Though Claire McCardell has largely been erased from history, much of what we wear traces back to the ingenious, rebellious mind of this Maryland-born fashion designer. The inventor of ballet flats, spaghetti straps, and mix-and-match separates, she built an empire at a time when women rarely made the upper echelons of business. Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson brings McCardell’s story back in to the light in writing that is relentlessly compelling, reaching well beyond the interests of fashion. “In the hands of Dickinson, this is more than just the biography of a fashion revolutionary,” writes the New York Times: “It is a story of the fight for women’s identity and, incidentally, the birth of an American industry.” Dickinson will offer a presentation on McCardell before joining Shore Lit Founder/Director Kerry Folan in conversation about the book. Copies of Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free will be available for sale on site via Flying Cloud Books. A book signing will follow the talk. This is event is free and open to the public, with registration required via shorelit.org.

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This program is presented in partnership with Shore Lit, Flying Cloud Booksellers, and the Talbot Historical Society. For questions about accessibility, please contact Kerry Folan at easternshorelit@gmail.com.