Polly Allen Mellen

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Polly Allen Mellen has been a stylist and fashion editor for more than 60 years at Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, and from 1991 to 1999 she was the creative director of Allure. Born Polly Allen, Mellen is best know as a sitting editor at American Vogue Magazine and later in her career at Allure. Mellen formally retired from Conde Nast Publications in 1994 and remains a consultant on various projects.

Polly Allen, was born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, and attended the Miss Porter's School. Mellen has been married to Henry Sewall Mellen since 1968.

Mellen acquired an early education in style at the hands of her family and acquaintances, including the young Katharine Hepburn. As a protégé of the charismatic Diana Vreeland, Mellen became a sittings editor first at Harper’s Bazaar, then at American Vogue, collaborating with such legendary photographers as Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Irving Penn, and eventually continuing her career at Allure magazine. "She was and still is the most creative sittings editor I ever worked with," says Richard Avedon. Perpetually in search of the new, Mellen has championed any number of young designers, who have turned to her repeatedly for advice and moral support. "She’s never lost her enthusiasm, in a field where everyone seems so jaded," says Isaac Mizrahi.[1]

In the late 70’s and early 80’s, HOLLY BRUBACH, curator of the YOOX Vintage project, worked with Mellen at Vogue, beginning an ongoing conversation sparked by mutual curiosity and respect. On this occasion and especially for YOOX, Polly and Holly bring their love of fashion and their historical perspective to bear on a selection of rare vintage finds, with commentary that alternates between anecdotal recollection and expert suggestions about how a specific item could be worn to best advantage in the context of the latest fashion.

According to Vera Wang: "Polly has the most extraordinary ability to adapt to the future. So many editors and even designers get bogged down in their own pasts. But her attitude has been consistently progressive—that’s why she has managed to remain in style for so many decades."

Ms. Mellen, creative director of Allure magazine, gazes into the mirror and intones a line from the speech she will give tomorrow when she receives a lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. "I am much too young for such an award. . . ." (She's 68.) Mr. Mizrahi rolls his eyes. "Next year, make them give you the Perry Ellis Award for Young Talent." One thing they say about Ms. Mellen is that she is the last link to the great old-fashioned fashion editors. She was Diana Vreeland's protegee, working at Harper's Bazaar and then for 25 years at Vogue, moving to Allure in 1991. "From Vreeland's rib came Polly Mellen," says Richard Avedon, who will present the award. "From that day on, Eden never looked better." Another thing they say about Ms. Mellen is that she is among the first to discover young designers. She goes to fashion shows at odd hours and in odd places, like warehouses and wrestling arenas. Often, she is the only one over 25 in the place. At the shows of the big designers, she is not one of those poker faces in the dark glasses. When something special hits the runway, her arms shoot up above her head and her hands come together in the loud, long Polly clap. Other editors stare. Some jot down the style in their books; some snicker. Never mind. Ms. Mellen has expressed the joy of fashion, and for that, designers adore her. Geoffrey Beene calls her "the industry's cheerleader: rah, rah, rah!"[2]

Mellon has appeared in a number of documentaries on the fashion industry including the 1995 film Unzipped.

This comment is taken from Janet Maslin's New York Times review.

A little while later, he is skillfully trying out the same anecdote on Polly Allen Mellen, a fashion arbiter who is enough to out-doyenne any and all of the characters in Robert Altman's "Ready-to-Wear." (Comparisons between the two films are invidious but unavoidable. For electricity and fun, not to mention fashion sense, this one comes out miles ahead.) Ms. Mellen listens to Mr. Mizrahi in ways that make it clear his charm is working, and that charm counts for everything in this universe. For her part, Ms. Mellen advises him to "Be careful of makeup; be careful!" She sounds solemn enough to be warning Caesar about the ides of March.

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[3]

Here's a quote from book "The Pocket Stylist: Behind-The-Scenes Expertise from a Fashion Pro" by By Kendall Farr Illustrated by Anja Kroencke Published 2004 Gotham.

Here’s another example of a woman with a winning uniform. Polly Allen Mellen, a respected fashion editor for Vogue and Allure, and protégé of Diana Vreeland someone whose style I’ve admired as an example of one’s image and uniform successfully evolving over time. In 1989, I spotted Polly, (in her sixties) walking into a fashion show. She was wearing the au courant black leather Perfecto motorcycle jacket of the moment. A shape and proportion (cropped) that flattered her frame perfectly…I’ll mention that her signature steel grey bob cut punctuated her right now simplicity of her look.

[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ the Fashion Spot - Polly Mellen - Editor
  2. ^ NY Times Article http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07EFD81E39F935A35751C0A962958260
  3. ^ FILM REVIEW; A Madcap Maestro Of Haute Couture - New York Times
  4. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=Xa0xH28Ujn0C&pg=PA194&lpg=PA194&dq=polly+allen+mellen+haute+couture&source=web&ots=U5vxbgb_Ml&sig=jS-V95M_OAq9950chZxLgBhUifA