Vera Maxwell

Born Vera Huppe in The Bronx, Maxwell spent part of her childhood in Austria. She attended Leonia High School in Leonia, New Jersey. She studied ballet in New York and joined the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in 1919, dancing until her marriage to financier Raymond J. Maxwell in 1924. Vera and Raymond J. Maxwell had one child and divorced in 1937. Maxwell married architect Carlisle H. Johnson in 1938 and divorced him in 1945. == Career ==

In the late 1920s, Maxwell began modelling at B. Altman and other New York City stores. Around 1929, Maxwell began sketching for the fashion houses she modeled for. One of her earliest best-sellers was a wrap blouse over a permanently pleated skirt made of Arnel meant for travelers. In 1935, Maxwell released a "weekend wardrobe" of two jackets, two skirts and a pair of trousers. they received an "E" for excellence rating from the United States government. Her use of wrap-and-tie closures and supple fabrics suited a range of body types and allowed for weight fluctuations. Maxwell retired in 1985 and closed her company. She returned in 1986 with one final collection designed for Peter Lynne before permanently retiring. == Later life and death ==

Maxwell spent her final years with her son and daughter-in-law. She split her time between Gilgo Beach, Long Island and Rincon, Puerto Rico. Maxwell died on January 15, 1995, at age 93. She lived in Manhattan until three years before her death. == Legacy ==

Vera Maxwell's designs are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Cooper Hewitt, and the Museum of the City of New York. == References ==