Sydney Wragge (1908–1978) was an American fashion designer active during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Working as B.H. Wragge, he was particularly renowned for his American sportswear, with the historian Caroline Rennolds Milbank declaring him the leader in mix-and-match separates and interchangeable wardrobe design.

History

In the 1930s and 1940s, Wragge, along with John Weitz, was one of the few male "pioneers" in the female-dominated world of early American sportswear design. The fashion journalist

Sally Kirkland Sally Kirkland (born October 31, 1941) is an American film, television and stage actress and producer. A former member of Andy Warhol's The Factory and an active member in 1960s New York avant-garde theater, she has appeared in more than 250 fi ...

, looking over the development of American sportswear, compared Wragge's design ethos to that of a later designer,

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his c ...

, declaring that they shared impeccable taste and an eye for the best possible fabrics and prints. He was known for his versatile work, offering jackets that worked with both full and narrow skirts, and two-piece dresses that worked equally well as interchangeable blouses and skirts. In the 1960s, he updated his work to successfully meet the demands of the next generation for even more practical, pared-down clothing. When curating his major exhibition of American sportswear for 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 ...

in 1998, Richard Martin noted that many of Wragge's former customers still retained the

capsule wardrobe A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothing that is composed of interchangeable items only, to maximise the number of outfits that can be created. The aim is to have an outfit suitable for any occasion without owning excessive items of clothing ...

s they had originally bought in the 1940s and 1950s. Wragge won his first

Coty Award The Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards (awarded 1943–1984) were created in 1942 by the cosmetics and perfume company Coty, Inc. to promote and celebrate American fashion, and encourage design during the Second World War. In 1985, the Coty A ...

in 1952, a special award for "concept of dressing," and was awarded a second one in 1957. He also received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1961. He was the first president of the

Council of Fashion Designers of America The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory ...

, a trade association of prominent American fashion and accessory designers that was founded in 1962 by

Eleanor Lambert Eleanor Lambert (August 10, 1903 – October 7, 2003) was an American fashion publicist. She was instrumental in increasing the international prominence of the American fashion industry and in the emergence of New York City as a major fashion ca ...

, and held the post until 1965.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wragge, Sydney 1908 births 1978 deaths American fashion designers