Day Three of Favorite Newspaper Fashion Editors: Eleni Epstein
Eleni Epstein was the fashion editor of the Washington Star for more than three decades. She was a native of Washington, D.C. who attended George Washington University and Columbia University. During World War II she began her journalism career as a copy assistant at the Washington Star and was promoted to the position of fashion editor at age 21. Her internationally syndicated articles covered the fashion markets of Milan, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo and London. Her position as fashion editor lasted more than 35 years until 1981 when the Star ceased publication. She received many awards for her interpretive writing and her contributions to the fashion industry. In 1960 she was the recipient of the first Penney-Missouri fashion writing award. She was married to Star editor Sid Epstein.
Her papers are at the Missouri Historical Society in the National Women and Media Collection. It includes great photos and some audio interviews. One of the interview is available here.
My article about Eleni will be coming out in a history journal next year.
