Personal Branding, Fifties Fashion Style

March 11, 2014 — 3 Comments

Fashion follows function.  In the 1950’s a model had limited options. She could be a junior or a high fashion model, a field that was evolving.  Jean Patchett was a Mad Man’s dream, a fashion model married to a New York banker.  She set style, but was not drawing any revenue from the rip off of her iconic eye and mouth printed on pairs of pajamas.  She was in the vanguard of personal branding, but not the beneficiary of it.  This interview with Edward R Murrow is a trip to a more sexist time.  Jean’s famous eye had become an icon, but she had no creative control over it.  She was happy just to be an icon with a famous eye, and her banker husband is happy for the same reasons.

She left us with some stunning images of her beautiful self in some amazing fashion.  We will never know how liberated she was.  She was able to live a life full of more travel opportunities than many had in that time, and the photos reflect her world travel. Her decision to be serious rather than smile in her shots is what made her a “high fashion” model.  She was a ground breaker.  She perfected the genre.