Vera Maxwell interview, 1983 September 21 and October 11

Vera Maxwell (1901-1995) was an American fashion designer. A native of the Bronx, New York, of Viennese parents, Maxwell spent part of her childhood in Vienna. She attended Leonia High School in New Jersey. Then she studied ballet in New York and joined the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in 1919. With a dream of being a dancer, Vera Maxwell arrived in the fashion world through the back door. Working first as a showroom model at B. Altman and other New York City stores, she then became interested in the actual construction of the clothes. Around 1929, Maxwell began sketching for the fashion houses she modeled for. She states that her first “real” design job was with Adler & Adler, where she worked from 1936-1937 and afterwards, found contract work to be very advantageous. Her classic, comfortable, and timeless designs continued to garner praise and in 1947 she founded her own company under her own name, Vera Maxwell Originals. Her career outlasted that of her contemporaries, as she did not stop designing until 1985.



Maxwell was a sportswoman and designed sport clothing all through her career. However, she was most famous for her suits and topcoats, worn for both the city and the country and characterized by excellent tailoring, choice fabrics, beautiful colors, and pragmatism. Her designs were created in a range of sizes, generally going up to a size 18 or 20 at a time when it was unusual for a designer to design clothes above a size 8. Influences on Maxwell's designs came from many sources. One of her early memories was of a visit to Vienna with her father, an aidede-camp to the Emperor Franz Joseph, where she was impressed with the beautifully dressed military officers. Chanel was also an important influence. Long considered a classicist by the industry, Maxwell's clothes were usually described as "handsome, interesting, and eminently wearable," according to a New York Times article from November 1964. In 1960, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of her entry into the fashion business, Maxwell pulled together her favorite designs of the past and discovered she had trouble identifying them by year, an indication of the constancy of her work.



In 1935 Maxwell visited Albert Einstein and was inspired by his Harris tweed jacket which she adapted and paired with a gray flannel skirt and pants, giving an important boost to the concept of separates and what she called the "weekend wardrobe." During the 1940s she designed a coverall, which she considered the first jumpsuit for the women doing war work at the Sperry Gyroscope Corporation. In 1951 she was honored with a Coty Special award for coats and suits. Maxwell met Grace Kelly in 1955 when they were both received Neiman Marcus Fashion Awards and she frequently visited the Royal Family in Monaco. In 1970 she was given a retrospective at the Smithsonian Institution and in 1980 with an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. Maxwell retired in 1985 and closed her company. She returned in 1986 with one final collection designed for Peter Lynne before permanently retiring. Maxwell spent her final years with her son and daughter-in-law. She split her time between Gilgo Beach, Long Island and Rincon, Puerto Rico. Maxwell died on January 15, 1995 at age 93.

"Mildred Finger Haines ... helped shape fashion tastes for four decades as a top buyer for department stores and a consultant to clothes makers and retailers.... From the late 1940's through the late 1960's, Mrs. Haines, known throughout her career as Mildred Finger, was a buyer of ready-to-wear at Macy's, Ohrbach's and Bergdorf Goodman, and was one of New York City's most often cited taste makers. At Bergdorf's, in particular, she was noted for bringing European styles to American consumers. She later became Vice President of Charles of the Ritz, headed fashion merchandising for Yves St. Laurent and became an independent consultant, with clients like the Limited and Arthur D. Little. Suffering from multiple sclerosis, she retired in 1986. In succeeding years, she frequently contributed her knowledge of the fashion industry to the oral history projects of the American Jewish Committee and the Fashion Institute of Technology...." New York Times Obituary, 1995

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