Nonnie Moore (January 21, 1922 – February 19, 2009) was a fashion editor at '' Mademoiselle'', ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the ...

'' and '' GQ''.

Biography

She was born in

Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, known by its nickname as "The Queen City."

as Marjorie Eilers on January 21, 1922, and acquired the nickname "Nonnie" during her childhood. She was a graduate of

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...

. Her first job was at ''Mademoiselle'' in 1950 as a secretary, rising through the ranks to become fashion editor there from 1970 to 1980. She was hired by ''Harper's Bazaar'' in 1980 and remained there until 1984. ''

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 ...

'' noticed the changes she made at ''Harper's Bazaar'', highlighting how the magazine how been "looking a little dowdy", but that Moore had "noticeably sharpened the magazine's fashion point of view" by showing "brighter, younger and more stylish", complimenting her use of "young and exciting fashion photographers" such as Oliviero Toscani.Duka, John
"NOTES ON FASHION"
''

'', January 6, 1981. Accessed February 25, 2009. Moore was hired by ''GQ'' magazine as its fashion editor in 1984. Jim Moore, the magazine's fashion director at the time of her death described the choice as unusual, observing that "She was not from men's wear, so people said she was an odd choice, but she was actually the perfect choice" and noting that she changed the publication's more casual look, which "She helped dress up the pages, as well as dress up the men, while making the mix more exciting and varied and approachable for men." Traveling to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

and elsewhere around the world, Moore had a knack for finding designers who had something new to offer, including Perry Ellis and

Issey Miyake was a Japanese fashion designer. He was known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances, such as '' L'eau d'Issey'', which became his best-known product. Life and career Miyake was born on 22 April 1938 in Hiroshi ...

, whom she publicized early in their careers. Wendy Goodman of ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' magazine described how "Nonnie was quick to pick up how important Miyake was before most people really understood his work", identifying and championing the work of Miyake and other rising designers. The

Council of Fashion Designers of America The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory d ...

recognized Moore with a lifetime achievement award in 1994, the year she retired. A resident of

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 ...

, Moore died at

Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York d/b/a as Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's, or SVCMC) was a healthcare system, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, locally referred to a ...

at age 87 on February 19, 2009 due to a choking accident.Carmon, Irin
"Nonnie Moore, Legendary Men's Editor, Dead at 87"
''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides inf ...

'', February 19, 2009. Accessed February 25, 2009. She was survived by two sons, two grandchildren and a sister. Her husband Thomas L. Moore died in 1990; the couple had been married for 38 years.

Samuel Irving Newhouse, Jr. Samuel Irving "S.I." Newhouse Jr. (November 8, 1927 – October 1, 2017) was an American heir to a substantial magazine and media business. Together with his brother Donald, he owned Advance Publications, founded by their late father in 1922, wh ...

, chairman of

Condé Nast Publications Condé is a French place name and personal name. It is ultimately derived from a Celtic word, "Condate", meaning "confluence" (of two rivers) - from which was derived the Romanised form "Condatum", in use during the Roman period, and thence to t ...

, the owner of ''GQ'' recalled that "Nonnie was a brilliant fashion editor and always added something special to the stories she covered for ''GQ''".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Nonnie 1922 births 2009 deaths American women journalists Barnard College alumni Deaths from choking Writers from Plainfield, New Jersey Fashion editors Women magazine editors 20th-century American women 21st-century American women