Parnis, Mollie (1899 March 18-1992)

Person

Dates

Existence: 1899 March 18-1992

Biography

Brooklyn-born ready-to-wear and boutique designer for women’s clothes, Mollie Parnis was born in 1899 as Sara Rosen Parnis to a poor immigrant family. She started working at the age of 8 years old and briefly studied law at Hunter College before beginning her career in fashion. In 1928, Parnis began as a saleswoman in a showroom of a blouse manufacturer, but soon moved on to designing. In 1933, Parnis opened her own business with her husband Leon Livingston. In the 1940s, she launched her own label.

Parnis’s clothes were feminine, accentuating waistlines with full skirts. She became known for her understated, conservative, well-tailored dresses and suits in luxurious looking fabrics. She designed for several first ladies, including Mamie Eisenhower and Betty Ford, and always kept her prices in a moderate range. Parnis stayed in business throughout the 1980s, closing her salon in 1984. She published a book, ‘Fashion: The Inside Story" and started up an at-home business concentrating on loungewear in 1985.

Parnis passed away in 1992.

Found in 62 Collections and/or Records:

Seven-Way Dress - Seven Arts Mollie Parnis, January 1964, 1964

folder

Identifier: SC.214.2.523

Scope and Contents

This folder contains a clipping from the January 29, 1964 New York Journal-American featuring the article "Seven Days in Spring" which features Mollie Parnis's seven-way costume consisting of slip dress, overblouse, and jacket that can be worn in different ways. This folder also contains press releases pertaining to the seven-way dress, 9 pencil sketches, and 6 black and white 8x10 photographs of the different ways it could be worn.

Dates: 1964