As anecdotes go, this one from Adolfo’s own bio says much about the designer, who died at his Manhattan home on Saturday at age 98:
He achieved his fame by making clothes for the Duchess of Windsor, who introduced him to Betsy Bloomingdale. In 1967, Betsy Bloomingdale introduced him to Nancy Reagan, who later became the First Lady of the United States and soon became a faithful customer.
Indeed, Adolfo – one of a handful of designers who only went by their given names – traversed a rarefied world of American style that has since all but faded, leaving many of us with a sense of forlorn nostalgia.
Many of the ladies he dressed had a firm place on the International Best-Dressed list created by CFDA Founder Eleanor Lambert, and they chose Adolfo – best known for his riff on Chanel (or copies, if you will) – for their social outings.
A native of Cuba, Adolfo started his career in Paris, and, in the early 1950s, made his name in New York City as a milliner for Bragaard and Bergdorf Goodman, and, later, Emme. By the time he opened his own millinery studio in 1962, he was a well-known name, and he immediately set his sights on custom clothing creations which were loved by everyone from style icons from Gloria Vanderbilt and Babe Paley to the Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson and C.Z. Guest.
Adolfo dressed Nancy Reagan for both of her husband Ronald Reagan’s presidential inaugurations, in a red dress and and coat in 1981, and an electric blue dress and coat in 1985.
But despite such high-profile and über-social clientele, he is remembered as a deeply private person.
“The ladies who lunch adored him. He was one of the sweetest guys you’d ever want to meet,” Stan Herman said. “He was a very important designer, who caught the wind of America starting to make its move in design. He was a great copycat. Those suits [inspired by Chanel] were his calling card.”
Herman recalled one year when Adolfo, Halston and him all won Coty Awards. Halston and I were preparing for the night, and had our teams helping us,” Herman said. “Adolfo in the back, all by himself. I finally went up to him, and asked him if I can help, and all he said was, ‘I like doing it myself.’ He was simple, sweet guy who was probably shocked by his own success. His was a very simple presentation compared to Halston, who was swinging from the stars, and me, who was caught somewhere in the middle.”
But, Herman added, “He was smart enough to do a licensing,” and indeed, Adolfo licensed his name on a broad spectrum of lines for women, men, and children.
In 1993, he closed his East 57th Street couture salon to to focus on his licensing business, Adolfo Enterprises Inc.
WWD, citing Thomas Valek of the John Krtil Funeral Home, stated that funeral services will be held Dec. 9th at St. Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church at 10 in the morning. A burial at Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover, N.J., will follow the services.
