NRF promotes and invests in the architectural heritage of the Newport community, the traditional building trades, and Doris Duke’s fine and decorative arts collections, for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of all.
As a leader in the preservation of early American architecture, NRF supports research and education in areas directly related to its collections and issues of critical concern to the field of historic preservation.
Visit Doris Duke’s art-filled mansion and enjoy panoramic ocean views from the extensive grounds. Open late March to November.
The Vernon House is a site for expansive story-telling, contemporary dialogue, and preservation trades skill-building.
Newport Restoration Foundation holds one of the largest collections of period architecture owned by a single organization anywhere in the United States.
Celebrate excellence in historic preservation efforts within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.
Live amidst history by renting one of our many historic properties.
Shop Like an Heiress: Buying Fashion in the 20th Century is a celebration of fashion and shopping through the experience of Doris Duke. Miss Duke’s closet included everything from custom made couture gowns to ready-to-wear suits, all purchased from a wide variety of sources. This exhibit explored how Doris Duke assembled her wardrobe in a diverse system that took her from French Couture houses to American department stores in search of stylish, chic clothes that established her as one of the best dressed in society.
Pantsuit
Jacket
Jumpsuit
Bed Footboard
The design house of Jean Patou custom dyed its thread so the colors and patterns could never be copied. Doris Duke purchased the pantsuit from his boutique at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.
Balenciaga's elite clientele were vetted through the head vendeuse. Doris Duke was one of his frequent clients, and he one of her favorite designers. Miss Duke once said that his designs gave her "noble posture." The garments were meticulously handcrafted and fitted several times by Balenciaga himself.
Marshall Fields in Chicago, Illinois, provided shoppers luxury and quality in its "28 Shop," which offered sophistication that was unparalleled in the city. Miss Duke did not have a home in the Windy City, so the boutique was probably not a regular shopping destination for her.
A Victorian English bed from the Black and White Room at Rough Point features this illustrated footboard. A feeling for the exotic is conveyed by the picture of the courtyard of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, and the inlaid fragments of mother-of-pearl add to the effect. The intended result turned an ordinary piece of furniture into a work of art with a feeling of a far-off corner of the world.
