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Written by fuzzylizzie.com
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MARY MCFADDEN
(b. 1938) Mary McFadden is known for her exotic designs, which were influenced by her travels in Africa and Asia. Her design career began in 1973 when she began selling handpainted silk dresses at Bendel’s. In 1975, she patented a new pleating technique, which produced a fabric that looked like that of Fortuny, but was made from polyester and in which the pleating was permanent. This fabric became her trademark, along with exotic embroideries and beading.
She established a ready-to-wear line in 1976, but much of the work was done by hand and was quite fine. By the 1980s she had quite a few licensed lines, and in the early 1990s, she did a line for TV retailer, QVC. McFadden unexpected went out of business in 2003.
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from a 1980s gown
Courtesy of antiquedress.com
from a 1980s Fortuny-style pleat goddess gown
Courtesy of bigchief173
from a 1980s suit
Courtesy of alonesolo
from an early 2000s dress
Courtesy of pinupdresses.com
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