Carmel Snow facts for kids

A stamp from 2020 honoring Carmel Snow.

Carmel Snow, born Carmel White (August 21, 1887 – May 7, 1961), was a very important editor. She led the American magazine Harper's Bazaar from 1934 to 1958. She also chaired the magazine's editorial board. Carmel Snow was famous for saying, "Elegance is good taste, plus a dash of daring." This means being stylish is about having good judgment and a little bit of boldness.

Carmel Snow's Life Story

Her Early Years

Carmel White was born in Dalkey, a town near Dublin, Ireland. Her father, Peter White, was a tailor. Her mother was Annie Meyne.

When Carmel was young, her father passed away in 1893. After this, Carmel and her mother moved to America. Her mother, Annie, became a well-known dressmaker. She made clothes for many rich people in New York City.

In 1903, Carmel went to school in Brussels, Belgium. It was a convent school called Soeurs de Sainte-Marie. There, she became very good at speaking French.

Her Amazing Career

Starting at Vogue

In 1921, Carmel got a big break. She was introduced to Edna Woolman Chase, who was the editor of Vogue. Soon after, Condé Nast, who owned Vogue, offered Carmel a job. She became an assistant fashion editor.

By 1926, Carmel was promoted to fashion editor at Vogue. In the same year, she married George Palen Snow. She wore a beautiful cream-colored satin gown for her wedding. It was decorated with pearls and old lace that had been in her family for many years. Carmel and George later had three daughters.

Moving to Harper's Bazaar

In 1929, Carmel's brother, Tom White, became a general manager at Hearst. This company published Harper's Bazaar. Even though Carmel had promised Condé Nast she wouldn't work for Hearst, she eventually did.

In 1932, Carmel became the fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar. She had a clear goal for the magazine. She wanted to create a magazine for "well-dressed women with well-dressed minds." This meant she wanted it to be stylish and smart.

New Ideas and Discoveries

Carmel Snow was great at finding new talent. She discovered a photographer named Martin Munkacsi. In 1933, she convinced him to photograph a special swimsuit feature. It was for the December edition of Harper's Bazaar.

For this photoshoot, Munkacsi had the model, Lucille Brokaw, run towards the camera. He took her picture while she was moving. This was a very new idea at the time. It was the first time a fashion model was photographed in motion.

In 1934, Carmel Snow became the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar. This was a very important role.

She also hired Alexey Brodovitch as her art director. She saw his work at an exhibition and was amazed. She said his designs were "bold and interesting." Carmel also found her fashion editor, Diana Vreeland, in a unique way. She noticed Diana dancing across a crowded room and knew she had a special style.

Coining "The New Look"

In 1947, Carmel Snow saw Christian Dior's new fashion collection. She was so excited that she exclaimed, "It's such a new look!" This famous phrase was then used to describe Dior's revolutionary designs.

Carmel Snow passed away in 1961. She was working on her memoir, a book about her life, with Mary Louis Aswell. The book, called The World of Carmel Snow, was published after her death.

Carmel Snow's Lasting Impact

Some people wonder why Carmel Snow isn't as famous today as some other fashion icons. Photographer Richard Avedon once said that she was older and died before "stardom was the thing." This means that in her time, people weren't as focused on making individuals into huge celebrities.

In 2020, Carmel Snow was honored in her home country. She was one of several famous Irish people featured on special stamps by An Post, the Irish postal service.