8. Oral History Project of the Fashion Industries
 
 
The oral histories in the Special Collections offer researchers a range of information about the evolution of the fashion industry in the 20th century. Conducted in the early 1980s by Mildred Finger and Robert Green, the interviews have preserved in their own words the life stories and experiences of some of the industry’s most memorable players. Fashion designer Geoffrey Beene talks about the importance of taking an anatomy drawing class. Andrew Goodman of Bergdorf Goodman recounts the industry’s efforts to catch couture counterfeiters in the early 1920s. And the woman behind the infamous “Best-Dressed List,” Eleanor Lambert, explains the evolution of Press Week at the New York fashion shows.

Many of the tapes have been transcribed to make them more accessible. These include contributions by Bonnie Cashin, FIT’s Shirley Goodman, Mrs. W. R. Hearst, Ralph Lauren, illustrator Harriet Meserole, and Joseph Picone, co-founder of Evan Picone.
 
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