NEW YORK – The Vera brand, worn by my third grade teacher Mrs. Guion, continues its revival.
Vera, not to be confused with Vera Bradley and Vera Wang, owns the prints, original artwork, scarves, trademarks, and copyrights of the late designer and artist Vera Neumann. Neumann is known for the bold prints and patterns she created in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Vera was known for its prints and patterns, a sort of American Marimekko, in particular scarves. They are identified by a signed Vera on the corner of patterns. Pictured at right, a pattern on their website.
Their website says that the current Vera Company owns the extensive library of prints, original artwork, scarves, and the trademarks and copyrights of the late, iconic American artist, Vera Neumann. A report in Home Textiles Today says that the brand will be licensed by Town & Country Living, and expanded into housewares and linens.
Vera began on her kitchen table, and it grew into a multi-million dollar business. The company has a notable connection, in that Perry Ellis worked for Vera, and the company spawned Perry Ellis as a designer. Many famous women wore Vera, including Marilyn Monroe.
Mrs. Guion was my third grade teacher at Norfolk Academy, who as I recall had a particular affection for Vera scarves. She was a particularly stylish lady and in addition to her Vera scarves, she drove a Mercedes. In between SRA tests and bean-bag spelling tests in the early 1970s, she never missed an opportunity to sport the scarves.