August, 2014 - Claire McCardell - Black Velvet

Claire McCardell - 1905-1958

Claire McCardell was an American fashion designer in the arena of read-to-wear clothing in the 20th century.  From the 1930's to the 1950's, she was known for designing functional, affordable, and stylish women's sportswear within the constraints of mass-production, and is today acknowledged as the creator of the "American Look", a democratic and casual approach to fashion that rejected the formality of French couture.

First attending Hood College in Maryland from 1923 to 1925 at the age of 16, McCardell enrolled in Parsons (then known as the New York School of Fine and Applied Art) in 1925 to pursue her interest in fashion.  There she received a grounding in the general principles of art and design as well as the more specialized disciplines of comstum illustration and design.

By the time the United States entered World War II, in 1941, the country was cut off from France and its hegemony in clothing design.  In addition, the war effort demanded a rationing of fabrics.  These setbacks did not adversely affect McCardell, who already was steering clear of French influence and whose designs made frugal use of material.  In one fashion showing, for example, she clad all of her models in fabric ballet slippers due to leather rationing, sometimes covering the original material with fabric form the garment to match.

McCardell received multiple honors in the 1950s.  President Harry S. Truman presented her with the Women's National Press Club Award in 1950.  With this award, she became the first fashion designer to be voted one of America's Women of Achievement.  In 1990, Life magazine named her one of the 100 most importan Americans of the twentieth century, 37 years after her death.

The Drink:

Black Velvet

4 oz Champagne
4 oz chilled stout (Guinness type)

Drinkability: 3/4
Drunkability: 4
Taxic Diversity: 2
Accessibility: 4
Priority for Conservation: 4

Comments:  "stout + fizzy"

From "Women in Fashion Design" hosted by BanditQueen