Mary McFadden draws her inspiration almost entirely from the artistry of ancient civilizations. She is one of the most exotic, unconventional designers in the United States today. A design archaeologist at heart, McFadden celebrates Asian, African, Middle Eastern and Ancient Greek cultures and incorporates their ideas and expressions into her couture designs. McFaddens luxurious, uninhibited creations showcase gleaming royal colors, rich fabrics and detailed embroidery. The art of ancient civilizations is literally woven into her fabrics.

"McFaddens designs convey her deep interest in distant cultures and times. In contrast to many of her colleagues, who plunder other periods for their forms with only a cursory understanding of their meanings, McFadden reflects in her designs an archeologists fascination with the cultures and narratives expressed through art." Harold Koda, curator of the Goddess exhibition, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mary McFadden is a fashion designer based in New York. She launched her first collection there in 1973 and won a Coty Award in 1976, entering the Coty Hall of Fame in 1979. Since then she has received many honors and has served as President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. McFaddens collections have been shown on runways in New York, Paris, Rome, Milan, and Tokyo.

Ruta Saliklis, Ph.D. is The Kate Fowler Merle-Smith Curator of Textiles at the Allentown Art Museum.