Mary McFadden. Date completed: Spring 2011. Brief: 20th Century Fashion Designers - Presentation. In this two part assignment, we were asked to pick two fashion designers and create a Powerpoint on each. Presentations must tell their story - their biography, design aesthetic, achievements, etc. My first designer: Mary McFadden.

1. Mary McFadden
American Fashion Designer & Writer
High Priestess of High Fashion

2. Biography
 Born: October 1, 1938, New York City to cotton
broker Alexander Bloomfield McFadden and socialite
/ concert pianist Mary Josephine Cutting.
 Education: L’ecole Lubec (1955-56); Sorbonne,
Paris (1956-57); Traphagen School of Design (1956);
Columbia University (1958-60); New School for Social
Research (1958-60).
 Family: Married Philip Harari in 1964 (divorced in
1965); married Frank McEwan in 1968 (divorced in
1970); married Armin Schmidt in 1981 (divorced);
married Kohle Yohannan in 1989 (divorced in 1992).

3. Career
o Director of Public Relations, Dior. New York, 1962-64.
o Merchandising Editor, Vogue. South Africa, 1964-65.
o Travel and Political Columnist, Rand Daily Mail. South Africa, 1965-68.
o Founder, Vukutu Sculpture Workshop. Rhodesia, 1968-70.
o Freelance editor for My Fair Lady (Cape Town) and Vogue (Paris). 1968-70.
o Special Projects Editor, Vogue. New York, 1970.
o Freelance fashion and jewelry designer. New York, 1973.
o Marii Pleated Fabric patented. 1975.
o President, Mary McFadden Inc. 1976.
o Home furnishings line introduced. 1978.
o Lower priced line manufactured by Jack Mulqueen. 1980.
o Mary McFadden Knitwear Company launched .1981.
o Costume Designer for Indian Film Zooni. 1993.
o Launched Mary McFadden Studio. 1995.
o Began designing neckwear. 1999.
o Mary McFadden Collection debuts. 2001.

4. 1980s Mary McFadden Fortuny
Pleated Silk Dress.
Her Aesthetic:
o Lavish fabrics.
 Hand-printed silks.
 Powerful tints and shades.
o Pleated designs resembling Fortuny gowns.
o Consistent McFadden “signatures.”
 Macramé insert.
 Knotted belt.
 Ruffled edge.
o Every collection contains dresses in
striking combinations of black and white.
o Frequent use of neutral skin tones as well.
Design

5. Inspiration
An avid world traveler, Mary McFadden's designs often reflect that influence - simple
shapes and classical form based on ancient costumes from the Near and Far East.
Inspiration from the art and artifacts of:
 Greece
 Byzantium
 South America
 China
 Africa

6. Dalmatic, Italy, 18th century.
Mary McFadden Collection.
Clryrpy (woman’s gown), Tekke
people, 19th century. Mary
McFadden Collection.
Head ornaments, El Yemen,
20th century. Mary McFadden
Collection.
Mary McFadden gowns designed for The World’s Fair in
Hanover, Germany.
Dress from
Collection
Mongolia.
Left: Mary McFadden gown from The Tales
of Genji. Right: Mary McFadden gown from
the Venice Sixteenth Century.

7. Massachusetts College of Art & Design hosts
The Mary McFadden Exhibit:
Goddesses

9. “There were more than thirty garments on display, each inspired by eras
which includes 15th century Florence, 11th century China, the Classical
Period of Greece, Feudal Japan and ancient Egypt to name a few. In most
cases, the garments were made using classical techniques along with a few
techniques that Mary McFadden herself developed.” –Ian L.,
bostonfashionindustry.com

10. Awards
 Coty American Fashion Critics Award, 1976, 1978, 1979.
 Audemars Piquet Fashion Award, 1976.
 Rex Award, 1977.
 Moore College of Art Award, 1977.
 Pennsylvania Governor's Award, 1977.
 Roscoe Award, 1978.
 Presidential Fellows Award, Rhode Island School of Design, 1979.
 Neiman Marcus Award, 1979.
 Doctor of Fine Arts, Miami International Fine Arts College, 1984.
 American Printed Fabrics Council Tommy Award, 1991.

11. Sources
• http://www.massart.edu/Galleries/Featured_Exhibitions/Past_Exhibiti
ons/Mary_McFadden.html
• http://www.answers.com/topic/mary-mcfadden
• http://books.google.com/books?id=oX_D_QZUs7UC&pg=PA23&lpg
=PA23&dq=mary+mcfadden+clothing&source=bl&ots=2kwgdx-
hUJ&sig=M53Is861_84lspVaGPZeNtIFH7Q&hl=en&ei=UbJETf3hJIr
GgAf7uuWXAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0
CE4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=mary%20mcfadden%20clothing&f=f
alse
• http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/designers/mary-mcfadden/
• http://www.bostonfashionindustry.com/marymcfaddenexhibit.html
• http://gregcookland.com/journal/2009/12/02/iris-apfel-mary-
mcfadden/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McFadden