Gene Moore (1910–98) was an American artist. He was a celebrated designer and window dresser for Tiffany.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Moore wanted to be a concert pianist and a painter. He decided that he did not play or paint very well, and he burnt his paintings. He moved to New York in the 1930s and worked in various casual jobs.
Moore joined the American luxury jewelry and specialty retailer Tiffany & Company in 1956, as its Artistic Director and Vice President. As the director of design development of Tiffany’s gold jewelry, he was a pioneer in the history of American design and a key figure in the creation of Tiffany’s brand image.
Moore designed some 5,000 Tiffany’s windows. His window-dressings presented a single idea intended to catch the attention of the passers-by. Examples include a large, high-priced diamond resting on a lettuce leaf, a broken necklace with its pearls spread out, and a piece of jewelry embedded in a watermelon made of gumdrops.
Moore became famous as the photographer of one of actress Audrey Hepburn’s best-known 1952 portrait. When Hepburn played the socialite Holly Golightly in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961,) she is seen sipping morning coffee in front of his five small windows at Tiffany’s flagship Fifth Avenue store in the opening sequence.
Moore’s notable books include Windows at Tiffany’s: The Art of Gene Moore (1980) and My Time at Tiffany’s (1990.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Gene Moore
People don’t change. Only their costumes do.
—Gene Moore
Topics: Change
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