Gloria Vanderbilt’s Everlasting Impact on the Fashion Industry
After her passing, Gloria Vanderbilt leaves behind a legacy in American fashion.
Before creating her vast fashion empire, many people knew Gloria as a socialite and the great-granddaughter of 19th century American business magnate, Cornelius Vanderbilt. Soon, Gloria would show everyone that she was much more than a typical socialite. Gloria explored many different avenues of artistry, such as acting, modeling, writing and painting. Vanderbilt also found another way to express her creativity, and that was through the world of fashion. Before the creation of ready-to-wear garments line that released in the mid 70s, Gloria first started producing fashion and textile designs that granted her the 1969 Neiman Marcus Fashion award. While she didn’t have a strong background in fashion design, it was clear that Vanderbilt had a promising career in the industry.
How Gloria Vanderbilt Turned Denim into a Designer Offering and a $200 Million Brand. https://t.co/uNA4YEPHkP pic.twitter.com/gAKEzLHDvB
— The Fashion Law (@TheFashionLaw) June 20, 2019
In the 70s, Gloria formed a partnership with Mohan Murjani, a New York City Garment District manufacturer and started designing blouses, which eventually led to the launching of her infamous line of name-brand women’s jeans in 1976. This jeans brand was identified with her signature and trademark swan logo, which was inspired by her role in “The Swan”. Having notable experience in modeling, Gloria became the face of her own signature label. The jeans were marketed with a $1 million television ad campaign in 1978, which was also the same year that Murjani bought the brand. Vanderbilt’s jeans were popular because it catered to women’s curves, which made designer denim a chic wardrobe staple. Murjani once stated to WWD, “It was all about creating a pair of jeans to fit a woman. That was the most important thing to Gloria.”
Under her GV Ltd. brand, Gloria Vanderbilt sold millions of pairs of jeans. The line eventually expanded to also include women’s apparel, footwear, fragrance, and home accessories. Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger complimented Gloria by stating, “Gloria was an icon, I met her in the early ’80s through the Murjani family, who owned the Gloria Vanderbilt jeans business. She was a lovely, sophisticated woman with warmth and kindness. It is apparent that fashion icon Gloria Vanderbilt has left a legacy that will last forever.
