Remembering Adolfo, Known for His Fantastical Hats and Cardigan Suits

If Chanel created clothes that liberated women, Adolfo made clothes for women who were liberated—and well-heeled. A 1981 Vogue story, “Where the Establishment Shops,” was focused on Halston and Adolfo. The following year, the magazine said that the latter’s work especially appealed to women who favored “uniform-dressing.” Women like Sandra Ohrstrom, one of the designer’s socialite clients, told Vogue: “His clothes have a particular type of chic that I love. They’re easy, but ‘dressed’ at the same time. I always feel good in his suits—as comfortable as other people are in blue jeans—and yet I know I’m ready for anything that might come up.”

Though Adolfo was known for his chic “uniforms,” clients could also have things made to order. In the collection of the Museum at FIT are two knit ensembles that belonged to the noted art collector Ethel Scull; the intarsia on one reads “Ethel”; and on the other was her nickname, “Spike.”

Adolfo shuttered his workrooms in 1993 to focus on licensing, and faded from public view. The Ryan Murphy series aside, why, in 2021, are we still talking about Halston and not about Adolfo? It could be that he was not one for the spotlight—or the party circuit. (Among the designer’s chief companions were pugs named Victoria and Alexander; for the British queen and the Romanoff, he once explained.) While Adolfo’s hats were wildly creative, when it came to clothes the designer prioritized the needs of his clients, presenting them with uncomplicated and conservative looks that were comfortable and always chic.

Below, selections of the designer’s work in Vogue.