Backdrop built on the Salem’s Meier & Frank store rooftop for the 1960 political convention-themed fashion show. Image published in Oregon Statesman Newspaper 17 Aug 1960. Willamette Heritage Center Collections 2006.64.501.13.2

Political Convention-Themed Fashion Show brought Thousands to Downtown Salem Store Rooftop

In Salem, Oregon, in the 1950s and 1960s, back-to-school shopping time brought a wave of fashion shows to the downtown core – often targeting college students.  In 1960, one retailer capitalized (some pun intended) on the political convention season, bringing a truly spectacular and somewhat bizarre spectacle to one Salem rooftop.

Inspiration in Political Conventions

July of 1960 saw delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles nominate John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.[1]  Later that month Richard M. Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge II were chosen at the Republican National Convention in Chicago.[2]  The conventions and their pageantry inspired the theme of the Fifth Annual Meier & Frank Rooftop Stardust College Fashion Show and Dance.  How does one model (more puns intended) a fashion show off a political convention, you might ask?  Well, you start by building an 80 x 31-foot reproduction of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. as the backdrop to several stages on your store’s roof.[3]  Make sure the stage set up neatly frames your store’s roof-top view of the Oregon State Capitol as well.[4]  Then book some entertainers.  In addition to The San Fransisco-based folk group the Gateway Singers and the Portland-based Bohemians, the store also arranged to have elephants and donkeys present representing the two major political parties, members of the Portland Rose Festival Royal Court and the 76-piece band from North Salem High School.[5]  It might make sense to turn to politicians for the modelling pool, but like the shows that preceded this one, models were 60 local students.[6]  Over 12,000 invitations were sent out to college students and high school seniors, and outreach was made to Oregon university presidents’ offices.[7]  Representatives of  University of Oregon, Oregon University (then Oregon State College) and Willamette University were present for the event and counted as dignitaries.

Star-Spangled Event

Programming, however, was where the theme really took hold.  I’m not sure I can describe it better than Marion Lowry Fischer who covered the event for the Capital Journal newspaper that year.  To borrow from her description, after a gun salute “ a procession of ‘delegates’ from the 50 states and the possessions, carrying state banners just like those at a political convention – incidentally, these delegates also exhibited the latest in plaids and woolens for campus attire…The presentation of the styles was the most clever one to date in this show…Out among the crowd were several of the ‘delegates’ waving their banners…When the chair recognized one, a ‘plank’ would be presented, the parliamentarians would take over, and out would come 15 to 30 college and university students each time to parade a collection of the colorful fashions.”[8]

The planks presumably applied to parts of the proverbial political platforms and were current political issues of the time including civil rights, agriculture, the cold war, and even atomic disarmament.  The connections with the fashion attire may have been a little loose.  The balanced budged plank saw a series of folks in corduroy.  The prohibition plank brought out “a group of the co-eds to show how important are the ‘frosted grape’ colors in styles this winter.”  The civil defense models wore “raincoats and other protective rain wear.”[9]

Despite the liberties (so many puns!) taken, the effect was well appreciated and coordinated to impress.  Fischer concludes: “During one of the more spectacular parades of fashions, fireworks in the form of a U.S. flag were set off atop the backdrop, and the models came marching toward the front with burning sparklers.  Just at that moment Echo I [an early communications satellite] arched through the sky above.”[10]  A bipartisan, patriotic spectacle indeed.

Newspapers report the event was attended by nearly 5000 people, who ended the evening with a barbecue and dance.[11]  With a show starting at 8 pm,[12] one can only imagine how late all the festivities went.  For the 300+ models and show organizers, store manager Gerry Frank even held an after party at his house.[13]

A different vibe for downtown Salem.

Salem’s Fashion Show Landscape

How do you top something like that?  The next year Gerry Frank headed for the mountains, hosting the event at Timberline lodge and chartering 15 buses for a “Fashion Fireside” show to be held on the slopes.  This event, probably by necessity, had a smaller audience of 600.  Meier & Frank would continue hosting fashion shows, but newspaper reports seem to indicate the scope and scale never really matched the events of 1960 again.

Meier & Frank did not have a monopoly on back-to-school fashion shows in downtown Salem, either.  Lipman’s,[14] Johnson’s,[15] Montgomery Ward Co.[16], Sears[17] — all sponsored events usually featuring local students as models.  Sometimes they brought in guest celebrities.  The 1955 Lipman’s show enlisted a Mademoiselle magazine editor to provide commentary on the different pieces shown.[18]

Citations

[1] Democratic National Convention (Wikipedia) held July 11-15, 1960 in Los Angeles, California.

[2] Republican National Convention (Wikipedia) held July 25-28, 1960 in Chicago.

[3] “Rooftop College Show to Feature Political Theme” Oregon Statesman  14 Aug 1960 pg 23 (Newspapers.com); English, Jeryme.  “Around Town” Oregon Statesman 17 Aug 1960 pg 8 (Newspapers.com)

[4] English, Jeryme.  “Around Town” Oregon Statesman 17 Aug 1960 pg 8 (Newspapers.com)

[5] “Rooftop College Show to Feature Political Theme” Oregon Statesman  14 Aug 1960 pg 23 (Newspapers.com); Fischer, Marion Lowry. College Fashion Show Draws Throng of 5000. Capital Journal 17 Aug 1960 pg 12 (Newspapers.com); English, Jeryme.  “Around Town” Oregon Statesman 17 Aug 1960 pg 8 (Newspapers.com)

[6] “Rooftop College Show to Feature Political Theme” Oregon Statesman  14 Aug 1960 pg 23 (Newspapers.com); English, Jeryme.  “Around Town” Oregon Statesman 17 Aug 1960 pg 8 (Newspapers.com)

[7] “Rooftop Show Coming.” Capital Journal 11 Aug 1960 pg 8 (Newspapers.com)

[8] Fischer, Marion Lowry. College Fashion Show Draws Throng of 5000. Capital Journal 17 Aug 1960 pg 12 (Newspapers.com)

[9] Fischer, Marion Lowry. College Fashion Show Draws Throng of 5000. Capital Journal 17 Aug 1960 pg 12 (Newspapers.com)

[10] Fischer, Marion Lowry. College Fashion Show Draws Throng of 5000. Capital Journal 17 Aug 1960 pg 12 (Newspapers.com)

[11] Fischer, Marion Lowry. College Fashion Show Draws Throng of 5000. Capital Journal 17 Aug 1960 pg 12 (Newspapers.com); English, Jeryme.  “Around Town” Oregon Statesman 17 Aug 1960 pg 8 (Newspapers.com)

[12] “Rooftop College Show to Feature Political Theme” Oregon Statesman  14 Aug 1960 pg 23 (Newspapers.com)

[13] Fischer, Marion Lowry. College Fashion Show Draws Throng of 5000. Capital Journal 17 Aug 1960 pg 12 (Newspapers.com); English, Jeryme.  “Around Town” Oregon Statesman 17 Aug 1960 pg 8 (Newspapers.com)

[14] Advert.  Capital Journal 07 Aug 1959 pg 6 (Newspapers.com)

[15] Some Notations.  Capital Journal 19 Aug 1953 pg 6 (Newspapers.com) Johnson’s Show held at Marion Hotel.

[16] Advertisement Capital Journal 18 Aug 1962 (Newspapers.com)

[17] Advertisement. Oregon Statesman. 9 Aug 1968 pg 10 (Newspapers.com)

[18] Advertisement.  Capital Journal  04 Aug 1955 pg 12  (Newspapers.com)