Helen Lee
Encyclopedia
Helen Lee was an American fashion designer of children's clothes.
She was born in Knoxville and studied at New York at the Art Students League
and at the Traphagen School of Art.
She worked as a fashion designer for Youngland Inc., Sears, Roebuck & Company, Saks Fifth Avenue
, Alyssa and her own company, Designs by Helen Lee Inc., creating clothes for boys and girls. She won the main fashion prizes: in 1953 she won the Coty Award
for her “significant influences in the development of good taste and charm in children’s fashion” and she received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
in 1958. She was also the winner of the Etherl Traphagen Award in 1970. She created many patterns
for McCall's.
She retired in the 1970s and died on March 13, 1991.
She was born in Knoxville and studied at New York at the Art Students League
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
and at the Traphagen School of Art.
She worked as a fashion designer for Youngland Inc., Sears, Roebuck & Company, Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
, Alyssa and her own company, Designs by Helen Lee Inc., creating clothes for boys and girls. She won the main fashion prizes: in 1953 she won the Coty Award
Coty Award
The Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards were first announced in January 1942 by the cosmetics and perfume company Coty, Inc. to promote and celebrate American fashion, and encourage design during the Second World War. The first awards were presented in January 1943, with Norman Norell winning...
for her “significant influences in the development of good taste and charm in children’s fashion” and she received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
The Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion was a yearly award created in 1938 by Stanley Marcus. Unlike the Coty Award, it was not limited to American-based fashion designers...
in 1958. She was also the winner of the Etherl Traphagen Award in 1970. She created many patterns
Pattern (sewing)
In sewing and fashion design, a pattern is an original garment from which other garments of a similar style are copied, or the paper or cardboard templates from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric before cutting out and assembling .Patternmaking, pattern making or pattern cutting is...
for McCall's.
She retired in the 1970s and died on March 13, 1991.