Polly Allen Mellen

She was born on June 18, 1924. and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, and attended Miss Porter's School. Mellen was married to Henry Wigglesworth Mellen from 1965 until his death in 2014. Before she started her career in design, she worked as a nurse's aide in World War II.[1]

Mellen's career began as the protégée of Diana Vreeland. Her start in the fashion was with Lord & Taylor as a salesgirl and display designer.[1] Under Vreeland's tutelage, Mellen became an editor at Harper's Bazaar, and later at American Vogue. In the course of her career, Mellen has collaborated with such photographers as Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Irving Penn. Richard Avedon said of her: "She was and still is the most creative sittings editor I ever worked with."[2] Mellen has been known for her enthusiastic support of certain young designers both in the personal and business aspects of their lives. "She’s never lost her enthusiasm, in a field where everyone seems so jaded," says Isaac Mizrahi.[2]

Mellen has appeared in a number of documentaries on the fashion industry including Unzipped and Catwalk (both 1995) and HBO's In Vogue: The Editor's Eye (2012). In 2001 she won the CFDA Lifetime Achievement award.