Pilar Limosner

On the morning of June 2, 2022, Pilar Limosner of New York City passed away at the age of 67. The cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Pilar was an integral part of the now infamous downtown New York East Village art and music scene in the 1980s where she was friends with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It was as part of this historic cultural scene that Pilar made her mark as a fashion designer. She also worked as a professional costume designer and wardrobe assistant on many feature films and TV shows and created costumes and props for dancers Karole Armitage and Richard Move as well as performers Ann Magnuson and Eric Bogosian.

Her unique creations were featured in many publications including VOGUE and The New York Times and were seen on stages, in nightclubs and on fashion runways all over the world (including at Lincoln Center.) She won a prestigious BESSIE award for costuming the Ridge's Theater's Jennie Richtie performance.

Pilar was nominated for a Cable ACE award for her surreal and whimsical costumes for the Cinemax TV special "Ann Magnuson's VANDEMONIUM" and she garnered much attention from uptown Manhattan society circles for the humorous Halloween costumes she created for the late New York realtor, AIDS activist and philanthropist Robby Browne.

Born in Costa Rica to architects Enrique and Mary Alice Limosner, Pilar grew up in Oakland, California and was educated at UCLA (Dance/Film Major), The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London (Stage Management) and UC Berkeley (Dance Major.)

She shared a boutique named Batislavia on Avenue A in the East Village with fellow fashion designer Carmel Johnson. It was there that Pilar launched several collections under her own label and the storefront became a popular hangout for many East Village artists. Pilar's clothes were also sold at Patricia Field's original 8th Street retail store.

In addition to fashion design and construction (including millinery,) Pilar choreographed and performed in various rock venues and New York clubs (such as Danceteria) and even worked the front door of the famous club AREA where she was always memorably decked out in her own creations.

Pilar was an active member of the neo-Dada Club 57 and receives mention in the MOMA retrospective catalogue (Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978-1983) for her performance work there with the band Los Microwaves.

Pilar's adventurous spirit is best exemplified by her enthusiastic membership in an informal East Village "arty" motorcycle club that was active in the 1980s. She was often seen astride her English-made "metal beast" fearlessly negotiating the mean streets of New York while fashionably dressed to the nines.

Statuesque and stunningly beautiful, Pilar was often asked to model, most memorably appearing on the cover of The New York Times Magazine for their 2003 story on sleep disorders, appearing as an ethereal sleepwalker photographed by the renowned Josef Astor.

Pilar will be remembered for her striking beauty, generous spirit, original ideas, profound love for cats and her giggling, gleeful laughter. She is deeply missed by the many friends she leaves behind.

A memorial will be held at a later date. Photos and updates on Instagram : @pilarlimosnernyc.
photo by Robert Carrithers