Walter Albini, Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenzo Takada, Gianfranco Ferre, Yves Saint Laurent, Rosita & Ottavio Missoni, Jean Muir, Thea Porter … so many extraordinary designers who were beginning their careers. Craftsmanship was so fine, textiles were luxurious, and it was just all so insanely creative.
These were avant garde designers, department stores didn’t yet have the customer for these and it was boutiques that introduced these designers, educating their customer.
It was a time when craftsmanship in America was superb. Yves Saint Laurent shoes were produced by Schwartz & Benjamin in Massachusetts, Coach bags were made in America bench-made with lifetime warranties, even Levis were solely made in America.
There was a feeling of excitement and youth when clothes came in, every shopper and boutique on the planet walked through Geraldine Stutz’ Street of Shops at Bendel’s.
Girls spent every paycheck on their back.
Gucci in America still closed for lunch daily in an antiquated, quaint way of doing business.
Saint Tropez was a profound happy influence in fashion, images of Brigitte Bardot in capris and a striped top (MicMac), her Repetto ballet flats.
It was the beginning, when the named designers were starving to grow their businesses, often designing for seven or more other manufacturers to pay the bills for their own collection.
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