Hattie Carnegie
Hattie Carnegie (actually Henrietta Kanengeiser ; born March 15, 1889 in Vienna , † February 22, 1956 in New York ) was an Austrian- American jewelry and fashion designer in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
Life
Henrietta was born the second of seven children to tailor Isaac Kanengeiser and his wife Helen Kranczer. In 1900 she emigrated to America with her family .
The 16-year-old Henrietta worked as a secretary in the Macy's Store , one of the most famous New York department stores, and supported her parents at the same time. In order to upgrade her few clothes, she combined them with small accessories . This caught the eye of the local dressmaker and buyer Rose Ruth; during this time she took on the name Hattie Carnegie .
In 1909 she opened a fashion store with Rose Ruth on East 49th Street in New York, after nine years Carnegie bought her shares and founded Hattie Carnegie, Inc. The collection corresponded to the European style of the time - stylishly subtle, yet elegant and luxurious - as it corresponded to American fashion tastes until the end of the 1920s. Carnegie expanded its line by adding furs , costume jewelry , lingerie , hats and perfume to its range. In 1925, Hattie Carnegie signed a contract with Isaac Magnin that allowed her to open branches in Macy's department stores. Her designs also found attention in Hollywood and later appeared in their productions. Famous designers such as Norman Norell , Pauline Trigère , James Galanos , Ward Bennett and Jean Louis learned the trade from her. Her clients included Joan Crawford , the Duchess of Windsor and Baroness de Rothschild .
During the Korean War (1950–1953) she was commissioned by the US Army to design new military uniforms for the female corps. For this she got the highest civil award of the army (WAC). The uniform was in use until 1968.
Hattie Carnegie married John Zanft (1883–1960) in 1928, the marriage remained childless. When Carnegie died in New York in 1956, she was presiding over an eight million dollar company.
literature
- Beryl Williams Epstein: Fashion is Our Business. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia PA et al. 1945.
- Georgiana McCall: Hattie Carnegie Jewelry. Her Life And Legacy. Schiffer Publishing Ltd, Atglen PA 2005, ISBN 0-7643-2151-X .
- Caroline Rennolds Milbank: New York Fashion. The Evolution of American Style. Abrams, New York NY 1989, ISBN 0-8109-1388-7 .
- Valerie Steele : Women of Fashion. Twentieth-Century Designers. Rizzoli, New York NY 1991, ISBN 0-8478-1394-0 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Carnegie, Hattie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kanengeiser, Henrietta (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian-American jewelry and fashion designer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 15, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vienna |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 22, 1956 |
| Place of death | new York |