Label
Inaugural Gown, 1989
Worn by Governor Madeleine M. Kunin (1933 - )
Burlington, VT
Velvet and satin fabric
Gift of Governor Madeleine M. Kunin, 2020.5.3
For her second and third term inaugural balls, Kunin turned to Elaine Horseman of South Burlington. As with the first gown, Kunin worked together with the designer to design each dress. In both cases, her commitment to finding and working with a local designer was reflective of her focus on Vermont. Horseman later recalled that Kunin could have purchased a gown from anywhere in the world, but wanted to stay within Vermont.
Both gowns feature design elements that Kunin and Horseman worked on together. The third gown, in black and white, is the only one of the three to have attracted media attention. The Burlington Free Press published a preview of Kunin wearing it in Horseman’s studio, in what was largely a focus on Horseman’s business. Horseman estimated that the dress took between 25 and 30 hours to make, and had been largely sewn by hand because of the delicacy of the fabric. The following week, a series of letters to the editor objected to the article, declaring the focus on Kunin’s gown to have been “prurient” and inappropriate.
Wearing the third gown, Kunin became the first woman in American history to serve a third term as governor of a state.