Seated behind a crowded desk, fashion designer Pauline Trigère takes a phone call with the brisk, practiced focus of someone running a studio at full speed. Her sleeveless black top and bold jewelry—stacked bracelets, a sparkling brooch, and distinctive glasses—signal a personal style as assured as her professional one. Papers, tools, and small office objects spread across the tabletop, turning the scene into an intimate look at the working rhythm behind mid-century fashion.
Colorful wall boards and pinned sketches frame her workspace, offering a glimpse of garments in progress and the visual language of 1960s design. A framed “AWARD” notice hangs above, while nearby illustrations and clipped images suggest ongoing collections, fittings, and editorial deadlines. Shelving to the side holds books and folders, reinforcing the sense of a New York studio where artistry and administration meet minute by minute.
Ormond Gigli’s lens renders the moment with vivid clarity, balancing the glamour associated with couture against the practical reality of business calls and constant decision-making. The photograph reads like a small biography of the era: graphic prints, modern office materials, and a designer at the center, orchestrating it all. For anyone interested in fashion history, American design, or studio culture in New York in 1962, the image offers a richly textured window into how style was made, managed, and marketed.