Charlotte Neuville, Class of 1973

Winner of the first Mouton-Cadet Young Designer Award, finalist for the Chicago Fashion Award, lecturer on your work at the Smithsonian Institution, you drew extraordinary attention within your profession right from the start of your career. Fashion writers most often apply to your designs of women’s clothing the word “sophisticated,” and they also note that you bring to your work a combination of passion and attention to detail unusual among topflight designers. Your approach to business has also been sophisticated—one reason for your continuing success in an industry known for intense competition and ephemeral moods. You have combined this success in the marketplace (Harrod’s having once sold out one of your collections in a single day) with a dedication to broader issues. In 1990 you took the risk of not mounting a spring show in order to donate the costs, estimated at over $50,000, to the fight against AIDS, a cause you also supported by helping organize an event for designers, called Seventh on Sale, that succeeded in raising more than $2 million. In recognition of your distinguished achievement as a designer and businesswoman, Williams College is proud to present you with its Bicentennial Medal.