Not being one of NYC's glamorous people, I didn't know that Elaine (yes, that Elaine) was a big dress-wearer. She sounds awesome, in every sense of the word:
“Measuring and creating clothing for Elaine was like painting a mural in motion.”
Read the rest of the story (in the New Yorker) here.
A Dress A Day 
What a lovely article. And she sounds like a lovely woman. As I don’t have any hope of ever doing more than looking in the direction of NYC, I hadn’t heard of her or her restaurant. But any fabric junkie is a friend of mine.
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I love this article, but what struck me is the un-sung hero, Linda Clare Meisner (Kaufman’s dressmaker) seems to have made 400 couture dresses in about 2o years! (WOW, I’m impressed). I want to know more about her too!
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Wow, she sounds like a lovely lady and so does her dressmaker. I hope those dresses and fabric go to someone who will appreciate them.
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I wish I could see photos of those 400 dresses.
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from Linda Clare Meisner,
I wish to thank you all for the lovely responses to Gay Talese’s article about the 400 dresses I had made for Elaine over the years. Yes, there were really at least that many — they were Elaine’s personal costumes and treasures. She worked in her restaurant seven nights a week and wore different ones, by rotating them in a very large closet, so each was like a fresh bouquet every night. She LOVED beautiful fabrics, which guaranteed the glorious quality — The styles were often repeated but using different details
I have just posted a website http://www.lindaclaremeisner.com which already shows some of the various necklines. The web site is new, and I plan to ad more of my work as I go along. I have to learn how to use the website and make it more organized. Much of what is on it now reflects my early history in NY which began in 1964.
Most of my work is “one-of-a-kind.” I don’t make a “collection.”
Thank you again for your thoughtful remarks —
and “Yes,” every dress has a story ! Enjoy your work — Linda
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ITA, dulcet! Any fabric junkie is a friend of mine! Both women sound lovely, and I’ll definitely be checking out Ms. Meisner’s website.
My favorite line of the article was, “Elaine wasn’t thinking about dying.” What a lovely way to live.
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