Sally Milgrim (''née'' Knobel; April 21, 1898 – June 16, 1994) was an American businesswoman and fashion designer. She notably designed the dress

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

wore to her husband's first inaugural ball.

Early life and education

Milgrim was born as Sally Knobel on April 21, 1898, to immigrant parents Philip and Tillie Knobel. She was married to Charles Milgrim in 1914, who co-operated a family suit business on the Lower East Side of New York City.

Career

At her husband's business, Milgrim began displaying her own dress designs to appeal to the female consumers. By 1922, her dress designs were sold across twenty-nine states and she was recruited to design clothes for Broadway productions. Milgrim eventually opened her own store on 57th Street near Fifth Avenue in 1927. Due to her popularity, Milgrim was forced to move into a larger space on Fifty-Seventh Street to sell her designs. Her building was designed by architect L. H. Friedland and the interior by the Paris Studio of New York. In 1933, Milgrim was asked to design a dress for

to wear to her husband's first inaugural ball. The light blue dress would later go on display at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. Milgrim also designed dresses for

Marilyn Miller Marilyn Miller (born Mary Ellen Reynolds; September 1, 1898 – April 7, 1936) was one of the most popular Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and early 1930s. She was an accomplished tap dancer, singer and actress, and the combination of these ...

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, and

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

. In March 1936, Milgrim was honored by the New York League of Business and Professional Women for her achievements. In 1941, Milgrim unveiled a new collection called "Arabesque," as it was inspired by their modest fashion. The clothes in this collection emphasized women's "tent-pole Silhouette," which means she combined many styles into one. She also created a "ready to wear" clothing line labelled "Salymil." ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' described this label as "fresh young clothes."

Later life and legacy

Milgrim retired from the fashion industry in 1960, and eventually died on June 16, 1994. A collection of her hats is in an exhibition at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 100 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milgrim, Sally 1994 deaths 1898 births American fashion designers Clothing companies established in 1927 American Jews 20th-century American businesswomen 20th-century American businesspeople Jewish women in business American women fashion designers