intoxication: the key to survival

A rare Alix Barton/Madame Grès couture ivory jersey evening coat

c. 1934

A bias-cut sequinned tulle evening gown

early 1930s

Dress and Jacket

c. 1932

unknown maker, Hungarian

Dress

c. 1969

Nancy Lee Kimmel (1948-1976) made herself this dress when she was the maid-of-honor for her friend, Linda Windel, who married Clinton Brown in August of 1969. Its style typifies the high-waisted Empire style of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The yellow and gold combination was a popular one at the time, appearing not only in fashion but in household decor as well. Kimmel began sewing as a teenager after taking home economics classes at Bethesda-Chevy Chase Senior High School. She later attended the University of Maryland where she majored in home economics with a focus in interior design, a field she pursued after graduation.

Fortuny Stenciled Velvet Coat

1920s

Art Nouveau Brooch

Henri-Auguste Solié