August 29th, 2008 at 5:00 am
(Uncategorized)
Phillip Treacey designs a hat for breast cancer awareness. It will be available only at Selfridges.
Click here for more details.
Target has announced that it is doing these temp locations in NYC they’re calling Bullseye Bodegas. They will feature 22 of Target’s celeb designer collaborations available in NYC for a brief time. This is cool, and I’m glad it will be available in a way which highlights the well designed cheap goods, but there is something humorous coming from the midwest, where Targets and the like are abundant, and now straight from Minneapolis, where Targets are literally on every block (including the one my house is on) and practically everyone in design age 20-40 does now or formerly has worked with or for Target in some way. Sometimes it’s sort of amusing to read an NYC perspective on the world which doesn’t include strip malls and supercenters of endless Target type places. I lived in NYC for a while and remember when Kmart was opening in the Village and how everyone went mad over it. I can only imagine the mood over the Target Bodegas. Good to see the coasts salivating over whats happening in the midwest.
Bust magazine profiles women who are making plus size vintage clothes more available. They are searching all over for the hard to find items and starting businesses specifically focused on that market. The three people they profile have online locations for selling their awesome finds. Re/Dress and Elisa’s Bodacious House of Style (see image) and Fat Fancy.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is in Cleveland, OH has branched out to have an annex in NYC. Click here for more details. Personally this seems like a bad idea to me….Monica (pictured is the original location)
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August 28th, 2008 at 10:35 am
(Uncategorized)
As this new school year begins I’m like a little kid with maps and my lunchbox nervously getting acquainted to my new digs. I’ve completed my two year contract with the Goldstein Museum of Design and this year I will be a Teaching Assistant.
The nervous part is because in the fall I’m TA’ing two sections of the introductory textile lab, and although I’ve had oceans of textile courses both undergrad and grad level, and yes, I did my master’s thesis on smart textiles, most of my personal interest has been in consumption and societal values, not the mechanics of the fibers. Therefore, yesterday when I was getting the bunsen burners ready I got a bit of a cold sweat thinking about being responsible for this material (and the potential fire hazard of disinterested college-aged people doing this early in the morning with no food or drink (i.e. no coffee) allowed in the lab). But, I adore my new co-workers so I think this should be a good experience.
In the spring I’m both lead teacher (still a TA position) and my own TA (grading) for an introductory consumers class of about 80 students. I’ve taught numerous semesters before, as first a TA and then as adjunct faculty for a few years, but it was topping out at about 35 students, so a big lecture auditorium should be a change of pace. I’ll let you know how this goes.
Wish me luck on the new school year!
-Monica
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August 27th, 2008 at 5:01 am
(Book Reviews, Exhibitions, History of Dress)
From Black in Fashion (English cotton Hat, c. 1887, The Schofield Collection.
Purchased with the assistance of a special grant from the Government of Victoria, 1974).
This will be my final set of reviews for August - but I’ll have a good number of reviews coming up for September. The quality and quantity of the books coming out in time for the new academic year is really quite staggering. Some hover on the periphery of the history of dress, while others are more directly related. But all in all, these three books provide insight into specific eras and trends.
Black in Fashion: Mourning to Night
by Laura Jocic, Roger Leong, Paola Di Trocchio and Danielle Whitfield
Publication date: Jul 25, 2008
This is a breathtaking catalog (with flaps, colored ends, and high gloss paper) for the exhibit of the same name at the National Gallery of Victoria (the exhibit is now in its final days, details here). Beautifully illustrated, the catalog offers a sweeping history - from the 1600s to John Singer Seargant to Dior, Westwood and Comme des Garcons - on the use of the color black in fashion. Of particular interest is the catalogs focus on Australian designers (often unfamiliar to those outside of the country). While attending the last Popular Culture association meeting in San Francisco, I heard a paper from Dr. Vicki Karaminas, titled “Australian Gothic. Black Light Angels, Fashion and Subterranean Style” which explored the aesthetics of Goth comics and subculture in Australia (fascinating to say the least). Black in Fashion ties into those notions. For those not able to make it down under in the next week, the Museum at F.I.T. will have an exhibit opening September 5, titled “Gothic: Dark Glamour” which, while not exactly the same topic, may have some similar points regarding the connotations of wearing the color black. New York Magazine also recently noted that summer fashions have focused on dark gothic looks - especially in magazines like Dazed & Confused.
High Society: American Portraits of the Gilded Era
by Barbara Dayer Gallati
Publication date: Jul 15, 2008
Written by Barbara Dayer Gallati - the Curator Emerita of American Art at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, High Society includes high quality reproductions of over 175 portraits and period photographs from the nineteenth-century, essentially documenting the American aristocracy (and their clothing choices). While the essays focus on the artist (Sargent, Renoir, Cassatt, Whistler and Cecilia Beaux) rather than the sitters - it is still an important and useful book for historians of dress to study.
Furious Improvisation: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art out of Desperate Times
by Susan Quinn
Publication date: Jul 8, 2008
While not strictly a book on the history of dress, Furious Improvisation does relate to the art and culture of an era of particular interest to me. Its chapters discuss the impact of the WPA on a specific aspect of American life - the Theater. It recieved a starred review from Publishers Weekly (the top publication in the publishing industry), along with important and positive reviews from the other major industry publications (Library Journal, Booklist and Kirkus) - as well as the New York Times. Quinn discusses the WPA’s Federal Theater Project of the 1930s, and illuminates the cutting edge theatrical productions brought to the stage under the supervision of Hallie Flanagan.
Anyone studying the history of theater and culture (as many historians of dress do) would do well to inform their own research by taking a look into this volume. It is well researched (and documented), and focuses primarily on east coast productions (but does include a chapter on San Francisco based productions). Small photos document the visual aspects of these productions (including costumes). Read an excerpt here. Listen to a book review from NPR here. Quinn will also be speaking on the topic at several east coast venues (including Hyde Park in New York), for those who are interested, details are here.
Until next time,
Heather
www.fashionhistorian.net
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August 26th, 2008 at 5:00 am
(Jobs, Uncategorized)
Curator of Study Gallery
The Bard Graduate Center
The Study Gallery at the BGC is a small space, to open in Fall 2009 that will be used to host exhibitions focused on one or more key objects which, along with supporting didactic material (illustrative, textual, digital), will tell a story or make an argument. The main purpose of the creation of this space is to facilitate a new kind of academic investigation in which the output of a research seminar will not be an article, but an exhibition. We envision this as a key step towards the integration of BGC exhibitions into the degree programs and, more generally, towards creating a much more integrated intellectual role for exhibitions in higher education. We anticipate three major uses of the gallery: first, as a focus for research seminars taught by BGC faculty; second, as a venue for student-generated exhibitions; and, third, as the location for small, focused exhibitions independent of any course.
This appointment is to the Exhibitions Department at the BGC and reports directly to the Chief Curator, Nina Stritzler-Levine. However, the specific nature of this position requires close work with the professor who is Coordinator of History & Theory of Museums, as well as with the Chair of Academic Programs. It is expected that the Curator of the Study Gallery could teach up to one course per year. Other responsibilities might include working closely with exhibition department staff on shows in the main gallery. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in art history, curatorial and exhibition experience, and a commitment to artistic and material culture. (Candidates with a background in ancient and non-western art history are especially encouraged to apply.) Rank and title will be commensurate with experience.
Please email your resume, a cover letter, three references, and your salary requirements to Curator of Study Gallery – 7608
Click here to email
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August 26th, 2008 at 5:00 am
(Jobs, Uncategorized)
The following are a bunch of academic positions which I found on ITAA’s website.
Assistant or Associate Professors (2), Fashion Design
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Seeking faculty for two tenure-track positions in the Fashion Design Department starting at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor in Fall 2009.
Qualifications: Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years of professional industry experience and at least 5 years college teaching experience. A master’s degree in appropriate discipline is preferred. Responsibilites: Teaching undergraduate courses in all levels of Fashion Design including Pattern Drafting, Creative Fashion Design, Couture Techniques, Fashion History, Marketing and Trend Forecasting. Specific teaching assignment is flexible. Preference will be given to applications received by October 1, 2008. Final deadline for all application materials is November 1, 2008. Click here to apply online.
Associate/Full Professor, Fashion Merchandising
Texas State University, San Marcos
Seeking an Associate/Full Professor position in the Fashion Merchandising Program, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences beginning September 1, 2009.
Teach courses such as fashion merchandising/ retailing, promotion, entrepreneurship, consumer behavior, global/international merchandising as they relate to the fashion industry and product development, production and distribution at the undergraduate and graduate level; documented record of scholarly achievement and published research; record of external funding; experience in curriculum development, especially at the graduate level; experience with advising students. Preference will be given to applicants with retail experience.
Qualifications Required: PhD in Fashion Merchandising or a related field. Demonstrated ability to teach courses such as fashion merchandising/ retailing, promotion, entrepreneurship, consumer behavior, global/international merchandising as they relate to the fashion industry and product development, production and distribution at the undergraduate and graduate level; documented record of scholarly achievement and published research; record of external funding; experience in curriculum development, especially at the graduate level; experience with advising students.
Preference will be given to applicants with retail experience.
To apply, send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and a list of three references to:
Chair of FM Search Committee,
Family and Consumer Sciences
, Texas State University - San Marcos
, 601 University Drive,
San Marcos, Texas 78666
Assistant Professor, Fashion Merchandising
Fontbonne University
Seeking a tenure track Assistant Professor in Fashion Merchandising starting in fall, 2009. The successful candidate will have the full time teaching responsibilities of undergraduate courses in merchandising, apparel/textile merchandising, visual merchandising/promotion, product development/quality, fashion behavior/trend analysis, retail management/buying, textiles historic costume; advise undergraduate students; mentor student activities and organizations. Will also establish and maintain positive working partnerships with businesses, the industry, the community and the university. Serve on departmental and university committees and contribute to and support the mission of the department and the university.
Requirements include a Ph.D. in Apparel, Merchandising, Retail, Textiles or related field from an accredited university by August 2009 for tenure track. (Will consider ABD). Preference given to completed applications received by October 1, 2008. Submit a letter of application, including: philosophy of teaching, curriculum vitae, three reference letters (include names, addresses, telephone number and email addresses) and a photocopy of official transcripts to facilitate screening. Receipt of original transcripts required prior to campus interviews. The reference letters should address the responsibilities and qualification of this position and be sent to:
Cheryl Houston, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.
Chairperson and Associate Professor,
Human Environmental Sciences,
Fontbonne University,
6800 Wydown Blvd.
, St. Louis, MO 63105
Technology Specialist Instructor, Fashion Design
Columbus College of Art and Design
Seeking a Technology Specialist Instructor for our Fashion Design Department. This is a one to two year visiting position, supported by a grant from an industry partner.
This individual should:
Have an understanding of how technology is applied in the Fashion Design industry, including patternmaking, surface design, product development management, and more. Be knowledgeable in the operation and support of Lectra Kaledo and Modaris programs, and Gerber Technology WebPDM systems in studio and classroom environments. Expertise with related applications including Adobe Creative Suite software would also be helpful. Develop and deliver training materials, workshops and classes for faculty and students. Provide instruction in basic techniques, developing skills, and demonstrating how these technologies are applied in the design process. Provide technology guidance and assistance as we further incorporate technology into our fashion design curriculum.Serve as Fashion Design liaison to Information Technology, working closely with the IT staff to guide classroom and system configuration and refine operation of the systems. Lead discussions with Fashion Design faculty to determine upgrade schedules or system setup changes to support effective instruction and stay current with the industry. Applications will be accepted until August 31, 2008. Please submit a cover letter and resume with salary history to:
CCAD Human Resources Department,
107 N. Ninth Street
, Columbus, OH 43215
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August 25th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
(Uncategorized)
Since this week is the DNC it seemed fitting to skip the Thursday exhibits review I’d be writing right now and instead spend my time going through some of the myriad of Obama related fashion news which has come my way via my own searching and the oceans of stuff people have been sending me. Below is a sampling.
Treehugger featured an array of Obama organic cotton t-shirts that certianly have a lot of personality.
Fashionista did a piece about the Obama tshirts and totebags for sale on his website designed by the likes of fashion stars Diane von Furstenberg and Tracy Reese among others.
Obama has a fashion themed fundraiser happening on Sept. 9 (they’ve had others too including a dinner for Michelle sponsored by Vogue) and unfortunately received a little bad press for misspelling Anna Wintour’s name as Ann on the invite.
Regardless, Wintour and Andre Leon Talley are getting press for gathering up tons of cash for the campaign.
Michelle is turning into a fashion icon as constsntly there are articles about her style. All the sites from entertainment to political are talking about what she’ll wear to the convention and there have been tons of pieces about her fav designer in Chicago, Maria Pinto who designed her fabulous purple dress from the St. Paul rally as well as many other of Michelle’s classic looks. You can see lots more pictures of that dress and many other fun fashion images from the rally from my own coverage earlier this summer on Worn Through. On that page I’ve got a bunch of pictures of fun tshirts I saw that night.
Finally, I’m glad all that lame debate over Obama’s wearing or not wearing of a flag pin seems to be dying down, but you might want to look back at my comments on that issue from a while back. I’ve also got an older piece on some of the other merch available on his site which appeals to a younger constiuency with baby doll tshirts and the like. At the time the press was talking about how the merch of candidates reflected their overall image which seems obvious, not nonetheless interesting.
I’ll keep you updated as I gather more Obama fashion related info. This year many academics in fashion will be starting to gather at the ITAA conference in Illinois (of all places) on election night for a conference that begins the next day. I’m sure the dinner talk will certainly turn to the relevance of design in the campaign. I’ll let you know…-Monica
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August 25th, 2008 at 5:00 am
(Conferences and Calls for Papers)
Surface Design Association
Three competitions for 2009 and the 15th semi-annual SDA Conference, “Off the Grid“, which will take place in Kansas City, MO, May 28th-31st, 2009.
The competitions:
“Textile Fusion: An interactive Fashion Performance” at the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum. The entry deadline is Feb. 1, 2009.
“Surface Matters” SDA members show at the Belger Art Center. The entry deadline is March 1, 2009.
“Points of Departure” student show at the Hilliard Gallery in the Crossroads Art District, entry deadline March 1, 2009.
Conference:
Exhibitions, lectures, meetings and workshops. Pre- and post-conference workshops will occur May 23-25th, and June 1-5th. Some topics include woven imagery, bead embroidery, over-dying, layering, digital textile design, and many more to be announced.
Conference Chair Carolyn Kallenborn explains the conference theme, “Patterns in our life and in our work often develop and repeat in a regular manner, and then something unexpected happens. Something shifts slightly and the pattern and rhythm become radically new. It is in those moments of unexpected change that great possibility exists. We shift. We transform. We go ‘off the grid’ aesthetically, conceptually, or environmentally. In this conference we will concentrate on how we can seek those points of departure and together, go ‘off the grid’.”
The Surface Design Association is dedicated to raising the level of excellence in surface design — the coloring, patterning, and structuring of fiber and fabric — by inspiring creativity and encouraging innovation through publications, exhibitions, conferences, and educational opportunities. Contact: Kathy Dowell, SDA 2009 Conference Coordinator
(816) 471-2115
Click here for more details
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August 22nd, 2008 at 5:00 am
(Uncategorized)
In Japan there are now available contacts which make your eyes look like the doe eyed anime characters. They’re larger than regular sized contacts and can be made with a perscription, not just cosmetic. Click here.
Actor Luke Wilson is co-designing a line of golf fashions for Puma alongside professional golpher Johan Edfors. Luke’s preppy casual and Johan’s flashy style will be merged to make clothes stylin’ for your next golf date. Click here.
October 30 Christie’s auction house will have an auction entitled Resurrection: Avant-Garde Fashion and will sell items from Rabanne, Kamali, Westwood and many notable others featuring one-off amazing pieces. Click here.
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August 21st, 2008 at 5:00 am
(Exhibitions, Uncategorized)
DRESS REDRESS
Through September 25 at the Kniznick Gallery within Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. This exhibit brings together 8 contemporary artists who address the relationship between clothing and identity. With sub-themes as varied as religion, memory, gender roles, popular media, and environmental awareness, each artist challenges us to rethink clothing’s significance. The exhibition seeks to create an open dialogue about how and why our identities are so closely linked to what we wear. Click here for details
HATS OF AFRICA: FROM ASANTE TO ZULU
Through September 28 at Indianapolis Museum of Art there’ll be 50+ traditional head coverings representing 30 ethnic groups from across Africa show the great cultural diversity of the continent. See hats made for a variety of purposes and made from materials including cloth, leather, feathers, shells and hair. (The specific hat shown is not from the exhibit). Click here for details
Some of this material was gathered from the Costume Society of America which I am a member of. Thanx to them for getting exhibit info together on a regular basis!
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August 20th, 2008 at 5:00 am
(Book Reviews, History of Dress, Uncategorized)
I am woefully behind in my book reviews and thus, we have something of a list for books published in July. Here’s the first set:
Corsets: Historical Patterns & Techniques by Jill Salen. Publication Date: July 2008. Including “20 historically correct corsets, ranging from the 1750s to 1950″ I suspect that this is more geared towards the re-enactor or costume shop consumer. It would be interesting to see how this book compares to Support and Seduction: The History of Corsets and Bras - a book recently negatively reviewed by Alain (of Gotham Patterns) on Good Reads. Though Corsets is a slim volume and may not have much to offer in terms of history, it could still be of use to those studying corsetry technique within museum collections.
F.C. Gundlach: Photographic Work by Klaus Honnef, et al. Release Date: July 1, 2008. Offering a look at postwar fashion in Germany, Gundlach gained prominence in the 1960s. I’m sorry to say that I don’t know a thing about Gundlach - making this book all that more of a necessity for me. Apparently, though, it isn’t that surprising that I’ve not heard of him as this is the first monograph of his work available in the U.S. More details on Gundlach’s work is available here. The photographs are beautiful and evocative-though it is unclear if there is any academic study of his work in this volume, or if this is simply a coffee-table book.
Women in Weimar Fashion: Discourses and Displays in German Culture, 1918-1933 (Screen Cultures: German Film and the Visual) (Screen Cultures: German Film and the Visual) by Mila Ganeva (Hardcover - Jul 1, 2008) This book, by Mila Ganeva - professor of German - promises to be an academic probe of the iconic fashion if the Weimar period in Germany. Taking a feminist point of view, the book examines women’s self-expression through the medium of fashion during the early years of modernism.
Ganeva’s work thus far has focused on Weimar visual culture, Berlin films of the 1990s, the writings of Judith Hermann, and the fashion writing and photography of Weimar Germany. In 2003, Ganeva published an article in the NWSA Journal examining “The relevance of fashion photography as a source for the study of women’s modernity in Germany between the wars as it focuses on the work of a fascinating and prolific professional photographer of the late 1920s and early 1930s—Else Neuländer Simon—known by her artistic name Yva.” I have a feeling that this new book by Ganeva was informed by her research and analysis of Yva’s work - something I am not familiar with, but would love to know more about. According to Ganeva’s abstract for the paper
“Yva discovered her own unique visual language somewhere between the commercial clichés and the modernist idioms of her time. As a successful professional photographer, she continuously searched for an image of the woman in fashion and advertisement photography that was not reductive and degrading. In an era when images of the woman as a sexual symbol were dominating mass media and were proven to attract customers, Yva positioned her photographed female model in a way that did not diminish her to a mere eye-catcher for the male spectator.”
The full article is available through Project Muse (if you have access through an academic institution). If her book is anything like her previous writing, it promises to be very useful to academics studying this period and style. I’m waiting for my review copy, and will hope to report further on this book.
That’s it for today, but I’ll have more soon.
Until next time,
Heather
www.fashionhistorian.net
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