Acclaimed bridal designer Anne Barge Clegg pledged a major gift to the University of Georgia that will enhance the College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ Historic Clothing and Textile Collection, housed at the UGA Special Collections Libraries.
Anne Barge Clegg speaks during a visit to the University of Georgia in March.
In honor of Clegg’s gift, the university will name the collection the Anne Barge Historic Clothing and Textile Collection. The collection consists of around 3,000 objects, including garments, accessories and textiles dating from the 1800s to present day. Clegg’s gift was announced at an Oct. 8 event in New York City honoring her career.
“Anne’s generosity is immense and far-reaching, and we are grateful for her deep commitment to helping UGA students’ dreams come true,” said Jill S. Walton, UGA vice president for development and alumni relations. “Her gift ensures that generations of students will be able to benefit from the invaluable knowledge contained within the collection that will proudly bear her name.”
Clegg, a native of Cordele, earned an art education degree from UGA in 1969 and moved to Boston, where she developed her skills at the legendary boutique Priscilla of Boston. She went on to open her own store, Anne Barge For Brides, in Atlanta and ran it for 13 years before selling to Kleinfeld, of “Say Yes to the Dress” fame. In 1999, she launched the Anne Barge label, which has earned international fame over its 25 years.
“My years at the University of Georgia were instrumental in fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a bridal designer,” said Clegg. “This historic clothing collection provides a rare hands-on resource for UGA students to research clothing trends and details of design, and it grants them access to numerous examples from history.
“My support to permanently preserve this collection is made with hopes of inspiring students on their own journeys to fulfill their dreams and preparing them for opportunities in the world of fashion.”
Anne Barge Clegg speaks to a class in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences in March.
The collection is a vital teaching and research asset for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, and UGA Libraries’ Special Collections Libraries will preserve and display the collection. Clegg’s gift will provide support for both entities, funding the physical care, organization and preservation of the collection as well as providing resources to hire staff who will oversee the collection.
Also included in Clegg’s pledge is a designation to establish the Jean Williams Support Fund. Williams was Clegg’s aunt, a UGA art education faculty member and a sculptor. Clegg donated several of her aunt’s sculptures to the Lamar Dodd School of Art, and the new fund will provide for the maintenance and restoration of the pieces — which will be on display at the school and on UGA’s Cortona campus, where Williams developed her love of sculpting. The fund will also support Dodd faculty teaching in Cortona.
An exhibit of dresses and materials donated by Clegg, which are now a part of the collection, will be on display at the Special Collections Libraries in the latter half of 2026.