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Written by bigchief173
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STEPHEN BURROWS
(American, b. 1945) - Like so many influential designers of the era, Burrows' career took off after his work came to the attention of Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel in New York. In 1973 he was given his own boutique in the store, 'Stephen Burrows' World' - a hip world, very In with the In Crowd, that brought his innovative designs to a wider audience. Melding the training in classic technique he received as a student at FIT with his own adventurous vision, he is best known for his 'unserious' jersey designs, sparked with contrasting topstitching - usually in red - that emphasized the garment's construction rather than hiding it, and for using machine stitching to create rippling 'lettuce' effect hems.
The first African American fashion designer to achieve international acclaim, he won Coty awards in 1973, 1974 and 1977, was one of the five American designers to show their clothes along with the French couturiers at Versailles in 1973 (the others being Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Halston and Anne Klein).
More recently Burrows was included in FIT's Fashion Walk of Fame Exhibit (September '03 - January '04) and the collections he showed in New York for the 2003 and 2004 seasons were enthusiastically received. He is also doing a line for the Home Shopping Network, called "Alva by Burrows", which is inspired by the 70s look of Alva Chinn.
"...one of the unrecognized geniuses of the fashion world...Stephen gives the most original cut in America today. And the thing really is the cut." Halston, 1971
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from a 1970s Poly jersey jumpsuit
Courtesy of bigchief173
from a c. 1990 garment
Courtesy of kickshawproductions
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