A trip to Palm Beach was planned due to the importance of iconic Martha's boutique and her friendship with Pauline Trigère. I chalked out another vintage Trigère fashion photo shoot with local model and photographer, (Instagram HERE ) to showcase the timeless Trigère garments. With the dawn of the 1960’s, Pauline Trigère’s fame was firmly established, and her celebrity had expanded outside of the Seventh Avenue and onto Hollywood. In 1961, Pauline designed the costumes for

Lucille Ball wearing Pauline Trigère ensemble for her second wedding to Gary Morton Lucille Ball wore a beautiful Pauline Trigère dress at her second marriage to Gary Morton. Photo credit Instagram Oldhollywoodcouples. Lucille Ball in Pauline Trigère dress and matching coat ensemble. Photo credit: Media Storehouse Beverly Valdez modeling Pauline Trigère's 1961 Fall collection. Photo from NY Times. During my never-ending research of Pauline Trigère biography, I came across

Pauline Trigère coat and dress ensemble for Rolex ad Rolex chose ambassadors who embodied timeless style. Pauline Trigère became one such ambassador, appearing in a series of ads both by herself and alongside other iconic figure. One of the first appeared in 1959 featured Trigère with Commander Edward Whitehead . Whitehead, a World War II veteran later became an executive at Cadbury Schweppes . Known for his refined style and diverse passions—fox hunting, sailing, skiing, an

Author and actress Devon O’Brien looks back with deep affection on her time as a house model at Trigère. In the early 1980’s, fresh from graduating with a Semiotic's degree from Brown University and having studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, she moved to New York to pursue her writing and acting career. Yet, an unexpected opportunity led her to Pauline Trigère’s showroom, where she would become Pauline’s house model - a role she stumbled upon and wrote ab

An article titled "Most Elegant Pauline," written by columnist James Brady and published in Town and Village  on December 1, 1994, opened with the catchy line: "Pauline Trigère, I can testify, still has great legs." Although Pauline was 86 years old at the time, this remark was fitting, as she was not only a brilliant fashion designer but also a vibrant presence at New York social events, where she would often steal the spotlight as a good dancer with striking legs. Author Ja

Beverly Valdes: Photo from FIT Pauline Trigère archive On June 19, 1961, the influential fashion journalist Eugenia Sheppard wrote in her  Inside Fashion  column in the  Herald Tribune  which featured an article titled: “ Another first for Pauline Trigère—she’s the first of Seventh Avenue’s top designers to employ a Black fashion model .” A few days later, on June 23, 1961, multiple articles began to recognize this milestone. Marilyn Bender of  The New York Times  credited

Barbara Feldon: "Get Smart" TV Show Barbara Feldon and Don Adams from TV show "Get Smart" "Pauline was a star. Pauline was a diva.”   —  Barbara Feldon During the Covid pandemic, I was able to arrange a telephone interview with actress Barbara Feldon . The television series “ Get Smart ” made Barbara famous for the ground breaking role of intelligent and capable Agent 99. The television series ran from 1965 to 1970, but can still be found in re-runs today. Yet, few people kn

One year prior to the publication of his autobiography, I had a fascinating interview with Mr. Stan Herman as part of my research for the Pauline Trigère book [ HE RE ]. While there’s no official position of Fashion Mayor of New York City, there should be one, even an honorary title. Before Anna Wintour , before DVF , before the two Toms, ( Tom Ford and Thom Browne ), Stan Herman was the esteemed Fashion Mayor of New York City. At 96 years old, he continues to thrive. As th

“ The surprise was a new generation’s discovery of the late Pauline Trigère’s beautifully constructed designs .”  Bill Cunningham for The New York Times, November 14, 2004 " Money is cheap, freedom is expensive"   . I adore these wise words from the very first street photographer, Bill Cunningham, undoubtedly the most significant fashion photojournalist of our era. Cunningham once said, " If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do, that’s the key to the whole t

Young Jane Trigère with Pauline Jane Trigère , the niece of Pauline through her brother Robert, played a vital role in my research on Pauline Trigère. The JaneTrigere.com website was crucial in providing valuable materials from the Trigère family archive. It was one of the primary resources I utilized at the beginning of my research journey. Jane, who was also a talented artist, meticulously gathered and organized detailed records, videos, correspondence, and genealogy that

September 16, 2024 It must be because of the Presidential election looming.  I don’t know how a legendary late fashion designer born in 1908 has anything to do with the current political landscape. Yet it does. Somehow I stumbled upon a listing from Pauline Trigère's fashion show that had a style description as “ No Trump .” During one of the research trip in New York, I came across an old fashion show program. I loved it because of the unique design lay-out. The program was

“ I was considered the fastest pencil in the field, a mannequin need only do her turn down the catwalk at a fashion show and voila, an illustration .”  Joe Eula Joe Eula's sketch of Pauline Trigère Joe Eula's sketch of Pauline Trigère In the course of my research, I discovered several original sketches of Pauline Trigère by Joe Eula at Pauline's daughter-in-law Jane Tucker 's home. Andy Warhol famously described Joe Eula as " the most important person in New York, knowing e

Paris: Vintage Pauline Trigère red jersey dress with a Trigère turtle pin. London: Pauline Trigère Red Wool Jersey Dress, Mikimoto pearls, YSL handbag, Jade Chiu accessories. I purchased this Pauline Trigère red wool jersey dress from a vintage store last year, likely from Ms.Trigère’s fall collections over sixty years ago. This timeless garment still looks fabulous in 2024, in addition to being comfortable and easy to pack for traveling. It has accompanied me to London, P

Visitng WRHS for Pauline Trigère archive resesarch Browsing through the Trigère collection at Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) in Cleveland, I was reminded of Pauline's uncanning ability for creating versatile garments that transcended time and trends. Take, for instance, a yellow wool dress and floral print coat ensemble that I also own and have utilized in a fashion photo shoot in Paris & London [ Here ]. This ensemble was from Trigère's spring 1968 collection.

Pauline Trigère with Dixie Lee Davis Dixie Lee Davis  was a prominent figure in the Cleveland fashion scene. Her remarkable work for identifying top designers from New York City and presenting their collections in Cleveland was highlighted by her admiration for the designs of Pauline Trigère. Having started her professional journey as the Fashion Director at Halle's  Department Store. Established in 1891, Halle's was among the earliest upscale department stores in Cleveland.

Pauline Trigère designed by Lucie Porges The valuable role of Lucie Porges , the quiet and trusted associate of Pauline Trigère, is often underestimated. Highly esteemed by Pauline herself, Lucie Porges was a skilled artist in her own right. Over a span of more than four decades collaborating with Pauline, she earned the title " Second Trigére at Trigére " from the former Vogue  Editor Andre Leon Tally. Lucie Porges began working alongside Pauline in 1951 and remained by her

Scanning the lengthy list of Trigère archives at Kent State University Museum (KSUM) , in Cleveland, Ohio , I noticed the inclusion of several garments from socialites and celebrities. Dressing Hollywood stars and socialites, Pauline Trigère was known for her personal connections with her clients. These garments, carefully preserved in the Kent State vast fashion collection, is a tangible reminder of Trigère's impact on the fashion world. One particular piece is Meryl Streep'

Paul Peter Porges , known as PPP , was a celebrated cartoonist known for his work in both MAD magazine and The New Yorker . His whimsical and humorous style transcended the magazine world and left a lasting impact on the realm of art illustration. Through his wife, Lucie Porges , PPP designed unique stationery for Pauline that reflected his trademark wit and humor, embodying the core of his humorous artistic expression. These collaborations bridged the worlds of fashion and

During the interview with Lucie Porges' daughters: Claudia and Vivette, I discovered the tale of a special recipe book that Lucie had made for Pauline. After collaborating with Pauline for 15 years, finding new gift ideas had become difficult. One day, Lucie spotted a beautiful cork-covered blank notebook in a bookstore. Aware of Pauline's love for cooking, she had an idea to collect recipes from Pauline's acquaintances. It took more than a few years and the final outcome was

Four Fashion Designers considered the most influential to American Fashion. 1958 Sharland for New York Times One of the most stunning portraits of Pauline Trigère was this 1958 photography by Sharland for The New York Times.   This black and white photograph featured the four giants in American fashion alongside their creations:  Charles James, James Galanos, Pauline Trigère and Normal Norell .   Since my book is solely devoted to Pauline Trigère, in this blog I am using th