Mary McFadden remembers being the first female president of the CFDA

As the first of three women to serve as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in its 60-year history, Mary McFadden remembered that role with fondness and candor.

In 1982, McFadden became the first female president thanks to publicist Eleanor Lambert, who represented the designer's company as well as other major American corporations at the time. When asked how much of a factor that professional connection was, McFadden laughed, "Sure, sure ⁠ - that's why I got the job."

The prospect of how much the role of chairman would benefit McFadden's company was how Lambert pitched the proposal. “That's right and it was. It gave me more exposure,” McFadden said.

Lambert, who helped found the organization, was also a close friend of McFadden, who always admired the publicist. Always perfectly organized, Lambert worked tirelessly for her clients.

In addition to being a designer, McFadden, who is married five times, is an avid collector and traveler who has ventured all over the world. When she opened her business in 1976 in New York, the intricate designs were inspired by the art and cultures she experienced in China, Africa, Greece, South America and other regions. . A three-time Coty award winner in the late '70s, McFadden patented the pleated Marii fabric, introduced home furnishings, a more affordable broadcast clothing line, and knitwear, among other categories. Nicknamed "the archaeologist of fashion", McFadden has explored ancient civilizations and amassed a coveted collection of textiles that includes purchases she made at markets in Malawi, Harar, Addis Ababa and other places.

Regarding the impact of his world travels on his year-long career as head of the CFDA, McFadden said, "I guess all of your experiences change your perspective."

Televising New York fashion shows and hosting them under one roof were two of the cutting-edge ideas she came up with. Although it didn't happen under his reign, McFadden said, “I don't think people weren't receptive to it. I think most people wanted as much publicity as possible. »

Interested in the interplay of textiles, the designer created embroidered chiffons, sumptuous silks, precise vertical pleats, beaded cuffs and collars, draped velvets, sculptural jewels, braided belts and more accents adapted to different morphologies. With her alabaster complexion, striking bob and lithe physique, McFadden was and remains her own ideal role model. McFadden began her fashion career as a public relations director at Dior New York. After leaving in 1964 and before beginning to freelance designing clothing and jewelry, McFadden freelanced for a series of magazines in South Africa in the mid to late 1960s after moving there with his first husband Phillip Harari in 1965. McFadden continued freelancing for French Vogue in 1968 and as special projects editor for American Vogue. McFadden's presence in the fashion industry can still be seen at 240 West 35th Street, which, as the engraving above the entrance indicates, is known as the Mary McFadden Building.

McFadden's management also boosted the notoriety of other American designers. Looking back, McFadden said that was what she was most proud of. "We put American fashion in an international position by having more organized fashion shows and the Coty Awards," she said.

During the 1980s, there was a sense of camaraderie and liveliness within the CFDA that created social ties as strong as professional ties for some members. "Some fashion people wanted structure around themselves," McFadden said.

Undeniably, designers also enhanced the glamor of the era simply by the way they dressed. It came naturally for the most part, according to McFadden, who feels that the idea of ​​having to dress this way as a job requirement was not something that never occurred to the designers of that time. "It was all about doing well in meetings, projecting our image and pushing [American fashion] forward."

“Lots of publicity certainly helped” achieve this, McFadden said. This approach varies today. "Everyone is now well established thanks to social media."

McFadden succeeded Bill Blass and preceded Perry Ellis as president of the CFDA. Leading the organization was not very taxing or t...