Few women in entertainment have left a mark quite like Mary Tyler Moore. From her early days as a dancer to her unforgettable roles as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary wasn’t just a television star, she was a fashion icon, trailblazer, producer, and passionate advocate whose influence continues to be felt decades later and now, that unmistakable style and enduring legacy are getting a fashionable new tribute.
Frances Valentine, the fashion, lifestyle, and accessories brand founded in 2016 by Elyce Arons and Kate Spade, is celebrating the legendary actress with the Frances Valentine x Mary Tyler Moore collection, launching on the brand’s website on September 29.
Inspired by Mary’s on-screen wardrobe and personal style, the collection puts a modern spin on some of her most memorable looks, from the navy pea coat and Tam O’Shanter she famously wore during the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show to the cigarette pants associated with her Dick Van Dyke Show era.
And this is more than a fashion tribute. Twenty percent of net proceeds from the collection will benefit the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative, helping continue Moore’s legacy of advocacy for people living with diabetes.
To celebrate the collection, Frances Valentine teamed up with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for The Mary Experience, a two-day celebration exploring the life, career, style, and lasting cultural impact of one of television’s most beloved stars.
The exhibition was divided into three themes: “Mary, The Icon,” “Mary, The Inspiration,” and “Mary, The Legacy” and took visitors behind the scenes of Mary’s extraordinary career through artifacts from her personal collection. Among the highlights were pieces from her own closet, including the original Tam O’Shanter worn during the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, as well as awards, scripts covered in her handwritten notes, photographs, and other personal memorabilia.
Archival clips from Moore’s television career brought the collection to life, tracing her evolution from beloved sitcom star to groundbreaking television executive, producer, and advocate. A theater showed ten favorite episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show selected by the Frances Valentine team. Together, the artifacts and footage offered an intimate look at the woman behind some of television’s most iconic characters and the impact she had on generations of women who followed.
The Mary Experience also celebrated a deeply personal part of the actress’s legacy: her decades-long advocacy for people living with diabetes. The work continues through the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative, founded by her husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine, to address diabetes-related vision loss and blindness, a complication Mary experienced herself.
From the screen to the closet to her advocacy work, Mary Tyler Moore proved that being an icon was about far more than what happened in front of the camera. Her influence continues to inspire – and now, a new generation can literally wear a piece of her legacy.
Shop the Frances Valentine x Mary Tyler Moore collection starting on September 29.
