Beachwear

During her twenty-year career in fashion, from 1944 to 1964, Carolyn Schnurer (1908-1998) was a pioneer in the newly emerging American sportswear industry. Directing her designs toward young active women, Schnurer developed coordinate sets and dresses that were unfussy, required minimal foundation garments and could be worn for a variety of occasions. Particularly renowned for her culturally-inspired resort collections, rather than a blatantly costumed appearance, Schnurer's designs maintained a classic American silhouette and incorporated the cultural theme in fabric selection or construction detail.

This coordinates set from the "Flight to India" collection was inspired by the Moghul influence on Indian dress apparent in the metallic embroidery of the fabric as well as the cut of the coat. Inspiration from the pleating of the sari is also in evidence in the skirt of the dress.