An eggplant leather cape with shawl collar and slits for arms and brass closures. Lined in olive green and blue striped nubby wool fabric. Long sleeved dress in olive green and blue striped nubby wool fabric with eggplant leather trim at v neck. Dress label reads a Bonnie Cashin Design, Sills and Co. Measurements: Bust approximately 43 inches, length approximately 31 inches.

All-American designer Bonnie Cashin cemented the era of sportswear alongside her contemporary Claire McCardell. Often credited as both the nominal and conceptual inventor of layering, Bonnie Cashin fashioned coordinating separates for smart styling. Notably contributing to accessory design, Cashin innovated handbag staples such as the bucket bag and the crossbody while her zipped tote for Coach in 1969 marked a revolutionary shift for functional fashion. Despite her utilitarian ingenuity as a pioneer of hardware elements like the D-ring, Cashin additionally proved her artistic prowess in Hollywood as a costume designer for 20th Century Fox in the 1940s. Notably, Bonnie Cashin is acclaimed as the designer of the first flight attendants for women of color.

PROVENANCE From The Collection of Doris Raymond

Fashion