Gene London - Fashion Designer

Fashion Designer

When Cartoon Corners was cancelled, Gene moved to New York City and became involved in the fashion industry as a dress designer. Until 2001, Gene operated a retro clothes shop called 'Gene London: The Fan Club' on Manhattan's West 19th Street. In later years, Gene served as a Hollywood and Broadway fashion consultant and spokesman for the Mikimoto brand of jewelry. As a hobby, Gene had collected costumes worn by movie celebrities (some 60,000 gowns, dresses and fashion accessories). In July 2002, at the age of 71, Gene exhibited more than 50 pieces of his Hollywood gown collection at "Gene London Presents: Hollywood Glamour" at the Showboat Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. On May 17, 2003, he once again displayed his gowns at the 80th anniversary celebration of the Old Academy Players in Philadelphia (East Falls), PA. The exhibit included a deep red dress with plunging neckline and fur-trimmed sleeves worn by Philadelphia-bred actress Grace Kelly (a.k.a. Princess Grace of Monaco) in the Oscar-winning film The Country Girl (1954). On October 3, 2009 the Reading Public Museum (Reading, PA) opened "The Magic of Hollywood: the Gene London Costume Collection," featuring more than 100 gowns and costumes.