Beate Hemmann, 92, a self-taught clothing designer and German immigrant who rose to success in the renowned Philadelphia fashion house of Albert Nipon, died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease Monday, May 3, at her daughter’s home in Center City.
Ms. Hemmann designed distinctive one-piece maternity dresses for Nipon’s highly popular Ma Mêre line. Her creations were worn by many women, including Jacqueline Kennedy, and her design success extended beyond maternity fashion.
“She did well for herself here,” her daughter, Andrea Hemmann, said. “She was completely independent, and she had to be from a teenager on.”
Ms. Hemmann was the younger of two children born to George Hemmann, a veterinarian, and Hilde Hemmann in East Germany. Her father died when she was 7.
