There are brands you wear — and brands you remember.
For decades, Gunne Sax has been stitched into prom photos from the late ’70s, wedding portraits from the ’80s, and carefully preserved closets across generations. Fans still send in their original Gunne Sax prom snapshots and bridal moments — lace sleeves glowing under gymnasium lights, prairie skirts floating down church aisles. That nostalgia is not just memory. It is legacy.
With the Gunne Sax for ModCloth Spring Collection, that legacy continues — thoughtfully revived, lovingly modernized, and now available in inclusive sizing XS–4X.
We spoke with Mary Santoro, CEO and Creative Director of Jessica McClintock LLC, about what this next chapter means.
For readers meeting you for the first time — how would you describe yourself outside of Gunne Sax? What brings you joy these days?
“I love romance and fantasy,” Mary shares. Candlelit gardens, antique china, lace cloths, jasmine in bloom — the same spirit that shaped Gunne Sax from the beginning. “Happiness,” she says simply.
You’re the keeper of such a special place. What does a typical day at the mansion look like for you?
“A typical day begins at 4 a.m., when Jose, our house manager, (Majordomo), brings me a cup of hot chocolate. We start early — the dogs need to be walked and fed — and then I head to my office to begin the workday. Mornings are spent reviewing emails and financials, coordinating across our licensing partners, and moving through marketing plans, product development, approvals, and social strategy.”
We have to ask — tell us about the dogs. Who are they, and who’s really in charge?
“We’re very much a dog family. Our eldest is Katie, a 14-year-old yellow lab who still insists on her daily walks, loves her meals, and never misses our Friday dance parties. Tink, the middle child, is seven years old and weighs just five pounds — she truly runs the house. Some may recognize her from sitting at the piano with our models or posing on our website in her “cool shades.” Our newest addition is Mack McClintock, a one-year-and-five-month-old silver lab with bright blue eyes and boundless energy. He adores exercise and even has his own treadmill — 30 minutes, three times a day — patiently waiting for Jose to get him set up. Jose handles the workouts; I’m in charge of the Friday dance parties.”
(Sadly to say that after chatting with Mary, we learned that Katie crossed the rainbow bridge.)
What are some of your earliest memories of your sister Jessica while she was building Gunne Sax?
“Jessica was so totally focused on telling her story of romance,” Mary says. “It wasn’t just a brand — it was a love letter to design.”
Did you realize at the time that Gunne Sax was becoming something iconic, or did that understanding come later?
“When you’re at the beginning of an adventure, you’re completely immersed in every detail — the birth of the idea, the nurturing of the creation, the team, and the business engine that keeps everything moving. There isn’t much time to step back and consider the broader impact. That realization comes later. There are moments, though, when it suddenly hits you — when you think, Wow, they know. I remember seeing Gunne Sax featured in all the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue in 1976 for the Bicentennial. That was one of those moments.”
Gunne Sax has such a devoted fan base — what do you think people connected to so deeply back then?
“The dresses were really pretty,” Mary says. “They touched that part of each one of us that loves romance and fantasy.”
Do you have a favorite Gunne Sax dress or silhouette — one that still makes your heart flutter?
She points to the flowing Michella Bell Sleeve Dress, while the new collection also features silhouettes like the Reyna Lace-Up Maxi Dress, Bella Tiered Maxi Skirt and Charlotte Corselette Top, and bridal-ready gowns including the Jacqueline High Collar Maxi Dress, Carol Hooded Dress, and Beth Lace Corselette Maxi Dress.
What about ModCloth felt like the right partner to carry Gunne Sax forward?
“Authenticity,” Mary says. “ModCloth understands vintage design and honors Jessica’s legacy.”
How does it feel to see Gunne Sax reaching a new generation of fans — especially in inclusive sizing?
“The most vocal call out from fans was to be more size inclusive,” Mary shares. This spring collection answers that call — romance made for more bodies, more stories.
The Gunne Sax for ModCloth Spring Collection is not just a revival. It is a continuation — a love letter carried forward in lace, florals, corsetry, and soft prairie romance.
The dresses are ready. The legacy lives on.
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