Jessica McClintock, the designer of San Francisco who made countless dreams of prom dresses come true, has passed away. She was 90.
McClintock was known for her formal attire, and thousands of prom-goers have fond memories of the gown in her Union Square boutique. The fashion pioneer was born in Maine in 1930 and left home at 17 to earn her degree. She graduated from San Jose State University and eventually settled on the West Coast, where she invested in the 1969 San Francisco fashion brand Gunne Sax. The brand was known for its calico-prairie style dresses, but after McClintock joined the effort that later changed its name, the dresses switched to a more romantic, elegant style.
“Jessica often spoke of her belief that ‘Romance is a beauty that touches the emotional part of our being’ and believed that everyone in their daily life could choose to surround themselves with romance,” reads her obituary. “With the idea, she incorporated romance and beauty and an elegant sensuality into every product she designed.”
By the 1990s, Jessica McClintock was synonymous with accessible female formal wear. Her designs boast weddings, bridal parties and countless formal dances and dinners; Hillary Clinton wore a Jessica McClintock dress when she married Bill Clinton in 1975.
In 1997, Women’s Wear Daily named Jessica McClintock the seventh brand, just short of Cartier and Tiffany.
McClintock worked until her retirement in 2013 at age 83. Although she initially intended to close the brand completely with her retirement, the brand is licensed and is active today. Her son Scott, who survives her, will continue to run the label.
“Jessica McClintock was a fashion icon for those without big wallets,” said Rep. Jackie Speier wrote on Twitter. “She was a dear friend, an elegant woman, a successful businesswoman who made every girl who wore one of her prom dresses and brides, like me, feel like a princess.” A beautiful girlfriend. ‘
A celebration of McClintock’s life will be held in San Francisco later this year.