Dorothy Tivis (1919–2010) was a pioneering American model, fashion executive, and trailblazing feminist. Born in Fargo, North Dakota, she started her career in journalism before being discovered on a New York subway and rising to prominence as one of the top high-fashion models of the mid-1940s and ’50s.
Tivis made history in 1951 by becoming the first major fashion model to appear in a lingerie advertisement, famously fronting the iconic Maidenform “I dreamed I won the election in my Maidenform bra” campaign. After retiring from modeling, she transitioned into the corporate world, becoming Vice President of Marketing at Genesco and producing groundbreaking runway shows.
A bold innovator, Tivis co-founded “The Forgotten Woman,” one of the first fashion brands dedicated to plus-size women, and remained an active voice in feminism, politics, arts, and animal welfare throughout her remarkable life. These vintage photos beautifully capture Dorothy Tivis at the height of her modeling career in the 1940s.
Dorothy Tivis photographed by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, September 1, 1946
Dorothy Tivis in a gray square-cut double-breasted herringbone tweed suit by Kraus, accented with yellow scarf hat and gloves, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, September 1, 1946
Dorothy Tivis in black lace skirt and blue satin with black lace jacket by Hattie Carnegie, photo by Horst P. Horst, 1946
Dorothy Tivis in black suit with yellow plaid trim on the jacket, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue November 15, 1946
Dorothy Tivis in fitted double-breasted suit by Larry Aldrich, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, September 1, 1946
Leave a Reply