Carolyn Schnurer

Carolyn Schnurer (born in New York City as Carolyn Goldsand on January 5, 1908 and died on March 15, 1998 in Palm Beach, Florida) was a fashion designer and a pioneer in American sportswear. Schnurer's designs have been featured in the magazines Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Life as well as in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also received awards for her designs from Coty, The Cotton Council, International Sportswear, Miami Sportswear, and Boston Sportswear.

Carolyn Schnurer was born in New York City on January 5, 1908 as Carolyn Goldsand.

As a young woman, Schnurer studied at the New York Training School for Teachers. She taught art and music at a public school, where she would occasionally design styles as part of her work. She married Harold Teller "Burt" Schnurer, a bathing suit designer, in 1930, who encouraged her to pursue fashion design instead of teaching. Schnurer received her B.S. from New York University in 1941.

Schnurer studied fashion at the Traphagen School of Design from 1939 to 1940.

Carolyn Schunrer is best known for her beach and play clothes, particularly her cotton bathing suits as opposed to the more common knit bathing suits.

Schunrer was also noted for her culturally-inspired resort collections. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Schunrer's globally inspired designs were not costumes, they "typically featured one or two understated thematic details in the cut or fabric, while maintaining a classic American silhouette."

In 1944, Schunrer traveled to the Andes for inspiration. According to the Milwakee Journal, she covered "15,000 air miles of mountainous roads" during the trip. Schunerer's Andes-inspired collected was presented in 1945 as "Serrano Fashions." The fashions used fabric familiar to American consumers in a range of light and dark colors. The cholo coat and pollera skirt were considered particular highlights of the collection.

Over the years, Schunrer traveled to France, Ireland, Turkey, Japan, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Ghana, South Africa, and India for inspiration. According to Richard Martin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Schunrer was a "devoted researcher" who consulted museum experts before creating her collection.

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