Bonnie Cashin

Bonnie Cashin holding her Gold Needle Award

Source: Mount Mary University Archives

Bonnie Cashin (1908-2000) was one of the first great American sportswear designers. Rather than concentrating her efforts on high-end couture, she designed functional clothing to fit the post-war American woman. 

Her connection to Mount Mary College began as early as 1970 when she visited campus to receive Mount Mary's Gold Needle Award, which was presented "in recognition of professional excellence and academic contributions in the field of fashion design" (see photograph to the left and announcement below).

Sister Aloyse Hessburg and Mount Mary College students with Bonnie Cashin in New York

Source: Mount Mary University Archives

Cashin's relationship with Mount Mary flourished and by 1979 (possibly earlier), Sister Aloyse Hessburg, founder of the Mount Mary fashion program, was regularly taking fashion design students to visit Cashin’s studio in New York. The photograph to the right shows Sister Aloyse, Cashin, and students, and the letters below between Sister Aloyse and Cashin discuss the trips and other fashion design-related matters (click on the images to see more detail).

Bonnie Cashin: Form Follows Function flyer

Source: Mount Mary University Archives

In February 1991 Cashin returned to Mount Mary to attend a showcase of her designs featured in Mount Mary's Fashion Archive; the event was entitled Bonnie Cashin: Form Follows Function (see flyer to the left).