Topless Bathing Suit, 1964

Rudi Gernreich, Innovator & Futurist

Rudi Gernreich is an innovative designer who, more than anyone else, successfully interpreted the mood of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Below is a short bio and some costumes contained in the museum's Gernreich collection.

Best known as the creator of the topless bathing suit, Rudi Gernreich was unique among fashion designers. A futurist and witty commentator on the climate of the times, he understood, better than most that how we dress is closely linked to the way we live.

Much of today's fashion had its origins in the 60's when fashion began to take its cue from the young rather than the establishment...when women were freed from clothes that constrained the body. It was a time when Gernreich shocked the fashion world by combining unusual colors such as hot pink with orange, purple with red and blue with green interspersed with dots and stripes. His work, always controversial yet original, would alter the course of fashion for generations to come.

Dance Costume, 1967

Shoes & Head Dresses, 1968