Colt, Alvin

Alvin Colt was born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 5, 1915. Foreshadowing his future career interest, as a child he built a theater in the attic of his family home. He attended Yale’s department of drama (1934-37) and was the youngest member of his class. He worked in summer theater and moved to New York City. Colt began designing for what became the New York City Ballet. His Broadway debut was with On the Town in 1944. Colt designed costumes for the hit Guys & Dolls in 1950, and in 1957 received a Tony award for Costume Design for Pipe Dream . During his career, Colt designed costumes for more than 80 Broadway shows, television and movies.

From 1963 to 1986, Colt designed the installations for the annual Fortnight extravaganzas at the downtown Neiman Marcus store in Dallas, Texas. The Fortnights were an annual celebration of different countries' culture and design. They were splashy cultural, social, historical, fine art, culinary and fashion celebrations that greatly broadened the horizons of north Texans at the time. They were attended by dignitaries such as the ambassadors from Denmark and Thailand, the Queen of Thailand, Prince Ranier and Grace Kelly, movie star Sophia Loren, and artist Francoise Gilot to name a few. The planning and construction of these events required traveling thousands of miles in two years and took hundreds of people to produce. The Fortnights events were a brilliant blending of commercial, theatrical, and cultural elements. Also included are photographs and correspondence related to Stanley Marcus’s 90th birthday celebration in 1995, in which Colt was involved.

Sources:

Fashion Fortnights. Women’s Wear Daily , Oct. 22, 1969.

It’s like all acts of Ringling Brothers Circus. Dallas Downtown News , June 12, 1978.

Neiman Marcus friends and family share stories as the legendary store turns 90. Alvin Colt, theatrical designer. Dallas Morning News , Sept. 17, 1997, p. 6 E.

Two for the Fortnight Show. Neiman’s annual bash is a year-long project for these designers. Dallas Morning News , Oct. 16, 1983.

From the guide to the Alvin Colt design drawings, photographs, and other materials for Neiman Marcus Fortnights Ag1993. 0951 and Ag1993. 0951x., 1958-2001, (DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)