Bob Bugnand (pronounced boon-yon) worked as the chief designer for Jacques Heim and Robert Piquet before opening his own couture workroom in Paris. In 1957, he opened a salon on East 62nd Street in New York, where he took custom orders from society women. Customers were measured and chose the design and fabrics they wanted. The order was then shipped by air to Paris where the dress was made in Bugnand's French workrooms. Within three weeks, the customer’s dress arrived back in New York for final fittings. Bugnand's New York salon was a great success, as it gave American women the opportunity to wear French workmanship without having to travel to Paris. Prices for his garments ranged from $300 – $1000 in 1957 ($2310 - $7699 in today's dollar). Bugnand’s creations were worn by the Duchess of Windsor, Babe Paley, and Jacqueline Kennedy, among others. He was accepted into the French haute couture Chambre Syndicale in 1960.
In 1962, Bugnand began a collaboration with Sam Friedlander, a wholesale dress manufacturer. He designed the majority of Friedlander’s cocktail and evening dresses, which featured couture caliber trims on moderately priced dresses that sold for $90 – $375 ($645 - $2686 in today's dollar).
Please note: Biographical information about Bob Bugnand is copyright of Couture Allure and may not be copied without permission.
The dress shown above was one of Bugnand's designs for Friedlander in 1964. The apricot colored silk is embroidered with white dots and six layers of silk form the deep ruffles at the neckline.
Jackie Kennedy wears a 1959 Bugnand suit during her husband's Presidential campaign.
