A new exhibition honoring legendary gossip columnist Aileen Mehle, best known by her pen name “Suzy,” is opening at the Kent State University Museum on July 18, 2025. As reported by Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), the show will explore Mehle’s glamorous life, signature style, and remarkable career that spanned over five decades. A special preview party will be held the evening before, on July 17 at 5 p.m.
Mehle was a trailblazer in fashion and society journalism, known for her wit, charm, and insider access to some of the most exclusive events in New York, Palm Beach, and beyond. Writing under the name Suzy Knickerbocker, she became one of the most widely read columnists of her time, with her work appearing in WWD, the New York Post, and the Daily News, reaching a readership of more than 30 million.
“Aileen – aka Suzy – moved in rarefied circles, or should I say, rarefied circles moved around Aileen. She was, in the years she wrote for WWD, almost always bedecked in frills and froth, sometimes with a boa wrapped around her,” said James Fallon, chief content officer of Fairchild Media Group and WWD. “But those soft outfits covered a steely reporter whose eyes never missed anything and whose ears heard every whisper of affairs, scandals and the latest social gossip. She was repeatedly asked to write a tell-all book about her life but would always respond that she knew too many secrets to tell them all. It is a cliché to say someone is one of a kind, but in Aileen’s case, there is no better description.”
The upcoming Kent State exhibition, titled “Sparkle: The Style and Jewelry of Aileen Mehle,” will showcase pieces from her personal wardrobe and jewelry collection that reflect her influence on fashion, media, and high society. The show aims to highlight Mehle's unique blend of elegance and journalistic flair.
Read the full article on WWD: WWD: Gossip Columnist Suzy to Be Honored in Kent State Museum Show
Attribution: Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), article by Rosemary Feitelberg.
Photo caption: Slip dress of pink gazar with matching jacket covered with sequins and feathers. Oscar de la Renta, 1993.