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The Life and Career of Fashion Designer, George Stavropoulos

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Degree
Master of Arts, University of Akron, Family and Consumer Sciences-Clothing, Textiles and Interiors, .
Abstract

George Stavropoulos, a New York fashion designer, built a multi-million dollar business on his signature, floating chiffon dresses. His self-titled label produced eveningwear and daytime styles for the wholesale, ready-to-wear market, from 1961 to1991. While he was known for his use of chiffon, Stavropoulos also created notable designs in lace, lamé, suede, and taffeta.

Stavropoulos, born in Greece, believed in classic design and found inspiration in the simplicity of ancient Greek sculpture. Renowned for his innovative draping techniques, Stavropoulos created every piece in his collection and produced the entire line in his 57th Street atelier. For each spring and fall runway presentation, Stavropoulos created about one hundred designs and held his shows at the luxurious Regency Hotel, in Manhattan. Buyers from the most important stores in New York attended each show, as well as socialites and celebrities. Stavropoulos initially became know for dressing Lady Bird Johnson during her White House years and created looks for other popular figures throughout his career.

Fiercely independent, Stavropoulos did not participate in the licensing agreements popular with other designers of his time nor did he join the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Stavropoulos believed in his own fashion philosophy and refused to adhere to the ephemeral nature of fashion, creating sophisticated designs that were innovative rather than shocking or avant-garde.

Subject Headings
Art History; Design; Fine Arts; Home economics; Marketing; Museums; Textile research
Keywords
George Stavropoulos; fashion designer; chiffon; fashion; Greece; Greek; New York; Nikis 13; couture; ready-to-wear; dresses; women's wear; high-end; Upper East Side; Regency Hotel; Manhattan; Lady Bird Johnson; Sophia Loren; society; chic; 1960s; 1970s
Advisor
Virginia Gunn (Advisor)
Pages
184p.

Document number: akron1217262462
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