Book Description

"Ashley Callahan's richly illustrated book, Frankie Welch's Americana: Fashion, Scarves, and Politics, with a foreword by LaDonna Harris, illuminates Frankie Welch's remarkable career by discussing her designs as they relate to the tradition of political swag, reflect women's changing roles in politics and business, and embody fashion styles of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Welch began fashion consulting (advising individuals what clothing to wear and buy) in the early 1950s and established her dress shop, Frankie Welch of Virginia, in Alexandria in 1963. She deftly navigated the complex social and political connections in the Washington, D.C. area, and her shop became a leading fashion destination for the political set. She created thousands of signature scarves for political campaigns, both major political parties, clubs, schools and alumni groups, corporations, and foundations as diverse as McDonald's, the Smithsonian Institution, United Way, the Algonquin Hotel, the United States Air Force, TimeLife Books, the Folger Shakespeare Library, McCormick Spice, the New York Jets, the National Press Club, the National Trucking Association, and the University of Georgia. She provided scarves for Betty Ford, Jimmy Carter, and the Reagan/Bush inauguration. Frankie Welch's Americana also identifies significant designs and discusses their creation, use, and influence in detail. It also highlights how Welch embraced and promoted her role as an entrepreneur, building a niche business that capitalized on her location near Washington and political connections, as well as her fashion expertise. Each scarf design offers an opportunity for a general audience to view the nation's recent past through the informative lens of women's fashion, and the story of Welch's success presents an appealing, accessible narrative"--