The donor purchased the dress at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City in August, 1955. It was worn to the Ring Hop at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. She was impressed with the dress after seeing the Bergdorf Goodman ad from a Sunday supplement of a New York newspaper. This was the first time Bergdorf Goodman was presenting the Miss Bergdorf label. The skirt and train were shortened to suit the donor's height. Luis Estevez became a favorite designer for the donor and she purchased one of his day dresses to wear on her honeymoon trip in June 1956.
Luis Estevez was born in 1930 in Havana, Cuba. He was educated in the United States and studied architecture in Cuba. A summer job at Lord & Taylor inspired him to a career in fashion. He went to Paris to learn couture and apprenticed at the House of Patou. In 1955, he returned to the United States and began designing under his own name for the manufacturer Grenelle. He set his goal on making couture-like clothes at a moderate price. His collection was an immediate success. At the age of 24, Estevez became the youngest designer to win the 1956 Coty Award (the American Fashion Critics Award). In 1968, Estevez moved to California, where he designed for various firms, television, and movies. He also produced custom-made clothing for Hollywood celebrities. During the 1970s he designed clothes for First Lady Betty Ford.
