Cincinnati Art Museum Showcases Fashion Designer Elizabeth Hawes

Parisian designers dominated American fashion in the 1930s, but Elizabeth Hawes wanted to change that. Her 1938 book Fashion Is Spinach critiqued French fashion while encouraging the importance of an American industry. Soon after, she was designing clothing that was made on American soil and shaped by life here rather than European trends.   

The Cincinnati Art Museum hosts “Elizabeth Hawes: Radical American Fashion” from April 24 through Aug. 2. The exhibition features original sketches and illustrations alongside over 50 garments and dresses produced between the 1920s and 1960s. ß

“Though today not many people know her by name, we’re all familiar with conventions that Hawes introduced to our way of dressing,” Megan Nauer, acting curator of fashion arts and textiles, said in a March 5 press release. “When you read her sharp-tongued words, you recognize things we still wrestle with, both in dressing ourselves and in the functioning of the fashion industry.”

Hawes’ designs drew public attention and allowed her to write nine books about fashion and its role in society, highlighting how it was a reflection of self-expression. After her couture clothing house closed in 1940, Hawes struck out in a different direction. She worked in an airplane engine factory during the war and later served as a labor organizer for United Auto Workers. Later, her outspoken political views got her blacklisted by the FBI.

Hawes’ radical designs focused on gender-neutral clothing, paper garments and methods for quality mass manufacturing. Her style reflected comfort, practicality and democratic access to alluring, well-made clothing, and she embraced the approach that fashion should serve the wearer rather than restricting them.

Longtime Cincinnati Art Museum curator of fashion arts and textiles, Cynthia Amnéus, curated the exhibition and edited the accompanying catalogue prior to her retirement in early 2026. Her years of reasearch on Hawes are showcased in this first-of-its-kind look at the American designer’s storied career. 

For more information, visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

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