Morton Myles, who died on June 23, 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona at age 92, was a renowned American fashion designer and credited as the Father of Cost Conscious Couture.

A Manhattan native, Myles enrolled at New York University as a pre-med student, but transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology for a degree in Fashion Design and Production Management. He also studied at at the Chambre Syndicale and Ecole Guerre-Lavigne in Paris.

Through the years, he collaborated with the likes of Jacques Fath in Paris and Herbert Sondheim, Larry Aldrich, and Abe Schreider in New York.

The CFDA member built a reputation among women with his elegant evening and special occasion dresses – and made a fashion statement as an early adapter of the Op art movement for his creations. He designed the “Good Friday” dress worn by Jacqueline Kennedy for the cover of Look Magazine in 1961, and throughout his career worked with models such as Veronica Hamel, Maude Adams, Sunny Griffin, Diane Keaton, Marisa Berenson, Veruschka, and Iman.

When he wasn’t creating clothes, he enjoyed playing piano, designing his homes, collecting art and antiques, and painting.

He is survived by his life partner, John Lawrence Otto, of Scottsdale, Arizona. Gifts may be made in Morton Myles memory to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 East Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014.  www.HOV.org.