Labels to Look For: Mountain Artisans
When it comes to sought-after vintage, even casual collectors recognize the big names. Nobody needs reminding that people are eagerly seeking out Jean Paul Gaultier, Gunne Sax, and Betsey Johnson. But beyond the heavy-hitters is a whole world of incredible vintage labels that fly under the radar. This is the first in a new series, Labels to Look For, where I’ll shed some light on lesser-known vintage brands. Labels to Look For will often hold special historical significance, and with that, monetary value that makes these pieces worth considering if you ever spot them in the wild.
Mountain Artisans (1968-1978)
For a brief but dazzling decade, Mountain Artisans created stunning wearable art pieces in the form of patchwork apparel and home decor. The business began as a non-profit quilting cooperative based in Charleston, West Virginia. The 1960’s marked an American boom in folk arts and traditional crafts, with Mountain Artisans capitalizing on a renewed public interest in quiltmaking. They were best known for their long, vibrant, hostess skirts, but they also offered dresses, jackets, pants, pillows, and more.
Mountain Artisans was owned and operated by the women artisans that created the patchwork pieces, eventually expanding to 15 different cooperatives of over 150 members. The business was founded to support poor rural women throughout West Virginia by utilizing their skills and knowledge of traditional folk art, many of whom worked from home. One of Mountain Artisan’s founding organizers was Sharon Percy Rockefeller, who dedicated much of her time, connections, undoubtedly her family’s money, and the decor of their Rockefeller country home to the collective. Sharon worked alongside the businesses’ member-directors, various businessmen, and retailers to expand the scope and scale of Mountain Artisans.
The collective’s pieces were sold by high-end retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdales, alongside many smaller boutiques. This 1974 NYT article mentions the cooperative “widening their market” by offering a $40 tennis dress and an $18 halter top ($300 and $135 today adjusted for inflation). I haven’t seen mention of the retail pricing on their hostess skirts and dresses, but they were definitely even more expensive! Having handled multiple Mountain Artisans pieces myself, I can attest to the incredible quality and craftsmanship of their garments. These pieces were painstakingly crafted by talented and meticulous artists following traditional methods, and were priced to reflect that.
By 1972, the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Awards mentioned Mountain Artisans in their annual citation, crediting them with furthering the American crafts movement. A year later, the cooperative published The Mountain Artisans Quilting Book, detailing their history and designs in print alongside detailed instructions for copying popular MA styles. Many copies of the book are available on Ebay and Abebooks for under $10! There’s currently one on it’s way to me now.
By the mid 1970’s, tides were changing in American fashion and culture. The public was moving on from the folksy styles of the previous decade, donning themselves in glitter and sweeping across disco dance floors in lurex and lamé. Mountain Artisans was dissolved in 1978, but their legacy lives on today in their remaining creations. I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on two of the label’s hostess skirts over the years. The yellow patchwork skirt pictured above will be available to purchase on my online store today at 12 PM EST! My first Mountain Artisans find, seen below, sold at last year’s February Manhattan Vintage Show.
Links!!
There are usually a handful of available Mountain Artisans pieces scattered across the internet, mostly skirts, going for around $150 and up. I’ve included a few of my currently available favorites below if you’re interested in scooping up a piece of rural American folk art history for yourself.
A note: Sadly, most of the available pieces are in very tiny sizes :(
The least expensive MA piece I could find! 25” waist, $55 + shipping. A steal!
Probably the skirt I’d be most likely to wear myself if it were my size. A gorgeous eyelet lined skirt with a 25” waist, $125 + ship. (Hot tip: the seller offered this to me at $106.39 just because I viewed it, so you could probably offer $100 and snag it)
Another personal favorite of the skirts floating around right now - a gingham & rick rack ruffle skirt with a wrap-style closure. I don’t think this was intended to be reversible because the label is visible on the gingham side, but it looks like it could definitely be worn “inside out”! No measurements included, just “Size S,” but I’m assuming the tie closure offers a little flexibility. $140 + ship.
Another great patchwork skirt on Ebay, 24” waist, $175+ ship. This seller did disclose that this piece has some wear & tear and hasn’t been washed or treated.
A particularly bold example of a hostess skirt available from Arcade Vintage in a rare 30” waist! $348.
The most expensive Mountain Artisans piece I came across, a beautiful (not $4.5k beautiful, IMO) dress on - of course - 1stDibs.
A rare example of a Mountain Artisans Jacket. This piece is no longer available, but I wanted to include it because I didn’t see any jackets currently for sale. Sold by vintage brand “Busylady Baca & The Goods” through Free People.
It’s important to me to be as transparent as possible, so I’m including this link to the same style (and size) skirt that I’m selling through my own vintage business. This skirt is less expensive than mine! Based on the photos (and my experience with Ebay), I’m assuming this piece has not been washed, cleaned, or treated in any way. Garment processing and care are an essential part of my business, so I’ve priced my piece to properly compensate myself for sourcing, cleaning, listing, and other labor. If you’re happy to take on a bit of risk and take on the job of careful cleaning, you could save a bit of money here.
Sources:
Mountain Artisans (Oct 2010), The West Virginia Encyclopedia
American Quilting Collectives: Gee’s Bend and the Mountain Artisans (Jun 2017), Medium
Mountain Co Op Has a Rockefeller to Guide It (Feb 1974), New York Times
Currently Reading: The Mountain Artisans Quilting Book (Aug 2015), The Vintage Traveler
