Mary Ann Restivo collection
Scope and Contents
This collection holds original color and black and white sketches with swatches created as school projects for children's wear (1959-1961), color sketches entitled "Inspiration: L'Objets d'Art", work sketches of women's wear (ca. 1966); and a preliminary sketch for an FIT project term garment. Also included is a photograph of Restivo, 14 fashion photographs for Genre (c. 1972), and photographs of designs, as well as press releases, and magazine and news clippings, 1980's print ads,1990 print ads, bound collections of ads from 1986-1990, and loose, over-size print ads. There is also a collection of sketches dating from 1976 by Harvey McLemore of designs by Restivo that were transferred from the FIT Museum to the library as well as sketches by Restivo accompanied by swatches, and photographs (b & w), press releases, clippings from 1964, 1972, 1984.
Dates
- Creation: 1959-1991
Creator
- Restivo, Mary Ann (1940 -) (Person)
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.
Conditions Governing Use
The Department of Special Collections and FIT Archive does not own copyright for all material held in its physical custody. It is the researcher's obligation to abide by and satisfy copyright law (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#108) when copying or using materials (including digital materials) found in or made available from the department. When possible, the department will inform a researcher about the copyright status of material, the researcher's obligations with regard to such material, and, wherever possible, the owner or owners of the copyrights. Any and all reproduction of originals is at the archivist's discretion.
Biographical / Historical
Mary Ann Restivo was born in South Orange, NJ in 1940. She attended the College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, New Jersey, from 1958 to 1960, studying retailing. Right after graduating, she studied design at FIT, graduating in 1961. Her first job out of college was at Abby Michael junior sportswear house in New York. She moved between different firms from 1962 to 1974 before being hired as Dior's head designer of the women's blouse division. Restivo stayed with Dior until 1980, when she started her own company, Mary Ann Restivo, Inc. The brand focused on contemporary sportswear. In 1988 she sold the brand to Leslie Fay Corporation, but stayed on under their new "Mary Ann Restivo" division as head designer. That division closed in 1992. After that, she became an independent design consultant for high-end clients. She returned to design in 2002 with an accessories line. In 1973, restivo was awarded the Mortimer C. Ritter award, from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Full Extent
1 placeholder
Language of Materials
Undetermined
Existence and Location of Originals
The Library of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Department of Special Collections and FIT Archive, 27th St. at 7th Ave., NY, NY , USA, 10003
General
Mary Ann Restivo was born in South Orange, NJ in 1940. She attended the College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, New Jersey, from 1958 to 1960, studying retailing. Right after graduating, she studied design at FIT, graduating in 1961. Her first job out of college was at Abby Michael junior sportswear house in New York. She moved between different firms from 1962 to 1974 before being hired as Dior's head designer of the women's blouse division. Restivo stayed with Dior until 1980, when she started her own company, Mary Ann Restivo, Inc. The brand focused on contemporary sportswear. In 1988 she sold the brand to Leslie Fay Corporation, but stayed on under their new "Mary Ann Restivo" division as head designer. That division closed in 1992. After that, she became an independent design consultant for high-end clients. She returned to design in 2002 with an accessories line. In 1973, restivo was awarded the Mortimer C. Ritter award, from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
General
Published
General
Minimal
General
Shell record
- Title
- Mary Ann Restivo collection
- Date
- 2025-06-11
- Description rules
- Dacs; Isad(g); Lo C
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and FIT Archive Repository