Libby Payne collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of five series containing the sketches, press clippings, and printed advertisements pertaining to the career of the designer Libby Payne from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Dates
- Creation: 1930-1979
Creator
- Payne, Elizabeth (1917-1997) (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
"The history of American ready-to-wear (RTW) is filled with unknown fashion designers who worked "behind the scenes" for manufacturers. This was especially true in the mid-20th century between the advent of manufactured women's clothing and the rise of the celebrity fashion designer. In downtown department stores and boutiques all over the country, consumers purchased moderately-price styles created by names that never appeared on a label. One of these was Elizabeth "Libby" Miller Payne (1917-1997), a prolific designer whose career spanned fifty years in the New York ready-to-wear industry.
Libby Payne designed hundreds of garments for "Mrs. Main Street America" under well-recognized moderate price-point labels such as Bobbie Brooks, Jonathan Logan, Beau Baker, David Warren, and John Henry. Libby's designs "sold like hotcakes." One of Libby's most successful, Bobbie Brooks Style #862, sold 100,000 in its first two months on the market."
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, 10001
General
"The history of American ready-to-wear (RTW) is filled with unknown fashion designers who worked "behind the scenes" for manufacturers. This was especially true in the mid-20th century between the advent of manufactured women's clothing and the rise of the celebrity fashion designer. In downtown department stores and boutiques all over the country, consumers purchased moderately-price styles created by names that never appeared on a label. One of these was Elizabeth "Libby" Miller Payne (1917-1997), a prolific designer whose career spanned fifty years in the New York ready-to-wear industry.
Libby Payne designed hundreds of garments for "Mrs. Main Street America" under well-recognized moderate price-point labels such as Bobbie Brooks, Jonathan Logan, Beau Baker, David Warren, and John Henry. Libby's designs "sold like hotcakes." One of Libby's most successful, Bobbie Brooks Style #862, sold 100,000 in its first two months on the market."
General
Published
General
Minimal
General
Shell record
- Title
- Libby Payne collection
- Date
- 2025-06-25
- 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