Mary McFadden Couture Vintage Navy One shoulder Gown
View Similar Items
Mary McFadden Couture Vintage Navy One shoulder Gown
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU245959882
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.
- Chrisitan Dior by John Galliano Spring 2000 dressBy John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in Brooklyn, NYChristian Dior by John Galliano distressed knit blue and silver dress from Spring Summer 2000 collection as seen on the runway. The dress has a lining that can be removed for a more ...Category
Early 2000s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 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 - Versace colour block runway gown, FW 1997By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBMy Runway Archive presents this very rare runway gown from the Versace FW 1997 collection in the signature Versace colour block. Material: Viscose, nylon, silk...Category
1990s European Evening Dresses
$1,329 Sale Price20% Off - Bill Blass for Amen Wardy, 1984 One Shoulder Bow DressBy Amen WardyLocated in Los Angeles, CAPlayful and chic! This dress will make you feel like a celebrity. A 1984 Bill Blass for Amen Wardy gown, It brings the drama with its striking colors and its statement shoulder. S...Category
Late 20th Century Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace studded evening dress, c. 1990sBy Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBA Gianni Versace studded silk jersey evening dress from the 1990s. It 42 - Fr 38Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Christian Dior by John Galliano fuchsia silk bias cut evening dress, fw 1999By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior fuchsia silk one shoulder evening dress ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Cowl neckline ▪ Spaghetti strap and short sleeve ▪ Fabric covered buttons at side seam ▪ Antique brass bead embellishment and gold thread embroidery...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns