Priscilla Kidder, 86; Designed Bridal Gown for Princess Grace
Priscilla Kidder, 86, whose wedding dresses adorned Princess Grace and the daughters of two U.S. presidents, died Sunday at her home in Winchester, Mass. She was 86.
Kidder was the founder of Priscilla of Boston. Her elegant bridal fashions became famous when she designed gowns for the 1958 wedding of Grace Kelly and Monaco’s Prince Rainier.
“She designed a classic dress, the dress that became the icon of the American wedding,” said Mille Martini Bratten, editor in chief of Bride’s magazine.
Kidder’s reputation grew when Luci Baines Johnson, the daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and both Julie and Tricia Nixon wore her designs for their weddings.
Born in Quincy, Mass., Kidder graduated from the New England School of Design and went to work as a buyer in the bridal section of R.H. White department store. Dissatisfied with the store’s offerings, she opened her own shop in 1948.
Kidder sold the company in 1993 to oil heiress Patricia Kaneb. In 2002, it was sold to the May Department Store Co.
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