Mary McFadden Couture Plisse Pleated Evening Dress
View Similar Items
Mary McFadden Couture Plisse Pleated Evening Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 53 in (134.62 cm)Marked Size: 4 (US)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 28 in (71.12 cm)Hip: 38 in (96.52 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Cloverdale, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU582128303
Mary McFadden
Less could have been expected from a well-bred society girl like Mary McFadden, who stepped out of the safe confines of the haut monde to create iconic designs for evening dresses, jackets, skirts and other items inspired by ancient and ethnic cultures and traditions. Fashion, in fact, was not initially on her agenda.
“I fell into it backwards,” she told the New York Times in 1979.
Born in New York but raised on a cotton plantation in Memphis, Tennessee, McFadden spent a few months at the Traphagen School of Fashion in 1956 and moved on to study sociology and anthropology at Columbia University. Afterward, she spent a short period of time in public relations at Christian Dior during the early 1960s, but she was unsure exactly what would lie ahead for her. McFadden decided to relocate to South Africa with her first husband, who oversaw production of the De Beers mines. While there, she began to design her own clothing — tunics that featured African prints, made of silk she’d found in Madagascar — because she couldn’t find anything that suited her.
In 1970, following two divorces, McFadden returned to her native New York City and was offered a job as an editor at Vogue magazine. Her colleagues admired the sophisticated garments she made in South Africa and had been wearing to work, and the magazine staffers pleaded to feature her designs, which meant she’d need to go into business in order to make them available to readers. So, in 1973, McFadden took the jump, soon becoming known for refreshing kimono-shaped jackets and richly colored pleated dresses that evoke the freedom of a Greek chiton — a far cry from the dull routine office attire for working women at the time. A collection of jewelry followed, and in 1977, McFadden patented her “marii” fabric, a pleated synthetic charmeuse that fell “like liquid gold on the body, like Chinese silk.”
In 1976, McFadden won her first Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award, and a few years later, she entered the Coty Award Hall of Fame. While her business shuttered in the early 2000s, the beloved designer’s timeless styles endure.
Shop vintage Mary McFadden day dresses, accessories and jewelry on 1stDibs today.
- Mariano Fortuny Amethyst Delphos GownBy FortunyLocated in Riverdale, NYThis dress is made of finely pleated amythest colored silk with silk cording along side seams, and multicolored glass beads threaded through the cording. Named after a Greek cla...Category
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Delphos Gowns
Price Upon Request - Ralph Lauren Collection Purple Label Pink Ascot Dress & Jacket S/S 2008 Sz 4By Ralph Lauren Purple LabelLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLRalph Lauren Purple Label - Flirty pink and black dress with matching jacket. This dress was featured on the Spring/Summer 2008 40th Anniversary ...Category
Early 2000s American Informal Dresses
- Ralph Lauren Collection Purple Label Silk Nautical Evening Gown S/S 2016 Size 2By Ralph Lauren Purple LabelLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLRalph Lauren Purple Label - Full length nautical evening gown with voluminous sheer fabric panels. This vibrant gown has a strapless pleated bodice and built in corset with a zipper...Category
2010s American Evening Dresses
- 19c. Indian Tribal Violet Silk DressLocated in Sharon, CTHand woven violet silk dress with gold braid appliqué decoration on hem and sleeve cuffs. Fully lined in cotton and fine linen. Length of sleeve 20.5", shoulder to shoulder lenghth ...Category
19th Century Indian Wedding Dresses
- Alexander McQueen Resort 2010 Red Blue Geometric Stripe Op Art Long Sleeve DressBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Chicago, ILDesigned by Alexander McQueen for the Resort 2010 collection, Look #2. This stunning knit sheath dress features an op art style graphic design of contrasting red and blue lines; figu...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses
- Christian Dior 1980s Metallic Purple Long Sleeve GownBy Christian DiorLocated in Scottsdale, AZIndulge in opulence with our Christian Dior 1980s Metallic Purple Long Sleeve Gown—a floor-length masterpiece that encapsulates the essence of timel...Category
1980s French Evening Gowns