In 1966, Women’s Wear Daily highlighted the innovative work of a young New York designer fresh on the scene: Scott Barrie (1941 - 1993). Inspired by Madame Grès and the sinuous gowns of the 1930s, Barrie’s fashions were based on his experiments with draping, resulting in a collection of flattering, flowing dresses and pants that heralded the disco styles to come in the 1970s. He stated, “I have never worked in fabrics like matte jersey before, and I am discovering how exciting they can be...I am going to do things which you haven’t seen anywhere before.”[1]
Scott Barrie with Pat Cleveland and Grace Jones after his Spring 1974 fashion show. Photo: Pierre Schermann, courtesy of Penske Media/Shutterstock
Scott Barrie, a pioneer of Black fashion design, was born Neal Clyde Barr in the small town of Apalachicola, Florida. Barrie’s interest in fashion was encouraged by his West Indian grandmother, a professional dressmaker.[2] He learned to sew by watching her work, telling Ebony magazine in 1980, “I practically grew up under that machine, pedaling the thing for her. Naturally, by instinct you pick up the basics very early on.”[3] His godmother was also a designer, and Barrie observed her making clothes for famous jazz singers such as Della Reese, Sarah Vaughn, and Dinah Washington.[4]
Scott Barrie in Vogue Patterns, September/October 1978. Photo: Chris von Wangenheim
Barrie studied briefly at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art before moving to New York to attend the Mayer School of Fashion. Eager to begin his career, he took on several freelance jobs throughout the 1960s - including an apprenticeship with legendary Black designer Arthur McGee and a sketch artist position at Vogue Patterns. Though he was finding success with contract design work, in his own words, “What I wanted more than anything was to have my own business - my own name on the door.”[5] He achieved this in 1969 when he launched Barrie Sport, Ltd. in partnership with Stephen Marks, husband of commercial model and frequent client Robbie Wolfe.[6] Bloomingdales and Henri Bendel were among the first high-end stores that purchased Barrie Sport garments, allowing him to open his Seventh Avenue showroom in December 1972. Naomi Sims, a celebrated Black model, was a close friend of Barrie’s and often wore his designs for her high-profile press appearances. She helped him drum up business by modeling free of charge, and advised him on which designs to include in his collections.[7]
Press photo of Scott Barrie with model Naomi Sims wearing his designs; New York, 1968
Naomi Sims wearing Scott Barrie in Virginia Slims ad; Vogue, June 1, 1972, page 65