Michaele Vollbracht fashion illustrations
Online Access
Available digital items: https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/collections/KA004301
Abstract
Fashion illustrator Michaele Vollbracht (1947-2018) graduated from Parsons in 1968, and returned periodically as a visiting critic. After working as a design assistant for Geoffrey Beene, Donald Brooks, and Norman Norell, Vollbracht turned to fashion illustration and portraiture. In 1985 Vollbracht published Nothing Sacred, an illustrated memoir, and in 2000 Parsons mounted an exhibition to celebrate the release of an updated version of the book.
The bulk of the collection is comprised of fashion illustrations and designer portraits Vollbracht created for a 1972 fashion show celebrating Parsons School of Design's 75th anniversary and the establishment of the school's Gimbel Library. Also includes a sketch of Vollbracht's iconic Bloomingdale's shopping bag of 1975.
Dates
- circa 1972-1986
Creator
- Vollbracht, Michael, 1947-2018 (Illustrator, Person)
Extent
9.3 Cubic Feet (6 oversize boxes, 4 oversize folders)
Language of Materials
English
Scope and Contents of Collection
The bulk of the collection consists of mixed media fashion illustrations and portraits of 20th century American fashion designers created by Michaele Vollbracht.
The first series includes historical fashion illustrations possibly inspired by magazine photographs or illustrations. The drawings are rendered in a palette of black, white, and red. Some drawings feature explanatory notes identifying magazine publication dates and the apparel depicted, but no evidence of when Vollbracht created them. In 2017, researcher Jeffrey Banks identified the bulk of these unidentified illustrations as being of Norman Norell designs or, in one example, Vollbracht's own design for a bridal veil inspired by Norell. Illustrations depict notable women, such as Norma Shearer, Gertrude Lawrence, Mrs. Max Fisher, and his favorite model Denise Lyndon wearing Norell creations.
The second series consists of illustrations published in a program designed by Cipe Pineles Burtin for a student and alumni fashion show marking the 75th anniversary of Parsons School of Design and the establishment of the school's Gimbel Library in 1972. The series is comprised of portraits of American fashion designers and an illustration depicting a costume by each designer.
The third series consists of posters designed by Vollbracht depicting Hollywood film stars Gary Cooper and Marilyn Monroe, and Bloomingdale's publicity materials designed by Vollbracht, including his iconic shopping bag, a clipping of an advertisement, and a drawing.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment.
Use Restrictions
To publish images of material from this collection, permission must be obtained in writing from the New School Archives. Please contact: archivist@newschool.edu.
Biographical note
American designer and illustrator Michael Vollbracht (a.k.a. Michaele Vollbracht) was born in Quincy, Illinois in 1947. After graduating in 1968 from Parsons School of Design (now Parsons The New School for Design), where he earned the school’s Golden Thimble Award, Vollbracht worked as an assistant to Geoffrey Beene until 1969. Vollbracht designed for Donald Brooks (1969-1971) and Norman Norell (1971-1972) before shifting his attention to fashion illustration and graphic design.
Vollbracht became an illustrator for Henri Bendel. In 1975, Bloomingdale’s commissioned him to create a shopping bag. The result was a unique design that garnered the artist considerable recognition. Neither the department store’s name nor any other type of advertisement were included -- only the stylized portrait of a woman and the artist’s signature appeared on the bag. Vollbracht went on to form a successful fashion company, Vollbracht Design Studies, in 1977. His colorful, uniquely patterned designs appealed to both celebrities and the general public, earning him the Coty American Fashion Critics Award in 1980. The mid-1980s saw Vollbracht with three ready-to-wear clothing lines along with multiple manufacturing contracts for a wide variety of products.
At the pinnacle of his success, Vollbracht retired from the fashion industry to focus on illustrating. His work has been featured in Vogue, The New Yorker and in his illustrated memoir, Nothing Sacred (1985). In 1999, Vollbracht collaborated with Bill Blass to co-write the biography Bill Blass: An American Designer and to curate a retrospective of Blass’ work at the University of Indiana. After Blass died in 2002, Vollbracht returned to fashion design, becoming the creative director of the late designer’s successful clothing line until 2007, when he once again returned to a full-time career as an artist.
Vollbracht died on June 7, 2018 in North Safety Harbor, Florida at the age of 70.
Arrangement
Organized alphabetically by designer name in 3 series: 1. Fashion illustrations, circa 1972; 2. Illustrations for catalog, circa 1972; 3. Posters and Bloomingdale's publicity materials, 1976-1986
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials in Series III. donated by Michaele Vollbracht, 2000.
- Bloomingdale's (Firm) (Publisher)
- Fashion designers -- United States -- 20th century -- Pictorial works (Subject) (Places) (Temporal) (Type of Material) Subject Source: Local sources
- Fashion drawing (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fashion illustration. (Subject) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Fashion illustrations (layout features) (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Fashion illustrators (Occupation) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Norell, Norman, 1900-1972
- Parsons School of Design (Publisher)
- Posters (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Women's clothing (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Michaele Vollbracht fashion illustrations
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
- Date
- October 5, 2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- June 29, 2017: Scope and content note updated to reflect new information.
- November 13, 2020: Jenny Swadosh updated biographical note to reflect Michael Vollbracht's death.