Photo: Charles McQuillan / Getty Images News / Getty Images
This story thanks to History Link: John Doyle Bishop operated one of Seattle's most fashionable retail establishments for three decades and positioned himself as a style leader in the city. He provided his customers with luxury ready-to-wear clothing, exceptional service, and personalized fashion advice. Through frequent national and international buying trips, Bishop created a connection between his Seattle customers and the top designers of the day. He was profiled in Women's Wear Daily and boasted friendships with designers such as Bill Blass and Pauline Trigère. His success showed that despite Seattle's reputation for casual dressing, there was a strong market for the kind of high style he sold. Bishop cultivated a reputation as a local personality and an eccentric. He was particularly known for his pride in his Irish heritage and his antics around St. Patrick's Day. His annual attempt to paint a green stripe down 5th Avenue routinely resulted in his arrest, but Bishop happily paid the fines and relished the media attention. He was the grand marshal of Seattle's first official St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1972. The "Laying O' the Green Stripe" is still done the night before the parade in his honor.
Friday night, March 15 at 7pm - John Doyle Bishop Laying of the Green Stripe – 7pm – Jefferson St & 4th Ave, Seattle