From the Met Gala’s iconic red stairs to the presence of A-list celebrities adorned in archival fashion, the message was clear: the biggest fashion flex is through vintage. Notable figures such as Zendaya and Nicole Kidman paid homage to designers of the past, evoking the golden ages of high fashion. However, any discourse on couture would be incomplete without mentioning Mary McFadden.
Just days before the Met Gala in New York, she was photographed in the same building as McFadden, a trailblazing designer and the first president of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her legacy is now celebrated in a retrospective titled ‘Modern Ritual: The Art of Mary McFadden’ at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Throughout her career, McFadden showcased her unwavering passion for India, a country she first visited at the young age of 19. She fondly recalls spending months in India, captivated by the sunsets near the iconic Taj Mahal. While her initial career path as a fashion editor took an unexpected turn towards design, her travels to India profoundly influenced her work.
Embroidery, particularly the intricate zardozi technique, became a defining element in McFadden’s designs. Sketches created in New York were meticulously sent to her factories in India, where artisans ensured the utmost perfection in every bead’s texture and placement. Joan Olden, the former president of McFadden’s company, highlights her fascination with India’s vibrant colors, from street life to rickshaws.
Custom orders evolved into production orders, showcasing Indian craftsmanship on a global scale. Renowned women like Jackie Kennedy Onassis embraced McFadden’s designs, featuring exquisite Indian hand-beaded work in renowned stores worldwide, from Harrod’s in London to Gallery Lafayette in Paris. Harold Koda, the former curator of The Costume Institute at the Met, aptly described her as the ‘archaeological designer of 7th Avenue.’
Despite retiring her label in 2002, McFadden’s wanderlust remains undiminished, inspiring her fashion collections. She continues her annual pilgrimage to her beloved destination, the Sacred River Festival at Ahilya Fort in Maheshwar, an event she has generously sponsored for over two decades. The Ahilya Fort not only serves as a cultural sanctuary but also supports a weaving workshop, dye house, and school, preserving heirloom techniques that have been an integral part of the community for centuries. McFadden firmly believes in supporting the land that has deeply nourished her creativity.
