Photos By Gail

Pauline Trigère (1908 –  2002) was a Franco-American couturière. She was most famous in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, and designed novelties such as the jumpsuit, the sleeveless coat, the reversible cape and the embroidered sheer bodice. She reinvented ready-to-wear fashion, matching form to function with bold prints and architectural silhouettes to create a distinctly modern female aesthetic.


Installation View with Design by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton 

Trigère was also a master of cutting on the bias — a challenging technique that involves turning the fabric at an oblique angle. For this vibrant, multicolored dress (circa 1970s) , the designer employed the bias not only for the body of her dress, but for its long, hanging sleeves, which resulted in a more fluid design.

Photographed in the Museum at FIT as Part of the Exhibit, Statement Sleeves.