B is for Beene
"Geoffrey Beene (August 30, 1927 – September 28, 2004)
Beene was a master of balance -- simplicity in harmony with style. But he didn't start out in fashion, his beginnings at Tulane University in Louisiana saw him studying medicine for three years. In 1946 he packed up his doctor's kit ("Cadavers were the moment of truth.") and unpacked his swatches, entering the Traphagan School of Fashion in New York City in 1947. After his fashion training, he worked with the established fashion houses Harmay and then Teal Traina. Next came a stint in Paris, before he returned to New York in 1951. In 1963 he launched his own, eponymously named label, which branched into many sub-lines. Amongst the fashion cognoscenti, his name is synonymous with quality.
Apart from making his own place in fashion history, he is notable for being the first coty award winner, in 1964 (others would follow). This helped propel him to associations with more upscale and well-known clientele, including presidential daughter Lynda Bird Johnson, for whom he made a wedding gown in 1967. Unlike many designers, Beene was very concerned with the woman who wore his clothes. He declared after a certain point in his career, he never again designed an uncomfortable dress.
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