Sparkle: The Style and Jewelry of Aileen Mehle Exhibiton

In honor of the Kent State University Museum’s 40th anniversary, this exhibition pays tribute to Aileen Mehle, a friend of the museum founders and widely syndicated society columnist. The exhibition features evening dresses and jewelry from Mehle that will be displayed in the museum’s historic Higbee Gallery from July 18, 2025, through Aug. 23, 2026.

Mehle, who lived from 1918 to 2016, wrote under the pseudonym Suzy Knickerbocker and enjoyed a career spanning five decades – from the 1950s until her final column in 2005, which she wrote at the age of 87.

Mehle dressed in Pauline Trigère, Geoffrey Beene, Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy while wearing jewelry by Cartier and Tiffany as well as bags by Judith Leiber and Bulgari. Among the approximately 20 dresses from the 1960s through the 1990s mounted in the exhibition is the beaded dress by Nilo de Paul that she wore to Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball in 1966 alongside a selection of her jewelry that range from vintage earrings from the 1930s to statement necklaces and bracelets from the 1980s.