Fashion Institute of Technology
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Project of the Fashion Industries Oral History Series: Vera Maxwell Part 3
No full textVera Maxwell was New York City in 1901. She trained as a ballet dancer and joined the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in 1919. In 1924, she married Raymond J. Maxwell and shortly after began her first foray into the fashion world as a model for a wholesale company, eventually starting to sketch, design and model her own clothes in 1929. By 1936 Vera's designs were receiving positive reviews in the fashion press and her freelance collections were receiving attention in New York. She was also designing for 7th Avenue firms such as Adler and Adler, Glenhunt and Max Milstein. Vera opened Vera Maxwell Originals in 1946 and became known for her classic separates and suits, dresses teamed with jackets, print dresses, Chesterfield coats and Wraparound jersey dresses. During the war years, she gained a reputation for her practical sense, which was evident in the one-piece overalls she designed for female factory workers. Her simple lapel-less suits were spare and gave no hint of having been stripped of their decorations, which demonstrated her skill at overcoming the fabric rations of the time. Other innovations Vera became known for were her desire to design for women of short height, or without a model's figure and for women whose jobs took them beyond their desks. In 1974, she designed a "speedsuit" made of jersey with an elasticized waist, which could be pulled on in just 17 seconds. Vera closed her business in 1985, eventually passing away in January 1995."Vera Maxwell was a designer of American Classics. She started in the coat business. Nancy White, then working at Home and Garden, asked her to do children's coats for the magazine, which she did. She later got into women's fashion. “Vera’s a designer who understands women and understands their needs. There is a timelessness about her clothes, as we know, and thank heaven there is.”" - Kathy TankusThird interview in a series of three of Vera Maxwell, possibly conducted by John Touhey
FIT Talks: Lawrence Abrams Interview about Norman Norell
No full textApril Calahan interviews Lawrence Abrams about Norman NorellNorman Norell was born in April 1900. He first attended Parsons but transferred to Pratt a year later. Norell entered a blouse design contest while at Pratt and won first prize. In 1922, he designed for Brooks Costumes in NYC. He moved to Paramount studios, which was then in Astoria, Queens, and created costumes for Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. Next, Norell costumed shows for the Ziegfeld Follies. His first credited designs were costumes for a show at the Cotton Club in Harlem. In 1924, he was hired by Charles Armour and designed under that label for three years. In 1927, he was hired by Hattie Carnagie to design under her brand. Carnagie would purchase roughly Parisian Couture garments a year and bring them back to study the construction and style. This is how Norell learned couture construction. In 1940, he and Carnagie got in an argument about a design for Gertrude Lawrence which ended in him getting fired. In 1941, he was hired by Anthony Trainer. Trainer gave him the option of higher pay or Norell's name on the label. Norell chose to have his name on the label. Norell learned mass production techniques at Trainer. This lead to a fusion of ready-to-wear and couture that Norell was known for. Norerell won the first COTY Award in 1943. In 1960, Anthony Trainer retired, giving Norell full control of the designs. He continued to design until 1972 when he passed away, at the age of 72
Hue Live: Dayna Isom Johnson
No full textHue is the official magazine of the Fashion Institute of Technology, a State University of New York college of art and design, business and technology, and Liberal Arts. Join HUE Magazine's, Alexander Joseph, for a conversation with Dayna Isom Johnson: Judge and Etsy trend expert on NBC's new series, Making It
Faces and Places in Fashion: Seth Morris
No full textPart presentation, part Q&A, FIT's "Faces & Places in Fashion" lecture series is an opportunity to connect students and the public alike to the pulse of the fashion industry in an open and conversational setting.Seth Morris describes his career in the intimate apparel business and his role in Carole Hochman Design Group, which licenses to several lingerie and sleepwear collections including Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Jockey and Betsey Johnson
Faces and Places in Fashion: Patrick Adent and Elka Dilworth
No full textPart presentation, part Q&A, FIT's "Faces & Places in Fashion" lecture series is an opportunity to connect students and the public alike to the pulse of the fashion industry in an open and conversational setting.Patrick Adent, Loro Piana's Sr. VP for Wholesale Sales and Elka Dilworth, senior creative designer show a 15-minute video that describes the history of the company, emphasizing its efforts to use only top quality lightweight, soft and pliant cashmere fibers, and illustrates all the steps in producing a luxury product in a vertically integrated enterprise. Before taking questions from the audience they also show examples of their cashmere products
Faces and Places in Fashion: Hilton Hollis
No full textPart presentation, part Q&A, FIT's "Faces & Places in Fashion" lecture series is an opportunity to connect students and the public alike to the pulse of the fashion industry in an open and conversational setting.Hollis describes his career as a fashion designer after graduating from FIT in 1999, and his success as CEO of Hilton Hollis International. He emphasizes the value of his FIT education, and his early years of designing for the bridge market. His career advice includes the need for being aggressive, seeking out contacts, trusting oneself, taking risks, and experimenting with different marketing approaches
Faces and Places in Fashion: Annette Green
No full textPart presentation, part Q&A, FIT's "Faces & Places in Fashion" lecture series is an opportunity to connect students and the public alike to the pulse of the fashion industry in an open and conversational setting.Annette Green, president emerita of the non-profit Fragrance Foundation 1994-1996, describes the development of the American fragrance industry after World War II, and explains how fragrance reflects and drives changes in society. Ms. Green shows a short video: Sex, Sense and Cinema, hosted by Rex Reed that illustrates the role of fragrance in motion pictures
Faces and Places in Fashion: Fashion Service Network
No full textPart presentation, part Q&A, FIT's "Faces & Places in Fashion" lecture series is an opportunity to connect students and the public alike to the pulse of the fashion industry in an open and conversational setting.Michael Stanley moderates a panel of representatives from the Fashion Service Network: Stuart Kagel COO of 24 Seven Inc.; Andrew Jassin, founder of Jassin-O'Rourke Group, LLP; Cathleen Sheehan, president of ESP Trendlab. After introducing themselves and describing their backgrounds, the panelists discuss how Fashion Service Network assists fashion companies seeking to expand, strengthen, and energize their business with design, commercialization, distribution, merchandising of fashion goods
Faces and Places in Fashion: Teri Agins
No full textPart presentation, part Q&A, FIT's "Faces & Places in Fashion" lecture series is an opportunity to connect students and the public alike to the pulse of the fashion industry in an open and conversational setting.Teri Agins, senior writer for the Wall Street Journal describes how the Internet, globalization, television and the economic slowdown have directed the trajectory of fashion design and trends. Using anecdotes and observations, she suggests that new trends will become more of a ground-up and viral phenomenon than something dictated by large commercial concerns
Faces and Places in Fashion: Andrew Rosen
No full textPart presentation, part Q&A, FIT's "Faces & Places in Fashion" lecture series is an opportunity to connect students and the public alike to the pulse of the fashion industry in an open and conversational setting.Founder and president of the design company and retail operation Theory, Inc., Andrew Rosen describes his early years working with Calvin Klein before starting Theory, Inc. in 1997, and then explains the philosophy of his company