Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion

MacDonell is an adjunct professor at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, author (The Classic 10; The Shoe Book), and fashion journalist. Her latest title describes the birth of American fashion through the colorful New York City women whose vision, influence, and advocacy put American design on the global stage. Prior to World War II, American designers looked to Paris for leadership and imitated French styles for a largely ready-to-wear market and a smaller couture market. However, with Paris occupied by the Nazis in 1940, the French couture houses fell silent. Into that void, these women of Seventh Avenue—fashion magazine editors, publicists, retailers, and advertising executives—gave opportunity and support to American designers; through their efforts, the likes of Claire McCardell and Elizabeth Hawes were championed. By the end of the war, the “American Look” was firmly established, and the way was paved for future designers such as Halston, Michael Kors, and Calvin Klein.