Mary McFadden Embroidered Beaded Plisse Gown
View Similar Items
Mary McFadden Embroidered Beaded Plisse Gown
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Height: 54 in (137.16 cm)Marked Size: 10 (US)
- Style:1980's-1990's (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Altered (not by designer).
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2292212570082
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.
- Elaborately Beaded French FLapper Dress, c.1920sLocated in New York, NYElaborately Beaded French FLapper Dress, c.1920s Indigo knee-length gauze Flapper dress with intricate beading of art deco style motifs in shades of indigo, blue and silver. Featurin...Category
1920s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- LACLEDES Pink Silk Embellished Jacket Size Medium LargeLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis Lacledes jacket is composed of an embellished pink silk. The jacket features silver beading throughout and a center front zipper. An amazing design and unique piece for any ward...Category
20th Century Unknown Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Rare Roberto Cavalli Runway Grecian Serpent Silk Dress GownBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Los Angeles, CASince Cavalli recently passed this is one of the most memorable runway gowns from the 2007 Roberto Cavalli collection. Highly collectible. Grecian drape with plunging neckline. Fashi...Category
Early 2000s Evening Gowns
- 1990s Masaki MatsushimaBy Masaki MatsushimaLocated in Austin, TXMasaki Matsushima grey wool dress, high slit. Condition: Excellent Made in Paris Size 2 / US 6Category
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
$1,800 - CHANEL pink black cashmere STRIPED SLEEVELESS KNIT Dress 38 S 11CBy ChanelLocated in Zürich, CHChanel (Sample) sleeveless embroidered knit dress in black, ivory and rose cashmere (100%) with a round neck. Embroidery is cotton (100%). Unlined. Opens with black faux pearl button...Category
2010s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
- Narciso Rodriguez Strapless Stretch DressBy Narciso RodriguezLocated in Oakland, CANarciso Rodriguez dress. Pale gray with red banded chest. Hourglass shape. Thicker, stretch blend knit. Tagged a size US 12. Measurement...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns