Carmel Snow, born Carmel White (1887 – 1961) was the editor of the American edition of Harper's Bazaar from 1934 to 1958 and, after her retirement, the chair of the magazine's editorial board.[1]

She was named after Our Lady of Mount Carmel.[2] She was born in Dublin, but she and her mother moved to New York when Carmel was a child.[1] Her father Peter White caught pneumonia and died on April 7, 1893, before this move.[2][1]

In 1903 Carmel finished in a convent in Brussels; the Soeurs de Sainte- Marie is where she mastered her understanding of French.[2]

In 1921 Carmel was offered the job of assistant fashion editor at Vogue by Condé Nast.[1] In 1926 she was appointed as fashion editor at Vogue.[1][3]

Also in 1926 she married George Palen Snow; she wore a gown of cream white satin trimmed with seed pearls and old Burano lace that had been in her family for many years.[4][1] She had three daughters; it was suggested that one of her children suffered from schizophrenia but this was not confirmed.[5][1]

In 1929 her brother Tom White became general manager of the Hearst publishing organization.[1] Though Carmel had promised Condé Nast she would not take a job there, she did take a job at Harper's Bazaar.[1] She famously described her goal at Harper's Bazaar as creating a magazine for "well-dressed women with well-dressed minds".[2]

She discovered Martin Munkacsi, and in 1933 persuaded him to photograph the December edition’s ‘Palm Beach’ bathing suit editorial.[1] For this editorial, he had the model run toward the camera while he photographed, which was the first instance of a fashion model being photographed in motion.[1]

Carmel became Editor-in-Chief of Harper's Bazaar in 1934.[1]

Also in 1934, she attended an Art Directors Club of New York exhibition where she discovered Alexey Brodovitch, referring to his exhibition as a revelation, describing "pages that bled beautifully, cropped photographs, typography and design that were bold and interesing".[2]

In 1936 she asked Diana Vreeland to work at Harper's Bazaar, as she was impressed with Vreeland's clothing style.[6]

In 1947, she exclaimed, "It's such a New Look!", thus coining that phrase in regard to Christian Dior's 1947 collection.[7][8]

Carmel was in the process of writing her autobiography when she passed away.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Women's Museum of Ireland | Articles | Carmel Snow". Womensmuseumofireland.ie. 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  2. ^ a b c d e Rowlands, Penelope (2008). A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and Her Life In Fashion, Art, and Letters.
  3. ^ "Meet The Irish Woman Who Ruled New York Fashion". ((cite web)): Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ "MISS WHIBRIDE OF GEOR6Ii P, 5NOW: Daughier of Mrs., Edward Vc:l Pelt Douglas Married at tho Home of Her Mother. ELIZABi'H SINGER WEDS Bishop $tlres Officiates at Her Marriage to H, de R. Lancaster In St.' Thomas's -- Other Nuptials.' :". ((cite web)): Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ "Before There Was Vreeland: A biography of Carmel Snow, who brought quality fiction and photography into fashion magazines". ((cite web)): Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ Vreeland, Diana (1985) [1984]. D. V. New York: Vintage. pp. 116–117. ISBN 0-394-73161-1.
  7. ^ Company History at Dior's website Archived 7 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "History of Christian Dior S.A." fundinguniverse.com.
  9. ^ "Carmel Snow, Editor, Dies at 73; Headed Harper's Bazaar Board: Leader in Fashion World on Both Sides of Atlantic Had Started With Vogue". ((cite web)): Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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