Former Style Editor Patricia Peterson Lifeless at 99

Patricia Peterson, 99, a pioneering trend editor and former Henri Bendel govt, died Sunday at her house in New York Metropolis.

All through her lifetime, she typically teamed up along with her photographer husband Gösta for shoots that featured comparatively unknown ladies in movement as a substitute of normal trend fashions standing nonetheless. From 1957 to 1977 throughout her run as The New York Instances’ trend editor, Peterson dropped at the fore such photographers as Cecil Beaton, Man Bourdin, Diane Arbus, Saul Leiter, Francesco Scavullo, Hiro and others. She additionally included the illustrations of the then unproven Andy Warhol within the late Fifties and early Nineteen Sixties.

Her husband, who was referred to as Gus, was a lion within the pantheon of trend photographers and helped to provide such skills as Arthur Elgort and Deborah Turbeville their begins. “Pat” Peterson additionally groomed trendsetters like Carrie Donovan and Bernadine Morris of their trend reporter days.

The couple was most happy with that includes Naomi Sims on the quilt of the Aug. 27, 1967, version of Fashions of the Instances journal, in response to their daughter Annika Peterson. The Black mannequin was working for the style designer Halston in his showroom once they first noticed her and each knew instantly that she was the girl they’d been in search of. Whereas many energy {couples} depend on 50-50 partnerships to thrive, Annika Peterson mentioned, “It wasn’t 50-50 with my mother and father. It was extra like 100-100.”

The Petersons’ all-in enthusiasm stemmed from their curiosity in artwork, politics, music, structure, journey and extra, in addition to having not solely a eager curiosity in others, but in addition acute listening abilities. Their originality within the studio or on the road mirrored how they challenged trend norms and questioned societal points. Eager about individuals, artwork, jazz, meals, nature, amongst different topics, a continuing seek for discovery was how they lived their lives, mentioned Annika Peterson, the proprietor of the Flip galley in New York Metropolis.

“Even when one thing didn’t initially curiosity my mother, she would nonetheless be open to discover. She informed me that Geoffrey Beene took her to a baseball recreation (although she actually didn’t take care of sports activities.)” Annika Peterson mentioned. “I bear in mind her describing the candy summer season air, the evening lights and the way the gamers have been like dancers within the subject. She and my father all the time discovered romance in easy issues. They have been each on a continuing search with a unending eager eye. When individuals have been with them, you actually felt that union.”

In 1967, for what was the mannequin “Twiggy’s” first U.S. shoot, Pat Peterson and her husband had solely half-hour and one outfit and one hat to work with. The tip outcome was a composite of a closeup of her face and her kohl-lined eyes, and the mannequin outstretched on the bottom dressed all in black. Peterson’s copy learn, “Black is again and elfin Twiggy wears it.…Black will dominate the long run.”

That sort of foresight could be shared with readers a long time earlier than all-black wardrobes would turn out to be frequent with urbanites in main cities. At The Instances, Peterson helped to popularize ballet flats, strapless swimwear and Courrèges, amongst different designers. When she first took on the lead trend editor put up in 1957, Peterson headed up a workforce of 12 ladies and oversaw shoots for the 1,000-plus trend photographs that have been featured yearly within the day by day and Sunday papers. She reveled in touring as a working lady to cowl the European collections, her son Jan mentioned.  (A 1958 {photograph} reveals the newspaper’s feminine reporters working upstairs.)

“Pat considered herself as a pioneer, who was very happy with being a girl at The New York Instances, who was additionally independently minded and never so commercially minded,” her son mentioned. “She was additionally very happy with working with Gus, who was undoubtedly an outsider type of eccentric within the trend world.“

Peterson had joined The New York Instances in December of 1956 as an assistant editor within the Meals, Fashions, Household and Furnishings part. In time, she was thought of to be one of many tastemakers amidst such forces as Diana Vreeland and Eugenia Sheppard, Peterson chaired the committee that might produce the exhibiting of the 1964 Coty American Style Critics’ Award jury. The Coty Awards have been a precursor to the CFDA Awards. Peterson’s inkling to be the place the motion was surfaced in 1967, when Yves Saint Laurent selected to indicate his assortment to the media a month after retailers noticed it. She informed WWD, “Our job is to be the place the information is going on. I consider St. Laurent will lose by the press ban, and [he] received’t get as a lot publicity as Balenciaga and Givenchy obtain.”

Peterson first met the Swedish American that she would later marry at a cocktail occasion in Westhampton, N.Y. She seen that the well-dressed Gus had taken it upon himself to perform a little gardening within the house owner’s yard. He had been tenting with fellow photographer Fernand Fonssagrives, whose spouse Lisa was a Swedish mannequin and artist. Peterson informed WWD in 2023, “I seen him and thought, ‘That’s an odd factor. A person is watering the flowers.’ He was very a lot into nature — the Swedes notably are.” One other curiosity was the Volkswagen Beetle — a rarity within the U.S. at the moment — wherein Peterson drove her again to Manhattan. The couple married in 1956. Gus died in 2017.

Born Patricia Louis in Chicago, she attended Northwestern College, the place she studied artwork historical past and served as the style editor of the scholar newspaper, the Purple Parrot. After commencement in 1948, she joined Marshall Fields in its trend merchandising division. Two years later, the dark-haired inventive relocated to New York Metropolis. Taking the recommendation of her trend editor buddy Nonnie Moore, she joined Mademoiselle as a trend affiliate and labored her method as much as Mademoiselle’s trend and merchandise editor. Years later, she would turn out to be vp of promoting, trend and promotion from 1977 to 1989.

Talking in regards to the 2023 retrospective of Gus’ work at Deborah Bell Pictures, Peterson mentioned, “I don’t wish to sound so boastful, however I’m amazed how unique and unorthodox his photographs are, as a result of they’re very tasteful. There’s nothing vulgar about them. They may run right this moment and look simply as recent and stylish.”

She additionally sparked trend tendencies and launched customers to European labels by her job at Henri Bendel. Her innovativeness may be seen within the widow shows at Henri Bendel, the place the retailer’s chief at the moment, Geraldine Stutz, was recognized to be revolutionary. The publicist Marion Greenberg recalled how within the early Eighties, when she began working along with her first trend consumer, Comme des Garcons, “Pat instantly ‘obtained it,’ and arranged a trend shoot along with her husband for an commercial for the shop, which was the primary to hold the clothes,” Greenberg mentioned.

Within the late Eighties, she responded to Jil Sander’s assortment in the same method, in response to Greenberg. “Pat was the actual deal and he or she understood the designers that I used to be working with have been particular, distinctive and genuine. These occasions have been of one other period that was very hands-on and really private. I cherish these reminiscences,” Greenberg mentioned. 

Peterson is survived by her daughter Annika and son Jan.