Glamour and Innovation: The Women Behind the Seams of Fashion at the White House

When the First Lady of the United States wears particular clothing, it is considered a major achievement for the selected designer or fashion label. We recognize names like Michael Kors, Oscar De La Renta, and Oleg Cassini. However, many of the talented women who designed for first ladies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are unknown today, but their timeless pieces still inspire awe and interest. Glamour and Innovation: The Women Behind the Seams of Fashion at the White House looks at the storied careers of eight women; the independent and lesser-known designers, seamstresses, and groundbreaking couturiers who influenced a century of fashion in at the White House.

Glamour and Innovation
engages roughly 100 years of fashion history and these designers’ roles as practitioners of style to the first lady. The eight fashion designers featured in this exhibit – Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly, Sally Milgrim, Nettie Rosenstein, Ann Lowe, Ethel Frankau, Karen Stark, Mary Matise, and Frankie Welch – achieved professional success while representing different backgrounds, career trajectories, and style of work, yet their talents and creativity shaped American fashion and the iconic appearances of many first ladies.