Volume 16: Women's wear, plus high society clients, Fall 1953 - Spring 1954

Item — folio: 16

Scope and Contents

Volume 16 includes coverage of Mainbocher's Fall/Winter 1953 and Spring/Summer 1954 collections. In the fall, newspaper headlines were dominated by his "shunning [of] extremes" in fashion, while for spring he was recognized for two big innovations in his pairings of fabrics: tweed with polka dots and gingham under lace. This volume also contains miscellaneous coverage of his designs for high society women such as Mary Frances Griffin and Mrs. William Paley; coverage of the top ten best dressed women, several of whom were Mainbocher clients; articles on his designs for theatre; and articles that quote the designer on his thoughts about Christian Dior's latest silhouette. Loose items include a printed document dated September 17, 1953 with large photographs of the fashions from his fall collection, and a program from the Versailles Ball, which lists Mainbocher as serving on the men's committee.

Description by Ashley-Paige Frankel

Dates

Creation: Fall 1953 - Spring 1954

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

The language of the scrapbook contents is primarily English, however, articles in Spanish, Dutch and Hebrew appear in several of the volumes.

Conditions Governing Access

Access is open to researchers by appointment at the Fashion Institute of Technology Library, Department of Special Collections and FIT Archive. If you wish to schedule an appointment to view this material or have any questions, visit our website.

NOTE: Photocopied reproductions of the scrapbooks should be provided for research instead of originals for preservation reasons.