Michaele Vollbracht fashion illustrations, circa 1972-1986 KA.0043 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit February 28, 2017 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Kellen Design Archives October 5, 2010 66 5th Ave./ lobby level New York, NY, 10011 212.229.5942 archivist@newschool.edu
Table of Contents Collection Overview... 2 Biographical note... 3 Scope and Contents of Collection... 4 Arrangement note... 4 Administrative Information... 4 Related Materials... 5 Keywords for Searching Related Subjects... 5 Collection Inventory... 5 Series I. Fashion illustrations... 5 Series II. Illustrations for fashion program... 6 Series III. Posters and Bloomingdale's publicity materials... 7 Collection Overview Repository Kellen Design Archives Creator - Illustrator Vollbracht, Michael, 1947- Title Michaele Vollbracht fashion illustrations Date [inclusive] circa 1972-1986 Extent 16.2 linear ft: 6 oversize boxes, 2 oversize folders Abstract Fashion illustrator Michaele Vollbracht (1947- ) graduated from Parsons in 1968, and has since returned periodically as a visiting critic. After working as a design assistant for Geoffrey Beene, Donald Brooks, and Norman Norell, Vollbracht turned to fashion illustration and portraiture. - Page 2 -
In 1985 Vollbracht published Nothing Sacred, an illustrated memoir, and in 2000 Parsons mounted an exhibition of his work to celebrate the release of the updated version of the book. The bulk of the collection is comprised of fashion illustrations and designer portraits Vollbracht created for a 1972 fashion show celebrating Parsons School of Design's 75th anniversary and the establishment of the school's Gimbel Library. Also includes a sketch of Vollbracht's iconic Bloomingdale's shopping bag of 1975. Preferred Citation note [Identification of item], [date (if known)], Michaele Vollbracht fashion illustrations, KA.0043, box, folder, New School Archives, The New School, New York, New York. Biographical note American designer and illustrator Michael Vollbracht (a.k.a. Michaele Vollbracht) was born in Quincy, Illinois in 1947. After graduating in 1968 from Parsons School of Design (now Parsons The New School for Design), where he earned the school s Golden Thimble Award, Vollbracht worked as an assistant to Geoffrey Beene until 1969. Vollbracht designed for Donald Brooks (1969-1971) and Norman Norell (1971-1972) before shifting his attention to fashion illustration and graphic design. Vollbracht became an illustrator for Henri Bendel. In 1975, Bloomingdale s commissioned him to create a shopping bag. The result was a unique design that garnered the artist considerable recognition. Neither the department store s name nor any other type of advertisement were included -- only the stylized portrait of a woman and the artist s signature appeared on the bag. Vollbracht went on to form a successful fashion company, Vollbracht Design Studies, in 1977. His colorful, uniquely patterned designs appealed to both celebrities and the general public, earning him the Coty American Fashion Critics Award in 1980. The mid-1980s saw Vollbracht with three ready-to-wear clothing lines along with multiple manufacturing contracts for a wide variety of products. At the pinnacle of his success, Vollbracht retired from the fashion industry to focus on illustrating. His work has been featured in Vogue, The New Yorker and in his illustrated memoir, Nothing Sacred (1985). In 1999, Vollbracht collaborated with Bill Blass to co-write the biography Bill Blass: An American Designer and to curate a retrospective of Blass work at the University of Indiana. After Blass died in 2002, Vollbracht returned to fashion design, becoming the creative director of the late designer s successful clothing line until 2007, when he once again returned to a full-time career as an artist. - Page 3 -
Scope and Contents of Collection The bulk of the collection consists of mixed media fashion illustrations and portraits of 20th century American fashion designers created by Michaele Vollbracht. The first series includes fashion illustrations possibly inspired by magazine photographs or illustrations. The drawings are rendered in a palette of black, white, and red. Some drawings feature explanatory notes identifying magazine publication dates and the apparel depicted, but no evidence of when Vollbracht created them. The second series consists of illustrations published in a program designed by Cipe Pineles Burtin for a student and alumni fashion show marking the 75th anniversary of Parsons School of Design and the establishment of the school's Gimbel Library in 1972. The series is comprised of portraits of American fashion designers and an illustration depicting a costume by each designer. The third series consists of posters designed by Vollbracht depicting Hollywood film stars Gary Cooper and Marilyn Monroe, and Bloomingdale's publicity materials designed by Vollbracht, including his iconic shopping bag, a clipping of an advertisement, and a drawing. Arrangement note Organized in 3 series: I Fashion illustrations, circa 1972 II Illustrations for catalog, circa 1972 III Posters and Bloomingdale's publicity materials, 1976-1986 Administrative Information Publication Information Kellen Design Archives October 5, 2010 Conditions Governing Access note Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment. Use Restrictions To publish images of material from this collection, permission must be obtained in writing from the New School Archives. Please contact: archivist@newschool.edu. Immediate Source of Acquisition note - Page 4 -
Materials in Series III. donated by Michaele Vollbracht, 2000. Related Materials Additional records pertaining to the 1972 student and alumni fashion show will be found in the New School Archives' Parsons School of Design Fashion Design Department records (pre-2008 accessions) (PC.02.02.01), as well as samples of Michaele Vollbracht's student work created while attending Parsons. The fashion show program designed by Cipe Pineles Burtin will be found in the New School Archives' Parsons School of Design Adam and Sophie Gimbel Design Library records (pre-2011 accessions) (PC.08.01.01). Additional illustration work by Vollbracht for a Norman Norell retrospective will be found in the Exhibitions and public programs collection (NS.05.03.01). Keywords for Searching Related Subjects Corporate Name(s) Bloomingdale s (Firm). Parsons School of Design. Genre(s) Fashion illustrations (layout features). Posters. Occupation(s) Fashion illustrators. Subject(s) Fashion designers -- United States -- 20th century -- Pictorial works. Fashion drawing. Women's clothing -- United States -- 20th century -- Pictorial works. Collection Inventory Box Folder Series I. Fashion illustrations circa 1972-1986 k_osxxx-8 5 - Page 5 -
OSxxx-2 10-11 OSxxx-3 9-10 OSxxx-1 1-7 Series II. Illustrations for fashion program circa 1972 Designer portraits Box Folder Unidentified designers OSxxx-2 1 Adri OSxxx-2 2 Adrian, Gilbert OSxxx-2 2 Amey, Ronald OSxxx-2 4 Booher, Jeannene OSxxx-2 5 Brigance, Tom OSxxx-2 2 Brooks, Donald OSxxx-2 2 Capraro, Albert OSxxx-2 3 Copeland, Jo OSxxx-2 3 Ebker, Nancy OSxxx-2 6 Johnson, Bosha OSxxx-2 7 Justin, Jane OSxxx-2 3 Kasper, Herbert OSxxx-2 3 Larson, Barbara [not in catalog] OSxxx-3 1 McCardell, Claire OSxxx-3 1 Moore, John OSxxx-3 1 Morgan, Donna OSxxx-2 8 Norell, Norman OSxxx-3 2 Paschalides, Kathy OSxxx-2 9 Ribando, Peter OSxxx-3 4 Rompollo, Dominic OSxxx-3 2 Simonelli, Donald OSxxx-3 2 Smith, Bill OSxxx-3 3 Smith, Willi OSxxx-3 5 Story, Jennifer OSxxx-3 6 Tiel, Vicky OSxxx-3 7 Unger, Kay OSxxx-3 8 Weinberg, Chester OSxxx-3 3 - Page 6 -
Fashion illustrations Box Folder Adri OSxxx-4 2 Adrian, Gilbert OSxxx-4 2 Banton, Travis OSxxx-4 3 Booher, Jeannene OSxxx-4 3 Brigance, Tom [different illustration in catalog] OSxxx-4 4 Brooks, Donald OSxxx-4 4 Capraro, Albert OSxxx-5 1 Copeland, Jo OSxxx-5 1 Ebker, Nancy OSxxx-5 2 Elias, Erika OSxxx-5 2 Johnson, Bosha OSxxx-5 3 Justin, Jane OSxxx-5 3 Kasper, Herbert OSxxx-5 4 Larson, Barbara [not in catalog] OSxxx-4 1 McCardell, Claire OSxxx-5 5 Moore, John OSxxx-5 5 Morgan, Donna OSxxx-5 6 Norell, Norman k_osxxx-8 4 Paschalides, Kathy OSxxx-5 6 Ribando, Peter OSxxx-6 1 Rizzo, Frank OSxxx-6 1 Rompollo, Dominic OSxxx-6 2 Scott, Ken OSxxx-6 2 Sharaff, Irene OSxxx-6 3 Simonelli, Donald OSxxx-6 3 Smith, Bill OSxxx-6 4 Smith, Willi OSxxx-6 4 Story, Jennifer OSxxx-6 5 Tiel, Vicky OSxxx-6 5 Unger, Kay OSxxx-6 6 Weinberg, Chester OSxxx-6 6 Williams, Arthur OSxxx-4 1 Series III. Posters and Bloomingdale's publicity materials 1976-1986 - Page 7 -
Box Folder Bloomingdale's, circa 1976 k_osxx-2 5 Posters, circa 1985-1986 C 1 4 - Page 8 -