The kind of ball gowns and cocktail attire in James's archives may seem out of step by today's standards, but his influence is actually far more relevant than that. For Zac Posen's glamorous Fall 2014 collection, he listed the legendary designer among his references. And with nipped waistlines, luxe materials like duchesse satin, and opulent capes, the connection could not be more clear.
Though his intended biography Beyond Fashion was never written, he spent the end of his days teaching. He created a course called "fashion engineering" at the Art Students League and Pratt Institute and penned a textbook with the same name, ensuring students will continue to learn from his expertise for generations to come.
