Fashion industry legend Polly Mellen passes away at 100
Polly Allen Mellen, the iconic and vibrant fashion editor, has passed away at 100.
Her passion for style and larger-than-life personality left an indelible mark on the fashion world.
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Born in 1924 in West Hartford, Connecticut, Mellen's love for fashion blossomed early. She was inspired by her mother’s chic style and the glamour of old Hollywood. “I always took a great interest in my clothes. My sister, who was 13 months older, and I always dressed alike, but as I got a little bit older, I didn’t like that because I wanted to dress differently,” she told Interview magazine in 2010. “I loved the masculine style of dressing of Katharine Hepburn, who came from the same town that I came from… I think the romanticism of the movies also influenced my life and my interest in fashion greatly.”
After working as a nurse’s aide during World War II, she moved to New York and entered fashion via sales at Lord & Taylor. A chance connection led to an interview with Diana Vreeland at Harper’s Bazaar, sparking a lifelong mentorship.
Mellen joined Vogue in 1967, starting with a legendary five-week shoot in Japan, The Great Fur Caravan. “You cannot imagine what an influence that had on me. I mean, the culture, the absorption of the Japanese way of life, the Japanese way of thinking, the discipline . . . the gardens!,” she told Nicolas Ghesquiere.
"The entire thing was an extraordinary experience. So these were more than memorable things to me. That’s why you have to keep your mind open—so that you can be given the privilege to have five weeks in Japan and take all of that in. I mean, that's a privilege to be able to do that.” Afterwards her collaborations with photographer Richard Avedon became iconic. They became close allies, with Mellen later insisting on silence during shoots to respect photographers’ focus.
Mellen's fiery spirit earned her a lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1994. Known for her keen eye and demand for excellence, she was dubbed "the last link to the great old-fashioned fashion editors" by The New York Times.
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She was a true enthusiast, often clapping or crying over collections that moved her, making her a standout in an often stoic front row. Her career spanned Vogue and Allure, where she served as creative director until retiring in 2001. Polly Mellen’s influence endures - not just in her fashion editorials but in the unapologetic passion she brought to every moment of her career.
