne remains one of the most influential  women and business stories in fashion history.

Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne was born in Brussels in 1929, though her parents were American. The family returned to the US after World War II, and settled in New Orleans. Claiborne’s family was privileged, and because her father believed she did not need an education, she chose to take art classes in Europe in her teenage years. This creative background led her into the fashion industry.

Claiborne began working on Seventh Avenue after winning the Jacques Heim Design Award, sponsored by Harper’s Bazaar. She worked as a sketch artist for Tina Leser, and as a designer for Jonathan Logan at Youth Guild, Dan Keller, Rhea Manufacturing and Juniorite. She spent 20 years working for these companies before setting out on her own.

She founded Liz Claiborne in 1976 with her husband, Art Ortenberg, Leonard Boxer (who handled production), and Jerome Chazen (who oversaw marketing and would eventually serve as Chairman of the company). Her intention was to design clothing for working women. I liked these quotes about her design legacy:

“At that point you either looked like a hippie or you looked like you were Donna Reed. She filled that hole,” said Ilse Metchek, executive director of the California Fashion Assn. “That whole concept of sportswear as career clothing is her legacy.” (Woo, LA Times, 6/28/07)

“She told an interviewer that because “every working woman wasn’t ending up in the boardroom or aspiring to that” her approach was “to dress the women who didn’t have to wear suits — the teachers, the doctors, the women working in Southern California or Florida, the women in the fashion industry itself.” (Bernstein, Washington Post, 6/28/07)

“We don’t do the design and then add the cost of producing and selling,” she told Esquire. “We do a sample, and then we think — I think — if I was going to wear this to my job, how much would I pay for it? Then we try to keep the cost to that.” (Bernstein, Washington Post, 6/28/07)

She started the company with roughly $250,000, and immediately turned a profit, with sales of $2m in 1976 and $23m by 1978. She redefined the sportswear market. The company went public in 1981 and by 1986, had sales of $1.2b. Liz Claiborne was the first female-founded company to be listed in the Fortune 500.

Claiborne was a tremendous executive who highly valued her customers and her employees. She created a mix-and-match merchandising philosophy, and convinced department stores to display her line as a collection. The business diversified over the 1980s, adding large divisions such as dresses and denim. Eventually, Claiborne delegated her design work to her trusted employees and in 1989, she and Ortenberg retired from their roles at the company. Chazen served as Chairman from that point until 1994, when his role was passed onto Paul Charron (formerly of VF Corporation), who was CEO until 2006.

Claiborne battled valiantly against a rare form of cancer, and died in June of 2007 at age 79. Before she died, she’d done very important work on behalf of various environmental and philanthropic causes.

Charron oversaw the acquisition of Lucky Brand, Mexx, Kate Spade and Juicy Couture. In 2006, William McComb became CEO of Liz Claiborne Inc., a position he still holds today. J.C. Penney, who has bought the Liz Claiborne name from Liz Claiborne Inc. this week, became the brand’s exclusive retailer.The line was first sold QVC when Liz Claiborne Inc. signed designer Isaac Mizrahi, and then additionally at J.C. Penney stores.

It’s too bad that the larger corporation couldn’t do more to develop and succeed with the Liz Claiborne name. Her vision for dressing working women got distilled by the flood of bridge and workwear designers that eventually entered the market, and with the even more casual look that American women have adopted in recent years. Claiborne clearly found a way to appeal to so many women with her design philosophy; it’s unfortunate that that connection got lost somewhere in corporate business dealings.

SOURCES:

Obituary: Liz Claiborne, designer of clothes for professional women, 78 (Wilson. NY Times, 6/28/07)

Liz Claiborne; 78; Fashion Industry Icon (Bernstein, Washington Post, 6/28/07)

Liz Claiborne, 78; clothes designer for career women built vast fashion empire (Woo, LA Times, 6/28/07)

Liz Claiborne: The Legend, The Woman (Ortenberg, 2009)

Liz Claiborne Inc. (Wiki)

Liz Claiborne, Designer (Wiki)

Influential Images: The Spiegel Catalog

Spiegel Catalog 1958

It’s somewhat extraordinary, that in the age of e-commerce, the apparel catalog category has persisted. The newly re-designed Barneys New York catalog that I received last week is still sitting on my coffee table. It’s beautiful: bound in a journal-like format with clever, modern photography inside. But why am I hanging onto it when Barneys’ flagship store is less than a mile away from my apartment and their website is accessible in seconds? Even my dad asked me last week why certain companies choose to allocate funds to print and ship catalogs. I found myself a bit tongue-tied.

I suspect that the reason that direct mail has remained a viable mode of retailing is in part due to nostalgia and in part because consumers still like to shop from something tangible.

Catalogs have been a large part of the consumer culture since the early 20^th Century. We’re used to finding these ‘mini-magazines’ in the mail, and keeping those that are inspiring and useful, while tossing others into the trash bin. Catalogs give shoppers a chance to get a dose of a brand’s identity and a good look at a company’s product offerings. In a way, I think some consider them the next best thing to shopping in a store.

Today’s e-commerce-only brands owe a lot to the catalog sector. Catalog businesses like LL Bean and Lands’ End made consumers comfortable with the concept of shopping outside of stores and with the sense of risk inherent in making a purchase without trying something on.

One catalog business I’ve watched over the years is Spiegel. They’ve had their ups and downs in the past decade due to changes in ownership, but according to a few websites, were pulling in roughly $250m in 2007 across their various sales channels.

Joseph Spiegel, who immigrated to Chicago from German in 1848, founded Spiegel in 1905. He’d opened a home furnishings company in 1865, which merged with another home furnishings company in 1903. He and his son Arthur Siegel’s foray into the mail-order business proved instantly successful; in 1906, sales were $1m. They employed 300 people in their West 35^th St. offices by 1910, and by the 1920s, boasted sales of $24m. Business faltered slightly during the Depression and WWII, but the Siegels were able to keep the company in business by offering discounts and flexible pay plans to their customers. They tried opening a few stores, but closed them after a few years in business in 1953. By the late 1950s, sales reached $400m.

Spiegel Catalog 1966

Eventually, the company was purchased in 1982 by Otto-Versand, a German catalog company, who took Spiegel public in 1987. Spiegel continued to operate in and outside of Chicago. The 1990s proved to be the height of the Spiegel business. The company mailed 340 million catalogs per year, with sales of $3 billion. They also operated 350 Eddie Bauer stores, a company that they’d acquired in 1988.

Spiegel Ad Mirabella January 1994

In 2003, after sales had fallen 50%, Spiegel Inc. filed for bankruptcy. This began a downward spiral of corporate sales. Following the filing, the Spiegel catalog businesses were sold to private equity funds Golden Gate Capital and Pangaea Holdings Ltd, who in turn sold the Eddie Bauer business. Spiegel was re-named in 2004 as Spiegel Brands, bringing fellow catalog business Newport News under their umbrella. In 2008, the company was sold again to Granite Creek Partners, and sold yet again in 2008 to financier Lynn Tilton’s Patriarch Partners private equity fund, but recently filed again for Chapter 11. Seems there were quite a few problems with cash flow and logistics; financial entities often don’t know how best to run retail businesses. Incredibly, despite the turn of events, Spiegel continues to run and operate out of New York City. This year, they partnered with Project Runway alum Christian Siriano on a new line. Spiegel is the type of brand that looks ripe for re-branding and re-design; I think it could have a comeback.

Christian Siriano Spiegel Partnership 2011

Norma Kamali Spiegel Collaboration 2006

Spiegel's Current Look

Sources: Encyclopedia of Chicago, New York Times May 25, 2004, Wikipedia,  Bankruptcy News and Analysis July 27, 2011

Influential Images: Borgana and Dynel Faux Fur

Borgana Ad, Vogue, August 15, 1950

The temperatures finally dropped today and from what I’ve read on Twitter, many New Yorkers have pulled out their fur and cashmere already. I’d prefer to wait until a true cold stretch to pull out my heavier pieces, but I know many people like a drastic change in wardrobe. I have very little real fur in my closet; I’m an animal lover and am planning to buy a faux fur piece or two this fall.

There’s not much in the way of information about the history of faux furs but I did read that they were introduced to the market in 1929. For the earlier half of the 20th Century, a mink coat was a prized possession in a woman’s wardrobe. Faux fur manufacturers presumedly saw a void market, and created ‘the look for less’.

Borgana was a faux fur produced by the Borg Textile Group. Also little to be found about the origins of the textile or the manufacturer, sadly. One reference says that Borg Textile Group was located in Rossville, GA and WWD reported that they later moved to Tennessee in the 1990s. Other references differ in terms of the origin of Borgana. According to this account of a box belonging to the Albrechts of St. Paul Minnesota, the synthetic textile was first manufactured by their family. The Albrechts arrived to Minnesota from Germany in 1855, and had been furriers since 1725. They developed wholesale and retail fur businesses under various company names. I think they were predominantly known as Albrecht Furs. This document also says that Borgana’s trade name was Boralba.

Dynel Faux Fur Ad, Vogue, August 15, 1950

Dynel was another faux fur textile. First introduced by the Union Carbide Corporation, Dynel is a synthetic fiber that is typically used in plastics. Today, it seems to be used more as a coating of marine decks, but historically it was used for faux fur coats and wigs. This particular coat was produced by Burlington Industries of Greensboro, NC, a company that still exists and is currently owned by the International Textile Group.

If anyone has an additional information about the history of faux fur textiles, I’d love to hear!

Influential Images: London Fog Raincoats

London Fog 1966

With the possibility of a hurricane on the way, I thought that posting this famous London Fog ad from 1966, which replicated Noah’s Ark,  seemed timely. I’m not sure even a weatherproof trench will protect anyone if the storm really does arrive to the East Coast on Sunday.

London Fog 1967

In 1923, a 16 year old named Israel “Izzy” Myers, a former stenographer and state champion in shorthand, switched jobs and began working at the Londontown Clothing Company in Baltimore, Maryland. The company, which became Londontown Clothes in 1927, was known for menswear and outerwear. When Londontown Clothes closed during the Great Depression, Myers saw an opportunity and purchased the company name and property. He opened Londontown Manufacturing and began to produce his own menswear.

During WWII, along with many other American apparel manufacturers, Londontown Manufacturing was given a military contract and asked to produce 10,000 raincoats for U.S. soldiers. This large order sustained the company’s growth, and catapulted them into the 1950s, when they began to sell military-style trenches to stores like Sears and J.C. Penney.

In 1951, Myers began to think waterproof fabric was the key to Londontown’s future. He began to blend Dacron with the cotton in his coats, and eventually partnered with DuPont to create an entirely waterproof fabric. The men’s London Fog Maincoat, introduced in 1954, was the first of its kind to have a removable liner. The all-weather, sleek silhouetted coat was a runaway hit. It sold out at Wanamaker’s Department Store in Philadelphia, where it was first sold, and at Saks Fifth Avenue. The London Fog Maincoat retailed for $29.95. Londontown continued to innovate in terms of design features, and patented a button-strengthening process and a coat liner.

The launch of the women’s London Fog Maincoat cemented the company’s success. In 1961, Londontown Manufacturing went public. In 1969, Izzy’s son Jonathan took over the company’s reins, and gave the brand a refresh. He created additional fashion categories outside of rainwear, including luggage, children’s wear, eyewear and apparel. He began producing a lower-priced rainwear line called Clipper Mist. He also advertised the London Fog coats on television. It was a first for a clothing manufacturer; traditionally all apparel ads were co-ops with major retailers. Jonathan stayed with the company as CEO, and eventually as Chairman Emeritus, until 1990.

London Fog 1964

London Fog 1968

London Fog 1968

By the 1970s, two-thirds of all raincoats sold in the U.S. were London Fog, leading the SEC to take a look at whether or not the company was monopolizing the market. During that decade, Jonathan opened London Fog retail stores before selling Londontown to Interco (who owned Florsheim) in 1976. He and his brother-in-law stayed on and continued to oversee the company’s day-to-day operations.

The 1980s were a more tumultuous era for Londontown. Interco was forced into bankruptcy, and the company was shuffled back and forth between various financial entities. This has been the case for so many family businesses in manufacturing; once the company is sold, it’s in the hands of people who might mismanage it or might not care as much as the original owners did about the soul of the brand. It’s unclear from research who ran these Stefanie Powers commercials for London Fog, but they are cited as “wildly successful”. *Update! My good friend Hardy just let me know that his father, the amazing fashion photographer William Helburn, shot this commercial. Hardy was there and remembers Ms. Powers as being very kind.*

In the 1990s, the owners of the brand expanded into Europe and opened 25 stores in China. An early adopter, I’d say. Iconix Brand Group bought London Fog in 2006, and the company still resides there today.

Although London Fog’s current ad campaigns feature sexy images of celebrities in raincoats, the most memorable cultural mention of the brand for many people was on TV’s Mad Men in 2009. In the show, adman Don Draper gives new life to what’s described as a fuddy-duddy brand with his racy concept for the “Limit Your Exposure” ad campaign:

Mad Men's "Limit Your Exposure" Ad Campaign for London Fog

London Fog’s real adman of the 1960s, Richard Gilbert, of Gilbert Advertising, has argued that the brand was inaccurately portrayed, and that London Fog was not a washed-up company in need of such dramatically provocative advertising.

Sources:

All About London Fog

London Fog History

Israel Myers Is Dead at 93; Originated London Fog Coat

Trench Coat Man’s Bogey heirs owe it all to clothier Izzy Myers

Real London Fog Adman Not Happy About ‘Mad Men’

Influential Images: Bill and Hazel Haire

Bill and Hazel Haire, shot by Barbra Walz for The Fashion Makers

Leafing through Barbra Walz and Bernadette Morris’ The Fashion Makers again, I ran across a fashion couple whose names I’d never before heard. It still blows my mind how many manufacturers and designers have come and gone in American fashion. Certain names, for one reason or another, stand the test of time, while others fade.

According to the book, Bill and Hazel Haire were high school sweethearts from Queens who both received scholarships to FIT and married after graduation in 1956. Hazel worked at B.H. Wragge, “an elegant sportswear house” that had been founded by Bernard H. Wragge in 1920. She also spent time at Anne Klein.

Bill’s designs, by description, sounded more outrageous. He worked in bridal, cocktail and eveningwear, and then spent 14 years (1959-1973) at Victorial Royal, a dressmaking company, that I think may still be in existence. At Victoria Royal, Bill’s beaded evening designs were sewn overseas in Hong Kong, the “last place where it was economical to produce hand-beaded numbers.” So outsourcing had begun to take place in 1977, when the book was published.

Bill Haire, shot by Barbra Walz for The Fashion Makers

Hazel, who was an accomplished painter, began working for Henry Fredericks, an outerwear brand that wanted a new look. Soon after, Bill joined her at the company. By their own accounts, it seemed that they had fantastic creative and business synergy. Hazel left the company to begin her own brand, but it soon sadly failed.

According to Bill’s obituary in the New York Times, he had taught at FIT since his time as a student there. He and Hazel separated in 1981, although they continued to work together. He founded his own company, Bill Haire Ltd. in 1981, and had “instant but short-lived success” with it; he closed the business in 1985, after being nominated for a Coty Award in 1983.

Bill Haire Ltd., Ebony 1982

While their legacy isn’t as enduring as Beene’s, or Blass’, or Halston’s, the Haires should be remembered as a dynamic, elegant fashion power couple who drew on each other’s artistic and technical talents to propel themselves through their impressive careers.

Influential Images: Vogue June 2011

Vogue June 2011 shot by Craig McDean

Vogue June 2011 shot by Craig McDean

I’m in Maine for a long weekend with my husband. We’re planning to spend time hiking, eating by the ocean, shopping for antiques and generally enjoying summer in New England. I tore out this editorial about traveling in Maine from Vogue’s June 2011 issue. I loved the preppy and nautical images featuring supermodel Arizona Muse shot by Craig McDean. These are my two favorites, but here’s a link to the full shoot and the accompanying write-up.

Influential Images: Emily Wilkens

An Emily Wilkens design, March 1946

It’s been over two weeks since I last posted, and I’m ready to climb back onto the blogging horse. In the past few weeks, I’ve traveled to England and Scotland with my mom and sister, and have begun to think about an entirely new venture for JG & Co. In the UK, fashion inspiration came from the vividly-colored Indian textiles I saw at the Victoria and Albert Museum, from the bustle skirts and harem pants seen in Much Ado about Nothing at the Globe Theater, from the haberdashery at Liberty of London (photos and an interview to come), and from the cashmere shops in Edinburgh. The cool temperatures there meant less street style, but it’s always interesting to visit new and different places and to look at who is wearing and buying what.

It’s far less chilly back here in NYC and the outfits going down the street on young women are, well, not very elegant in my mind. Today I saw many sheer tops and skirts through which undergarments were intentionally on view, 40s-inspired high waisted silk shorts that might have looked good on the boardwalk at one point but don’t hold up in the boardroom, and sky high booties and shooties that I assume must be a sweltering choice in this summer heat. These get-ups leave me wondering what happened to dress codes. I’ve always been a relatively modest dresser, but I can’t remember a summer in which I’ve seen so much skin.

One woman who might have had a hand in the current fashion youthquake was a designer named Emily Wilkens. I first read about her in Sandra Ley’s book, Fashion is For Everyone: The story of Ready-To-Wear (Charles Scribner and Sons, 1975):

Another innovation in the American garment industry during the first part of the 1940s was the introduction of “junior” clothes. This was actually a size category, meant for the young, thin woman whose figure was more short-waisted than that of the established norm. These were the first clothes designed specifically for girls in their late teens and early twenties. For the first time high-school and college-aged women were demanding clothes that were not just a scaled-down version of their mother’s clothes.

The designer most closely associated with his new market was Emily Wilkens who started her career as an advertising illustrator , doing fashion designing on the side. She was asked to go to Hollywood to create some clothes for a child star. She continued to design for the children of the film industry and was soon commissioned to design the costumes for the film Junior Miss. Most of the characters in the movie were teen-aged and after the success of Junior Miss she became known as the designer for teen-agers and young women. Shen then went on to work for ready-to-wear manufacturers, mass-producing and popularizing the junior look.

Designer Emily Wilkens

GlamourSpash wrote a very thorough piece on Emily Wilkens a few years ago, which I’d also suggest you check out. While it was intriguing to learn that Wilkens’ design career was born out of being mistakenly introduced as a children’s designer at a party, it was more impressive still to find that she was truly set on changing the way young women dressed. She honed in on their lifestyles and recognized them as a demographic altogether different in their aesthetic preferences than their mothers. Although many of her designs were characterized as “sweet” and “charming”, Wilkens also created sophisticated black dresses in junior silhouettes.

In the designer’s obituary in the NY Times in 2000, writer Gina Bellafante states that “Wilkens designed clothes for preteen and teenage girls that belied the formality and fussiness apparel makers had tended to force upon them.” I also like the quote from fashion historian Richard Martin, who said of Wilkens, “Long before rock ‘n’ roll and James Dean movies, Emily Wilkens invented the American teenager, pegging her sensibility to young, playful, energetic women.”

Wilkens’ designs no doubt influenced today’s “edgy” and “romantic” contemporary market, and the style trends of young women. I wonder though, if she’d be in favor of the limits to which things have been taken.

Emily Wilkens dress, 1954, illustration by Rene Bouche

Emily Wilkens bouffant dress, 1950

Emily Wilkens dress, 1946

Emily Wilkens illustration