Emmanuelle Khanh
Dress
Yellow and white striped cotton
1966, France
Gift of Sandy Horvitz, 77.57.2
The bright, bold stripes and slender silhouette of this dress are typical of
Emmanuelle Khanh’s youthful, quirky style. Khanh began her career in fashion
as a model for Balenciaga and Givenchy. She used her earnings to start her
own design business in 1963, and was producing ten ready-to-wear collections
a year by 1965. This dress was featured in Mademoiselle (April,
1966), and was donated by the magazine’s fashion editor, Sandy Horvitz.
RIGHT:
Paraphernalia (Betsey Johnson)
Dress
Stretch bronze lamé
Circa 1966, USA
Gift of Mrs. Ulrich Franzen, 2000.8.4
Betsey Johnson’s uninhibited approach to design inspired her to experiment
with fabrics such as stretch bronze lamé, used here for one of her signature
“little nothing” dresses. Fresh off a stint as guest college editor at
Mademoiselle, she was hired in 1965 as head designer for the
cutting-edge New York boutique Paraphernalia. The success of Johnson’s
free-spirited, trendsetting designs led her to start her own label in 1968.
Her business still flourishes today.