Vera Neumann

As a design enthusiast I stumbled upon Vera’s cheerful & colorful art throughout the years, always charmed by her “Vera” signature and her iconic ladybug insignia.

Little did I know that Vera Neumann was not only a prolific artist (producing over 600 unique designs a year at the height of her career), but she was also one of the most successful female entrepreneurs of her time. An astute businesswoman, Vera was the first designer to register her works with the Library of Congress. To this day she holds 8,750 copyrights.

Vera’s scarves were worn by celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly. Her fabric (licensed by Schumacher) was even used by first lady Bess Truman to decorate the third floor solarium of the White House. John Lennon and Joan Crawford owned her paintings.

Marilyn in a Vera Neumann Scarf at “The Last Sitting” with Bert Stern

Vera was born in Stamford, Connecticut to Ukrainian immigrants Fanny & Meyer Saliff. Her creativity was encouraged from a young age. Every Sunday her father took her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, even paying her fifty cents for each sketchbook she filled. She went on to study at Cooper Union and The Traphagen School of Design.

Vera worked as a fashion illustrator, textile designer, and children’s room muralist before launching Printex with her husband, George Neumann (an advertising executive), in 1942. They ran the company out of their Gramercy Park apartment with a silk screen setup on their dining room table. Their first order was from the iconic department store B. Altman.

In 1947 Vera partnered with F. Schumacher & Co, licensing her designs for their fabric line. It was also in this year that Vera and George discovered an untapped resource, a plethora of parachute silk leftover from WWII. This fabric was the basis for her iconic and beloved Vera Neumann scarves.

As Printex grew George and Vera moved to a farmhouse on the Hudson river that they refurbished and filled with artwork by Picasso, Matisse, and Miro. Vera was good friends with fellow artist Alexander Calder who created a sculpture for their property.

In 1969 Vera expanded her reach through a partnership with Burlington Home which extended her designs to home decor. This licensing deal brought Vera’s artwork to the masses. In fact, “in 1972, it was estimated that 90% of all households in the U.S. owned a Vera design.”

By transforming her original paintings into functional designs, she democratized art, allowing everyday consumers to experience beauty in their daily lives.

Vera not only nurtured her own creativity, but she also encouraged others. Incredibly, Perry Ellis worked at Vera. He began in 1974 as a marketing manager and then became a full time designer at Portfolio (a division at Vera Neumann) before leaving to start his own eponymous line.

While this is just a brief overview of the incredible Vera Neumann it demonstrates her imagination, ingenuity, business acumen, and tenacity. A career and life that inspires me the more I learn about it.

I am thrilled (& pinching myself) that Lycette has partnered with Vera Neumann, bringing Vera’s joyful & timeless designs to needlepoint canvas.

As perfectly stated by Jon King at Doyle Auction House “…there are five words used repeatedly by many to describe Vera’s work: they are joy, bold, striking, vibrant and happy.”