NARDUCCI FASHION ARCHIVE
2015 - 2025
Providence, RI | New York, NY
Offering a glimpse into the fashion world told through the life and career of designer Leo Narducci (1932 - 2023) and his contemporaries, we see the connective dots in a fashion history seldom told : Seventh Avenue's sportswear evolution, New York's garment industry history, and the rise of the Young American designers within the 1960s and 1970s. The book project, Design According to Leo Narducci and Other Seventh Avenue Tales, will accompany an exhibition showcasing garments, ephemera and several portfolios never before exhibited.
Uncovering the fashion archive
I have photographed and cataloged over 800 items of Leo Narducci's personal archive containing showroom illustrations, photographs, magazine features, press kits and personal ephemera. Leo's intention to create affordable fashion for all shapes and economic backgrounds is foundational to his story. His archive maps a constellation of untold stories recognizing the many voices who ushered in change and inspired generations of young artists and designers.
In addition to working with Narducci, I have compiled a comprehensive oral history of recorded interviews incorporating perspectives from fashion designers, illustrators, textile designers, stylists, historians, museum curators, journalists, and former editors of Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Mademoiselle Magazine.
Featuring
Stan Herman
Edie Raymond Locke
Julian Tomchin
Patti Cappali
Ellen Harth
Anthony Muto
Deanna Littell
Rachel Rae Crespin
Leo Narducci
. . . And so many more
"As a designer, my focus wasn’t necessarily related to age or income, it was about capturing a youthful feeling. My intuition about fashion has always been my key. I was interested in dressing every woman, not only a select few . . . . wealth didn’t determine access to good designer clothes. Income shouldn't limit a woman from a well-made closet." - LEO NARDUCCI
Design According to Leo Narducci and Other Seventh Avenue Tales portrays the power of conviction, creativity, and longevity by a significant designer in fashion history.
"What stands out about the designers
of the 1965 Coty Fashion Awards is one word – Invention. They tuned into the mood of the country . . . the most wonderful was Leo. When you walked into a room wearing a Leo Narducci, heads turned and you would be asked, 'Who are you wearing?' He remains tuned into the times, now as he was then, forever capturing the moment."
- RACHEL 'RAY' CRESPIN, FASHION EDITOR,
Harper's Bazaar | Vogue | Esquire
BOOK PROJECT
Design According to Leo Narducci is a book project and exhibition featuring editorial and private archival materials.