Carol Horn (1936-2022) was born in Brooklyn, New York. After dropping out of both Boston University and Columbia, she drifted through a brief marriage and number of odd jobs, eventually leading her to the display team at Macy’s. Through the connections she made there, she began designing, first for Bryant 9, a junior sportswear company, in the late 1960s. She then worked at Benson & Partners and for Malcolm Starr in 1972. It was Starr who allowed her the freedom to create her own designs. In 1974 she launched her own label, Carol Horn’s Habitat, winning a Coty award for Most Innovative Designer the following year. Greatly influenced by her international travels, her clothing was predominantly monochromatic, and had a timeless, casual, and often ethnic feel. Additionally, her earlier clothing line was never mass-produced, used mostly natural fibers, multi-dyed yarns, and was hand-loomed. In 1983 Horn started Carol Horn Sportswear and Carol Horn Knits, and launched a children’s clothing line in the early 1990s.
Written by Ranch Queen Vintage
from a 1970s dress
Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage
