Chapman, Ceil (1912-1979)

Dates

• Existence: 1912-1979

Biography

Ceil Chapman was born Cecilia Mitchell in 1912 on Staten Island. Chapman began designing in the 1930s after meeting Gloria and Thelma Vanderbilt while working as a salesgirl. The three women formed the manufacturing company called Her Ladyship Gowns. The firm folded in 1940 but Chapman landed on her feet, finding work with Sam Chapman, a dress salesmen. The two, who would eventually marry, opened up their own design firm. It was during WWII, when the U.S.A. was cut off from the Parisian fashion industry, that Chapman began earning a name for herself as a party-dress designer. Chapman's designs were the most sought after dresses for proms and debutante balls. The garments usually sold between $50 and $300 (roughly between $500 and $3000 in 2020). The Chapmans divorced in 1951 but the firm remained intact until being dissolved in 1965. After this, Ceil Chapman worked as a designer for Sam Winston. She retired in the mid 1960s but tried to revive her career in 1969, to little success. Ceil Chapman passed away on July 13, 1979 at the age of 67.

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