Leo Narducci (1932 – November 25, 2023) was an American fashion designer.
Leo Narducci | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1932 Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 2023 (aged 91) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Rhode Island School of Design |
| Occupation | Fashion Designer |
| Years active | 1960s–2023 |
| Awards | Coty Award (1965) |
Biography
editBorn and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, Narducci's parents owned a garment factory, where he learned to sew and developed a fascination with fashion.[1] In 1950, he graduated from Brockton High School.[1] After serving in the Air Force in Korea, Narducci attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he graduated in 1960.[2] After graduation, he moved to New York, where he initially designed for Loomtogs.[3] In 1965 he won the Coty Award for Young Designers, and in 1967 opened his own studio.[1][4]
A prominent designer during the 1960s and 1970s, his clothes were popular with celebrities like Kaye Stevens and Joyce Brothers, and in 1972 Narducci was a guest on the Mike Douglas Show.[1][5][6] Although most well-known for his ready-to-wear collections, Narducci also designed scarfs, belts, jewelry, evening bags, Vogue patterns, and career apparel.[7] He also produced samples in size 16 (in an era when most samples were size 8 or 10) so that the proportions would be correct for larger-sized women.[7] He employed or mentored other prominent designers, including Bill Robinson and Stephen Sprouse.[8][9]
In the early 1990s, Narducci moved back to Brockton, where he frequently put on fashion shows to benefit area organizations like Stonehill College and the Fuller Craft Museum.[1] In 2003, he was honored with the Historic Citizen's Award by the Brockton Historical Society.[1]
At the end of his life, Narducci resided in Providence, Rhode Island, where he designed and taught at RISD.[10] He died there on November 25, 2023, at the age of 91.[11][12] Women's Wear Daily described him as "a leading Seventh Avenue designer in the 1960s and 1970s who define affordable American sportswear as a business unto itself."[13] Narducci was married to Robert Ferrari.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Call, Maureen (2003-10-11). "Brockton to honor its famed fashion designer". The Enterprise. Brockton, MA. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ "Leo Narducci". www.lasell.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "Leo Narducci Archive". Holly Gaboriault. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ Cook, Joan (1965-06-30). "Coty Jury Votes Special Citations but No Winnie". New York Times. p. 26.
- ^ Sauer, Georgia (1973-02-18). "Dr. Joyce Brothers: "It's nice not to worry about clothes"". Chicago Tribune. p. M6.
- ^ "Television". New York Times. 1972-10-12. p. 95.
- ^ a b Livingstone, Evelyn (1975-09-22). "Fashion designers used to be just designers". Chicago Tribune. p. B3.
- ^ Pace, Eric (1993-12-17). "Bill Robinson, 45, Pioneering Designer of Fashions for Men". New York Times. p. B14.
- ^ Buck, Genevieve (1984-05-30). "STEPHEN SPROUSE: STEPHEN WHO? [HINT: THINK HOT DESIGNER]". Chicago Tribune. p. W3.
- ^ "In the Studio: Leo Narducci". Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "Leo Narducci Obituary". Retrieved 2023-12-01.
- ^ "The Fashion Figures We Lost in 2023". Vogue. 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ a b Feitelberg, Rosemary (2023-11-25). "Sportswear Designer Leo Narducci, Who Helped Define 'Young Designer' Category, Dies". WWD. Retrieved 2023-12-20.