Clare Potter was a fashion designer who was born in
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.[elided
In linguistics, an elision or deletion is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or phrase. However, these terms are also used to refer more narrowly to cases where two words are run toget ...]
name Clarepotter, she has been credited as one of the inventors of American
sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons.
Typical sport-specific garments ...
.
[Schiro, Anne-Marie, ]
Clare Potter, Who Set Trends In Women's Clothes, Dies at 95
' ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', January 11, 1999 Based in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, she continued designing through the 1940s and 1950s. Her clothes were renowned for being elegant, but easy-to-wear and relaxed, and for their distinctive use of colour.
She founded a ready-to-wear fashion company in Manhattan named ''Timbertop'' in 1948, and in the 1960s she also established a
wholesale
Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
company to manufacture fashions. Potter was one of the 17 women gathered together by
Edna Woolman Chase
Edna Woolman Chase (; March 14, 1877 — March 21, 1957) was an American who served as editor-in-chief of ''Vogue'' magazine from 1914 to 1952.
Early life
Chase was born on March 14, 1877 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She was the daughter of Fra ...
, editor-in-chief of ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' to form the ''Fashion Group International, Inc.'', in 1928.
[History of the Fashion Group International]
/ref>
Early life and education
Born Clare Meyer in Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, she studied at the Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists.
Although artists may stu ...
and began her studies at the Pratt Institute of Design in fine arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
. After seeing clothes that Potter designed and made for herself, the director of the Pratt Institute recommended that she study costume design
Costume design is the creation of clothing for the overall appearance of a character or performer. Costume may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. In many cases, it may contribute to the fullness of the arti ...
.[
In 1925, before her graduation, Potter left Pratt to work for Edward L. Mayer, a ]wholesale
Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
dress manufacturer in Manhattan, where she spent three years developing her skills and designing mid-market sportswear.[
]
Career
Following a six-month hiatus in Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, Potter returned to Manhattan in 1930 and gained employment with the ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...
firm of Charles W. Nudelman Inc. on Seventh Avenue, which specialized in affordable fashion.
Unusually, at a time when designers for large companies were not acknowledged by name, Potter was promoted as a named designer by Dorothy Shaver
Dorothy Shaver (July 29, 1893 – June 29, 1959) was the first woman in the United States to head a multimillion-dollar firm. She was a well known leader of the fashion industry.
Life
Dorothy Shaver was born in Center Point, Arkansas, in Howard ...
, then vice-president of Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor was the oldest brick and mortar department store in the United States, in business from 1826 to 2020. The brand was purchased during former owner Le Tote's 2020 liquidation bankruptcy and relaunched by new owner, Saadia Group, as ...
department store. Potter was one of the first American designers to achieve such name recognition.[
In 1936, Potter was featured alongside ]Elizabeth Hawes
Elizabeth Hawes (December 16, 1903 – September 6, 1971) was an American clothing designer, outspoken critic of the fashion industry, and champion of ready to wear and people's right to have the clothes they desired, rather than the clothes ...
and Muriel King
Muriel King (1900–1977) was an American fashion designer based in New York City. She was one of the first American fashion designers along with Elizabeth Hawes and Clare Potter to achieve name recognition. She also designed costumes for several m ...
in the second Lord & Taylor "American Look" promotion, which championed home-grown American design talent. She was awarded the first Lord & Taylor Design Award in 1938 for distinguished designing in the field of sportswear for women.[
Potter was a keen sportswoman who particularly enjoyed ]horseback riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
.[ She designed for women like herself, saying in 1948:
]Large numbers of American women want clothes that are refined. I aim to give them in a medium-priced, ready-to-wear costume what they would find in custom-made styles.[Interview to ''The New York Times'' in 1948, quoted by Schiro, Anne-Marie in ]
Clare Potter, Who Set Trends In Women's Clothes, Dies at 95
' ''The New York Times'', January 11, 1999
During the 1940s, well-known Potter designs included a two-piece bathing suit
A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, wo ...
consisting of separate small top and bloomers, a sweater designed for evening wear, and a sidesaddle
Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows female riders to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way f ...
-draped skirt. Examples of these designs were featured in the 1998-1999 exhibition ''Designing Women: American Style 1940-1960'' at the Wadsworth Atheneum
The Wadsworth Atheneum is an art museum in Hartford, Connecticut. The Wadsworth is noted for its collections of European Baroque art, ancient Egyptian and Classical bronzes, French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School lands ...
in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
.[ Her use of colour was distinctive, with one 1940s evening outfit consisting of a pink blouse, green belt, and pale blue skirt.][ Other designs were made up in one single, unique shade, such as the blue wool dress worn by ]Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
to meet George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...
and his queen consort, Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
in London on October 23, 1942.[Obituary]
in the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', 12 January 1999 Roosevelt had been a fellow founder with Potter and others, of an association of women interested in advancing elegant and fashionable clothing for women, the ''Fashion Group International'', FGI.[Overview of the Dorothy Shaver Archive]
, part of the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...
In 1946, Potter was awarded a Coty Award
The Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards (awarded 1943–1984) were created in 1942 by the cosmetics and perfume company Coty, Inc. to promote and celebrate American fashion, and encourage design during the Second World War. In 1985, the Coty Awa ...
for her casual clothes and her distinctive use of colour.[ She shared the award with ]Omar Kiam
Alexander "Omar" Kiam (1894 – 1954) was an American fashion designer and costume designer.
Early life
Born Alexander Kiam in Monterrey, Mexico, to Texan parents. Kiam picked up the nickname "Omar" at Riverview Preparatory School in Poughkeep ...
and Vincent Monte-Sano. Although she is considered an important figure in the world of sportswear design, the curator Richard Martin has stated that Potter was "not a pure sportswear advocate, she was a figure with a discreet, negotiated relationship to sportswear."[
In 1948, Potter launched a ready-to-wear company called ''Timbertop'', with former magazine editor, ]Martha Stout
Martha Stout (born August 12, 1953) is an American psychologist and author.
Education, training, and career
Stout completed her professional training in psychology at the McLean Psychiatric Hospital and obtained her Ph.D. at Stony Brook Un ...
. The company shared its name with the turkey farm in West Nyack
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
where Potter and her husband, architect J. Sanford Potter, lived. They had married about 1930.[
]
Later life
By the mid-1950s Clare Potter worked independently from a barn on her farm. Her business became a husband-and-wife concern, with J. Sanford Potter assisting by drafting her clothing patterns.[ Her later clothes were more tailored and dressy than her earlier designs.][
In the late 1950s the Potters moved into a Japanese-style house on Lake Nebo in ]Fort Ann, New York
Fort Ann is a town in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 6,417 at the 2000 census.
The town contains a village, also called Fort Ann, located in its ...
that was designed and built by J. Sanford.[ In addition to their professional work, they bred ]Dalmatian dogs
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog, which has a white coat marked with black or brown-colored spots. Originating as a hunting dog, it was also used as a carriage dog in its early days. The origins of this breed can be traced back to present-day ...
, grew camellias
''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controver ...
, and enjoyed riding and hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
.[ They kept their horses in ]Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, where the local hunt clubs enjoyed a long season.
J. Sanford Potter died in 1994 and, at the age of 95, Clare Potter died in 1999 at their home in Fort Ann. They left no surviving family.
Notes
References
External links
American Ingenuity: Sportswear 1930s-1970s
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Clare Potter (see index)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Clare
1903 births
1999 deaths
American fashion designers
Art Students League of New York alumni
Artists from New York City
Pratt Institute alumni
People from Fort Ann, New York