Beth Levine interview, 1982 October 28, 1982 October 28
Scope and Contents
The Oral History Project of the Fashion Industries began informally in the late 1970s, and was officially funded by a grant from the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries beginning in 1981. The project was guided by an industry advisory committee chaired by Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., and was largely guided by then director of the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT, John Touhey.
Dates
- Creation: 1982 October 28
Creator
- Levine, Beth, 1914-2006 (1914-2006) (Person)
Language of Materials
English Latin
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 have any questions, or wish to schedule an appointment contact us at [email protected] or call (212) 217-4385.
The contents of this collection are also available to the public via our Archive on Demand repository: https://archiveondemand.fitnyc.edu/items/browse?collection=22
Biographical / Historical
Herbert (1916 - 1991) and Beth Levine (1914 - 2006) founded the Herbert Levine company in 1948. Their company, which sold high-end women's shoes made in New York, was one of the leading footwear design firms in the country. Their designs were worn by many celebrities including Jacqueline Kennedy and Liza Minnelli. Nancy Sinatra wore Herbert Levine white stiletto boots while singing about them in the mid-1960s. These boots, which were made for walking, started the Go-Go boot trend of the 60s. In 1964, Barbra Streisand wore Levine shoes during the run of her show "Funny Girl" on Broadway. In addition to the stage, Herbert Levine shoes were produced to be worn during fashion shows for designers like Halston and Pauline Trigère. The company folded in 1975. A year later, the Metropolitan Museum dedicated an exhibition to their designs. After closing their firm, the couple acted as consultants in the shoe industry in New York. The couple won two Coty Awards (1967 and 1973) and a Neiman Marcus Award (1954).
Full Extent
From the Sub-Group: 1 placeholder
Physical Description
Original media: 1 audio cassette
General
Herbert (1916 - 1991) and Beth Levine (1914 - 2006) founded the Herbert Levine company in 1948. Their company, which sold high-end women's shoes made in New York, was one of the leading footwear design firms in the country. Their designs were worn by many celebrities including Jacqueline Kennedy and Liza Minnelli. Nancy Sinatra wore Herbert Levine white stiletto boots while singing about them in the mid-1960s. These boots, which were made for walking, started the Go-Go boot trend of the 60s. In 1964, Barbra Streisand wore Levine shoes during the run of her show "Funny Girl" on Broadway. In addition to the stage, Herbert Levine shoes were produced to be worn during fashion shows for designers like Halston and Pauline Trigère. The company folded in 1975. A year later, the Metropolitan Museum dedicated an exhibition to their designs. After closing their firm, the couple acted as consultants in the shoe industry in New York. The couple won two Coty Awards (1967 and 1973) and a Neiman Marcus Award (1954).
General
Published
Processing Information
1997 January 21 - a note on the interview process sheet indicates that the subject requested the removal of the tape and transcripts be removed form the FIT library. The original copy of the tape was given to subject (Beth Levine).
2015 January 26 - FIT General Councel Stephen Tuttle suggested that "...no action should be taken other than to mark the transcript with some notation that the rights to the same are under review."
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and FIT Archive Repository