Fashion Independent: The Original Style of Ann Bonfoey Taylor

Ann Bonfoey Taylor (1910–2007) created a life that personifies what an American woman can be—Olympic skier, championship tennis player, licensed pilot, successful skiwear designer, skilled sportswoman—but above all, she was a style icon. This exhibition, organized by Dennita Sewell, curator of fashion design at Phoenix Art Museum, showcased the custom-made wardrobe of day and evening wear that Taylor assembled from the post–World War II era through the 1970s. It included approximately 200 pieces designed by some of the most accomplished couturiers of the 20th century, including Mariano Fortuny, Charles James, James Galanos, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy and Madame Grés. The collection, selected by Art and Antiques magazine as one of the top 100 museum gifts of 2008, also included Taylor’s own skiwear designs and sportswear and accessories by Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Henry Maxwell.