Stephen Burrows with Pat Cleveland in his East Village studio.
His designs are as emblematic of the 1970s as that of his friend Halston, but less known.
Burrowss focus has always been on his work, not fame.
Stephen Burrows with Pat Cleveland in his East Village studio.
Henri Bendel played an important role in Burrowss career.
I use knits because they suggest skin and its flexibility, Burrows told the AP in 1972.
He similarly bent metal mesh to his will, so that it looked liquid on the body.
Stephen Burrows, fall 1973 ready-to-wear
To celebrate his CFDA Award, seven of his friends and close collaborators shared their memories of Stephen Burrows.
Stephen has inspired so many designers with his talent and authentic soul, he is much loved.
Karen Bjornsen Macdonald
I first met Stephen in the early 1970s in New York.
The Battle of Versailles, 1973
Halston introduced us and most likely encouraged Stephen to book me for his shows.
I love his clothes.
They are unlike anyone elses.
The Battle of Versailles, 1973
His use of fabrics, his lettuce edges and combinations of colors are modern and unique to his designs.
He is a true designer of clothes for men and women.
Stephens dresses fit and move with your bodythey are both feminine and bold.
“As close to the skin as a fabric can get—that’s the way Stephen Burrows likes his patterned knits to fit. Stephen designs his skin-fit knits for men, for women—always the look is sexy, beautiful. Above, man’s U-neck shirt. Girl’s V-necked mid-calf-length tunic. Both from 0 Boutique, 236 Park Avenue South. Man’s print knit cap also from O Boutique. . . .”
In 2003 Stephen had a ready-to-wearrunway showin downtown Manhattan.
Nancy North
Stephen makes unique colorful fashion.
(Everyone was a Miss: Like Miss Alva or Miss Cleveland.)
Stephen Burrows Is in Pepperland:He must be—look at the way he understands color—the way he puts together all the happy palette of the rainbow—hue-ing it and shaping it into totally contemporary clothes…what a wonderful designer Stephen Burrows is. …1. A group of Stephen’s friends wearing Pepperland coloured jersey clothes from the new Burrows collection for Bendel’s Studio. . . . 2. Bonnie in a wrap mididress made of stitched-together blocks of dreamy land-colored matte jersey. . . . 3. Deanna wears Stephen’s widish-cut trousers of flame-stitched wool jersey; a wrap top of flame-red matte jersey. . . . Lois’s gaucho pants; her striped sailor-collar maillot. . . . 4. Close up of Lois—a rainbow of color on the green grass. … Stephen Burrows clothes are in his new boutique, at Henri Bendel. 5 and 6. Pat’s hooded, long-sleeved, skin-fit mididress, appliquéd in bands and circles of colour. Over it, she wears Stephen’s multicolored leather harness weskit. Bobby’s tight-to-the-body tunic; jersey pants. . . . 7 and 8. Patricia’s wrap top—a melange of happy colors of jersey, suede, leather; her curved-in-front skirt with circles of appliqued buckskin. Hector’s T-shirt of blocks, stripes of color. . . . Bonnie in the background. . . . 9. Close-up of Deanna in her flame-stitched wool jersey pants; scarlet matte jersey sexy top…. 10. On Bobby, a great wool knit T-shirt, outbursts of color appliquéd on black. . . . All clothes on these pages designed by Stephen Burrows for Bendel’s Studio. Third floor.
I always felt like we were a bunch of kids rooting for one another.
It was a wonderful feeling of belonging!
I was so nervous.
Cher on the talent trail: Whenever Sonny and Cher hit New York, Cher is out there fast—looking for new good boutiques, the talented artisan or designer tucked somewhere…what a great fashion reporter she’d be… Stephen Burrows helps Cher into two of his rainbow-coloured jerseys—jumpsuit of greens, yellows, black.
But Stephen was very encouraging.
I remember at Versailles, he was in the back sewing.
Vous etes, vous etes!
Important stop on Cher’s talent tour—to see Stephen Burrows at Henri Bendel/ [Trying] a whip-in-to-a soft-as-cream crêpe de Chine dress….
they used to say.
Stephen really was quite a dancer.
I felt like a top that was spinning out of control half the time.
“The mad musician… Carollee strikes again! Here she is whooping it up at the baby grand belting out smashing sonatas…of course this is all in fun. Actually Carollee designs the most exquisite minute bead jewelry, like the collar she’s wearing. But we wanted to show you this extraordinary leather throw—all swirls and shapes of blasting colors by Stephen Burrows. To order: Stephen Burrows World, Henri Bendel, 10 West 57th Street…Carollee’s jewelry is at Bendel’s too….”
He liked movement, and that seemed so clear to me in the way his clothes were.
First of all, you couldnt wear anything under them.
His liking the female form, whether it was thinner or curvier, was not the norm.
Americans in Versailles: News from the Palace of the Sun King: the château at Versailles brilliantly aglow for a Franco-American fashion gala. … Patrick Honoré of the Comédie Française plays king for a night on the Queen’s staircase with models in five of the American designs. From the top: Halston’s pale sea-green sequins with short butterfly sleeves; Bill Blass’s grey sequins bordered in sable; Oscar de la Renta’s bright parrot-green charmeuse double pyjama; Anne Klein’s scarlet silk jersey; Stephen Burrows' red sequins with a citrine jacket trimmed in parti-colored coq feathers.
I think he saw each of us very differently, and I love that.
Its the connection that made the difference to me at the time.
The lettucing was completely different; that was only done on rayon matte jersey.
“The coverup at night is a wisp of chiffon, with the feel and float of a bed jacket:New look for a jersey dress at night: the seductiveness of a gauzy; soft-tie bed jacket in a floating flowered chiffon print. Here, over a slink of lilac matte jersey, vivid lilac-green-and-turquoise, with billowy angel sleeves. By Stephen Burrows. Dress, of rayon (Jasco Fabrics); jacket, of rayon chiffon (Pomezia fabric). Jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels.”
So he made the dress, those things were copied and have been copied for the rest of time.
No one had ever done that before.
At Versailles his segment was very well received; Anne Klein went first, Stephen second.
Details that make the difference The loosening of a sleeve. The wrapping of a skirt. The placing of a slit…a pocket. The look of a woman from the back…two flowers in her hair. Irresistible little touches—they make eveything new! New shape of a two-piece dress, from Stephen Burrows—the short, loose sleeve…the short, loose top like a tiny smock, in a “road-runner” print of turquoise on red challis (watch for this kind of small, spaced print—charming!).
They were just ahead of everywhere they went.
It was like I had come from another planet.
[His work] really represented the era of dancing movement, the beat as a commune idea.
THIS SUMMER'’ TERRY—A NEW OFF-THE-BEACH LIFE!: Terry cloth—the one summer fabric you’ve always wanted for more than just beachdressing. Now you have it: a soft, supple ribbed terry—a new dress fabric with built-in cool and comfort….With charm, the easy body-skimming dress in lavender terry, with small cap sleeves, open string-tie neckline. [Right] by Stephen Burrows; of cotton and nylon (Gloversville Mills fabric).
We loved working for Stephen.
In my case, they didnt grow backeverybody elses didit gave me an addiction to an eyebrow pencil!
Anna Cleveland
His designs give freedom of movement!
For easy evenings on Sea Island, Lake George, or Galveston Bay, a short bare dress in soft petal coloring—matte jersey slipped on a drawstring at the neck, with a matching drawstring cape. By Stephen Burrows, of Nyesta nylon (Roselon Industries).
enthuses Anna Cleveland, who, like her mother, is a muse to the designer.
These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Stephen designs his skin-fit knits for men, for womenalways the look is sexy, beautiful.
Stephen Burrows: At the Top of His Form…In a year when other designers are putting their money on a dress, Burrows is already banking it; he’s got the dresses (and more!) everyone wants—without conventional closings, seams, hems. Just soft fabric sliding on a good body. If you’ve got it, he flaunts it. [On Vibeke Knudsen] Burrows’ hotcake: the rabbity-soft belt-or-not dress with an asymmetric neckline. [On Jerry Hall] The knock-’em-dead dress: tissue-thin brass mesh and uneven layers of bias chiffon [On Iman] Leggiest new take on a pyjama: the chiffon scarf-tied top, the side-slit pants [On Chris Royer]Thedinner dress: the chiffon-jersey blouson with a slide-off-the-shoulder neckline [On Bethann Hardison] As close to a suit as he comes: chamois wrap-jacket, corduroy bias skirt [On Kirsti Toscani] The unrugged shearling —all on the bias—over a soft-cowl sweater; soft-top, peg-leg pants [On Pat Cleveland] The finale —the blockbuster! — 2-piece tissue mesh, cowled, slit, slithery [On Alva Chinn] Everything wraps and ties—the sweater-jacket, the sweater-blouse, the crushed-waist suede pants. Mespo umbrellas. Bangles; Bonwillum, Cathay and Marsha for Catherine Stein, M&J Savitt, Terrafirma. All belts by Bobby Breslau. All shoes and boots, Shoe Biz at Henri Bendel. Hair, Joseph Strafaci of Le Tiercé; Makeup, Vincent Nasso.
Above, mans U-neck shirt.
Girls V-necked mid-calf-length tunic.
Both from 0 Boutique, 236 Park Avenue South.
Dance the Night Away: One of the best P.M. lifters is fragrance—i.e., the zing you get from a dab, a splash, a spritz of a favorite scent. The alcohol base is one reason—it cools, refreshes skin; and, when it’s gone, what you’re left with is a pretty scent on skin. A natural with the Stephen Burrows bare slither of a dusty-pink jersey dress—his own Stephen B. (of course!). Here, with Van Cleef & Arpel’s 18k-gold evening bag, wrapped at the waist, and their diamond-and-gold earrings.
Mans print knit cap also from O Boutique.
Space around them, like a carton, so that each human can interpret them in her own way.
A group of Stephens friends wearing Pepperland coloured jersey clothes from the new Burrows collection for Bendels Studio.
Bonnie in a wrap mididress made of stitched-together blocks of dreamy land-colored matte jersey.
Deanna wears Stephens widish-cut trousers of flame-stitched wool jersey; a wrap top of flame-red matte jersey.
Loiss gaucho pants; her striped sailor-collar maillot.
Close up of Loisa rainbow of color on the green grass.
… Stephen Burrows clothes are in his new boutique, at Henri Bendel.
Pats hooded, long-sleeved, skin-fit mididress, appliqued in bands and circles of colour.
Over it, she wears Stephens multicolored leather harness weskit.
Bobbys tight-to-the-body tunic; jersey pants.
Hectors T-shirt of blocks, stripes of color.
Bonnie in the background.
Close-up of Deanna in her flame-stitched wool jersey pants; scarlet matte jersey sexy top…. 10.
On Bobby, a great wool knit T-shirt, outbursts of color appliqued on black.
All clothes on these pages designed by Stephen Burrows for Bendels Studio.
The mad musician… Carollee strikes again!
Actually Carollee designs the most exquisite minute bead jewelry, like the collar shes wearing.
But we wanted to show you this extraordinary leather throwall swirls and shapes of blasting colors by Stephen Burrows.
The most important thing is to have fun with your clothes, put them together in your own way.
Here, over a slink of lilac matte jersey, vivid lilac-green-and-turquoise, with billowy angel sleeves.
Dress, of rayon (Jasco Fabrics); jacket, of rayon chiffon (Pomezia fabric).
Jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels.
1975
Details that make the difference The loosening of a sleeve.
The wrapping of a skirt.
The placing of a slit…a pocket.
The look of a woman from the back…two flowers in her hair.
Irresistible little touchesthey make eveything new!
- THIS SUMMER' TERRYA NEW OFF-THE-BEACH LIFE!
Terry cloththe one summer fabric youve always wanted for more than just beachdressing.
[Right] by Stephen Burrows; of cotton and nylon (Gloversville Mills fabric).
By Stephen Burrows, of Nyesta nylon (Roselon Industries).
everyone wantswithout conventional closings, seams, hems.
Just soft fabric sliding on a good body.
If youve got it, he flaunts it.
[On Vibeke Knudsen] Burrows hotcake: the rabbity-soft belt-or-not dress with an asymmetric neckline.
Bangles; Bonwillum, Cathay and Marsha for Catherine Stein, M&J Savitt, Terrafirma.
All belts by Bobby Breslau.
All shoes and boots, Shoe Biz at Henri Bendel.
Hair, Joseph Strafaci of Le Tierce; Makeup, Vincent Nasso.
A natural with the Stephen Burrows bare slither of a dusty-pink jersey dresshis own Stephen B.
(of course!
).
