Pauline Trigere, American, 1912-2002

Dress, 1965

Printed silk chiffon

Gift of Mrs. Adele Astaire Douglass  1976.c.125

Pauline Trigere’s trademark was the turtle, a Chinese symbol of longevity and luck. The turtle is seemingly appropriate for Trigere, who lived to be 93 and had a long and successful career. She named her country estate in Westchester County, New York, La Tortue (The Turtle) because there were three turtles sunning themselves on a little rock when she first saw it. A collection of well over nine hundred turtles fashioned in gold, silver, needlepoint, crystal and other materials adorned the estate.

In each collection, Trigere designed a garment with a turtle print. In the dress shown here, Trigere’s signature motif adorns a collection of scarves that were fashioned to a dress. Two scarves form the front and two form the back creating a perfect handkerchief hemline. Additional scarves are attached at each shoulder forming a flowing cape.

Adele Astaire Douglass (1897-1981) wore this dress at an Arizona Costume Institute benefit, “An Evening With Pauline Trigere,” sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue at the Arizona Biltmore in 1974. The event celebrated a retrospective of Trigere’s work, “30 Years of Trigere,” then on view at Phoenix Art Museum.

Divorced and with two children to support, Trigere founded her company in the garment district of New York City in 1942, just when most people were closing down or going out of business because of the war. With her brother, she managed the affairs of the business during the daytime and created the designs after hours. Wartime restrictions dictated that the heat in the building be turned off at 5pm. She wrapped newspapers around her legs and feet to keep them warm while she worked into the night draping and cutting the fabrics directly on the dressmaker’s forms.

Trigere’s perseverance, desire and fortitude led to her success. She worked in the fashion business from 1943 to the end of her life creating couture quality clothing for the American ready-to-wear market. For over fifty years, Trigere was a recognized name in fashion. She received three Coty awards and inclusion into the Coty Hall of Fame in addition to many other major fashion awards and the French Legion of Honor. An exemplar of style, Trigere possessed discipline and talent that, coupled with her charm, made her a legend of American fashion. 

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