Anne Fogarty was an influential American fashion designer whose work from the 1940s through to the 1980s left a lasting impact on women’s fashion. Known for her elegant, accessible collections, she played a major role in shaping mid-20th-century style.
Early Life and Education
Born Anne Whitney on the 2nd of February 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she was the youngest of four children to Robert and Marion Whitney. Her parents had immigrated in 1909 from Cape Town and were a part of a large Lithuanian Jewish community and changed their name from Robert and Henrietta Gruskin.
Anne’s showed a strength for creativity early on. She wore clothes handed down from her older sister Poppy, which she remodelled to suit herself. Following high school, she attended Allegheny College in 1936, and transferred to the Carnegie Institute of Technology to study Drama as she dreamt of becoming an actress.
Transition to Fashion
In 1939, after Poppy moved to New York City, Anne decided to follow her there. To support herself, she worked as a model for Harvey Berin, a women’s wear manufacturer based on seventh avenue. He recognised her talent after seeing Anne’s responses to the clothes that his designers made, and offered to subsidise her training to become a fashion designer. Anne enrolled at the East Hartman School of Design, although she paid her own way.
After Harvey Berin, Anne went on to work as a model and designer for the Sheila Lynn company. In 1940, she married artist Thomas E. Fogarty. She also modelled and worked as a stylist and publicist, including styling Rolls Royce advertisements. In 1948, she secured a job designing for Youth Guild, a new company specialising in teenage fashion.
Career beginnings
While working at Youth Guild, Anne developed one of her many signature looks. A tight bodice dress with a very full skirt over a stiffened nylon petticoat was clearly inspired by Dior’s New Look. Fogarty was a junior size 7, with a small 22-inch waist, which enabled her to wear and show her designs. Some of her dresses were featured in a double-page spread in Harper’s Bazaar.
In 1950, Anne joined Margot Dresses, who specialised in junior fashion. She worked here for seven years, where she expanded her repertoire to include accessories, lingerie, and outerwear. Her work gained recognition, leading to a Merit Award from Mademoiselle magazine, a Bonwit Teller award, and a Coty Award for the “Prettiest Dresses” in 1951 and a Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1952.
Signature Style
Anne Fogarty’s designs didn’t follow the latest fashion trends, but focused on staple, stylish designs that embodied femininity and practicality. Her clothes were designed to be versatile and easy to wear, and she focused on good cut and silhouette. She favoured casual fabrics like velveteen, printed cotton, denim and linen, which appealed to her younger audience and women with limited incomes. Her “Paper Doll” silhouette, featuring a tight bodice and full skirt with crinoline petticoats, became iconic. This style was both flattering and comfortable which cemented its popularity. She also designed flattering sheath dresses, providing versatile options.
In 1954, she designed her first shirtdress, a combination of a masculine shirt extending into a full skirt over multiple petticoats. This became one of her favourite designs. In addition to these two popular creations, Fogarty developed new slimline designs such as the sheath dress. She is also credited with being one of the first American designers to market the bikini. In 1955 she received an honour from the American Silk Association and in 1957, won a Cotton Fashion Award. During the same year, she moved to Saks Fifth Avenue, where she was one of the main designers.
Following the Cotton Fashion Award ceremony, a fashion show was held, showing her latest collection called “Goldfish Safari.” This presented cotton daywear, activewear, cocktail and evening wear in goldfish colours designed specifically for travel and holiday wear.
Wife Dressing
In 1959, Anne published “Wife Dressing – The Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife,” a style manual offering advice on dressing to please one’s husband. The advice emphasised femininity, neatness, and appropriateness, reflecting the societal norms of the time. Although it seems old-fashioned now, it’s a great resource for understanding 1950s fashion.
The principles of her best-known work continue to be referenced by designers and historians, with many using it as a costume reference like Valerie Steele for Mad Men.
Launching her own label
During 1960, Fogarty offered casual sportswear including dresses that had removal waistcoats to alter their look, and boldly contrasting coat and dress sets. In 1962, Anne released her own label, Anne Fogarty Inc., giving her more creative freedom. Following her divorce in the mid-60s, launched several spin-off labels including A.F. Boutique, Collector’s Items by Anne Fogarty, and Clothes Circuit. It was during the 60s that she produced fashionable A-line dresses, and after the miniskirt became mainstream, designed peasant-inspired dresses in mini and maxi lengths. Her new favourite silhouette during this time was the straight-skirted, high-waisted empire line dress with tiny puff sleeves and a low neckline.
In the late 60s and 70s, she became more adventurous with her designs, with trouser suits and caftans appearing in her collections. In 1965, television personality Dorothy Kilgallen’s last public appearance was wearing one of Fogarty’s chiffon evening dresses on the show What’s My Line?, around four hours before her death. Her funeral was just four days after the airing of the show and was attended by Anne. In 1967, she married Kilgallen’s widow Richard Kollmar.
According to an interview she did with newspaper columnist Marian Christy in 1971, Kollmar broke his shoulder in an accident at home on New Year’s Day. This caused a blood clot, and he died a month later on Anne’s birthday.
Later the same year, she designed midriff tops paired with wrap skirts, and knickerbockers paired with pinafores. These were featured alongside conservative designs like flinched maxi dresses and taffeta and satin shirt dresses. She also offered hot pants with long skirts and ruffled blouses. She would go on to retire in 1974 and closed her business.
Fogarty married a third time in 1977 to Wade O’Hara, but this marriage ended in divorce. Despite retiring, she continued to work as a freelance fashion designer up until her passing, with her last collection created for created for Shariella Fashions in 1980. She passed away on 15th of January in 1980in New York City. Her contribution to fashion, particularly her talent of blending elegance with practicality, continue to be celebrated. Her designs are preserved in collections like those in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showing her impact on American fashion.
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