Geoffrey Beene facts for kids

Geoffrey Beene was a famous American fashion designer. He was born Samuel Albert Bozeman Jr. on August 30, 1924. He passed away on September 28, 2004.

Beene was known for his amazing artistic and technical skills. He created simple, comfortable, and very stylish clothes for women. His designs made him one of New York's most recognized fashion designers.

Today, the Geoffrey Beene brand is still active. In 2018, a company called PVH bought the brand. PVH also owns other well-known clothing brands. The Geoffrey Beene brand will soon be sold to another company, Authentic Brands Group.

Geoffrey Beene's Early Life & Education

Geoffrey Beene was born in 1924 in Haynesville, Louisiana. This was a small town near the Arkansas state line. His family included many doctors, and they hoped he would become one too.

He started studying medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans. However, after three years, he decided to leave in 1946. Beene then moved to Los Angeles. There, he began studying fashion design at the University of Southern California. He also worked at a retail store called I. Magnin.

In 1947, he moved to New York City to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion. Later, he traveled to Paris, France. In Paris, he studied at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He also learned from the famous Molyneux fashion house.

Beene returned to New York in 1949. He worked as an Assistant Designer for a fashion house called Harmay. In 1958, he left Harmay to design with Teal Traina. Soon after, he started his own fashion company.

Geoffrey Beene's Fashion Career

Geoffrey Beene started his own company, Geoffrey Beene, Inc., in New York City in 1963. He partnered with Leo Orlandi from Teal Traina. Their first showroom was on Seventh Avenue, a famous street for fashion.

Just one year later, he won the Coty American Fashion Critics' Award. This was a very important award in the fashion world. His very first collection was even featured on the cover of Vogue Magazine.

Beene was always trying new things. In 1970, he used everyday fabrics like sweatshirt material and denim for evening dresses. This was very unusual at the time. In 1971, he launched his "Beene Bag" line. This line used the same stylish shapes as his expensive couture clothes, but at a lower price.

By the mid-1970s, Beene had many licensing deals. This meant his name was on products like eyeglasses and bed sheets. His most famous product was a men's cologne called Grey Flannel. It launched in 1975 and quickly became a classic. It even won an award in 1976.

In 1976, Beene made history. He was the first American designer to show a collection in Milan, Italy. This was a huge success and helped American fashion become known around the world. Because of this, he won his sixth Coty Award in 1977. He eventually won eight Coty Awards, more than any other designer.

In 1986, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) named him their Designer of the Year. Two years later, the CFDA gave him a special award for "Fashion as Art." In 1989, he opened his first Geoffrey Beene store on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Many famous people wore Geoffrey Beene's designs. These included First Ladies like Lady Bird Johnson and Nancy Reagan. Actresses like Faye Dunaway and Glenn Close also loved his clothes. Beene was also a great teacher. Many of his students, like Alber Elbaz and Maria Pinto, became successful designers themselves.

Geoffrey Beene's Legacy

Geoffrey Beene passed away on September 28, 2004. He was 80 years old. He had been battling cancer, and his death was due to complications like pneumonia. He had a successful career in fashion design that lasted over 40 years.

To honor his amazing contributions to fashion, the Council of Fashion Designers of America created an award in his name. It's called the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. This award started in 1984 and is given every year to a designer who has made a big impact.

Helping Others: Charitable Work

The Geoffrey Beene brand does a lot of good. All the money earned from Geoffrey Beene products goes to help important causes. These include research for cancer and Alzheimer's disease. They also support programs that help prevent domestic violence. Other causes include Save the Children and educational scholarships for fashion students.

In 2007, the Geoffrey Beene Foundation teamed up with the FSF YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund. Their goal was to help more students who wanted to work in the fashion industry. The foundation has given over $5 million to the FSF to support these students.

Images for kids

• 

  Embroidered lace evening minidress by Beene, 1968-69 (PMA)

• 

  Lamé velvet "Mercury" evening dress by Beene, Fall-Winter 1994-5 (PMA)

See also

In Spanish: Geoffrey Beene para niños