Lucasfilm Costume Job-sort of

By , October 21st, 2008 at 5:00 am (Jobs, Uncategorized)

They are looking for a registrar for the Lucasfilm archives which includes handling the costume which is seriously pretty rad. So if you’re a museum person in apparel and textiles and want to be in California this might be a good gig.

Below are the details:

•Assist in all aspects of registrarial duties in regards to the Archive collection
•Coordinate aspects of outgoing loans including packing, shipping and crating and loan documentation and loan agreements to other Lucas companies and off-site storage
•Inventory, document, organize, move, pack, store and mark objects including models, costumes, props, maquettes, matte paintings and other film art and artifacts as directed by the Collections Manager
•Maintain proper storage and preservation practices. Maintain cleanliness of the Archives as well as all safety procedures and practices
•Assist in the accessioning and cataloging of new items to the Archive collection
•Process loan requests for production and exhibition; assess request, check on object availability, provide follow-up as needed for both internal and external requests perform condition reports, transportation arrangements and insurance
•Pack and ship objects and/or oversee packers and handlers when objects are being prepared for shipment by outside packing companies; assist with the installation of an exhibit in national and international exhibitions
•Travel to national and international exhibition venues to assist in installation and condition reporting of the exhibit

Requirements:
•Minimum two – three years Museum registrar experience including cataloging, art handling, condition reporting, collections inventory and storage, packing and shipping
•B.A required, MA preferred •Thorough understanding of and commitment to upholding standard museum practices with regard to registration methods, exhibition, collections and preventative conservation, including automated cataloging and inventory systems and procedures, storage, and preservation materials and techniques, as demonstrated by education and practical museum experience
•Familiarity with collections use in nontraditional museum settings
•Excellent administrative skills required, well organized, detail oriented, computer literate
•Thorough knowledge of handling, packing, crating and shipping objects/artifacts required; knowledge of loan processing procedures desired
•Willingness and ability to travel internationally required
•Ability to lift or move heavy artifacts
•Knowledge of Filemaker and Embark preferred
•Capable of working independently and as part of a team
•Proven ability to work under pressure

Click here for more details.

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Mr. Blackwell Died

By , October 20th, 2008 at 9:01 am (Uncategorized)

Mr. Blackwell, famous for his worst dressed lists, has died in LA. He’d been voicing his opinions on fashion since 1960 and was a precursor to all of the red carpet commentary/Fashion Police chatter that is all over today.

Click here for an article.

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Call for papers on the Body

By , October 20th, 2008 at 5:00 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers, Uncategorized)

1.) North Central Sociological Association
2009 Call for Paper Presentations on Sociology of the Body
“Body, Culture and Society” session
Dearborn, MI

Due Date: October 31, 2008
Conference Date: April 16-18, 2009

Click here for more details.

2.) The Body in Pain and Pleasure
Third Annual Graduate Student Conference in Comparative Studies
Ohio State University

Due Date: November 10, 2008
Conference Date: January 16. 2009

Click here for more details.

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Newsflash-Political style!

By , October 18th, 2008 at 9:06 am (Uncategorized)

I went to see Michelle Obama speak this week which was a real treat. Of course that got me back to thinking about the election and fashion again.


I saw a girl wearing a pair of politically oriented shoes and she referred me to Toms Shoes, which donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair you buy. They come in all sorts of color combos, and this is the Democrat pair the girl was wearing.


The LA Times had a piece recently on the particulars in the suits of the presidential candidates and how fit and style shape voter impressions.


Designers continue to showcase Obama in every way including in these runway dresses. Click here for more.

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Converse won’t let me tie my shoes

By , October 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pm (Uncategorized)

I love Converse, but they are pissing me off. I’ve written in the past about their questionable marketing these days and how they seem to be stretching themselves too thin trying to go upmarket with the likes of John Varvatos ( I have those shoes and love them) and budget with Target. Their styles and image are still somehow pretty much intact, but that I think is more based on the actual wearer than their splintered marketing and diversified branding efforts. Nonetheless, Harlo and I put a pair of Converse in the Sportswear to Streetwear exhibit at the Goldstein Museum of Design in their shoe section which features Converse dating back to the beginning of their brand.

But as I said, now they are really starting to irritate me. They seem to be so concerned with Ubermarketing that they aren’t providing good customer service. Below you’ll find the annoying discourse going on between me and them which followed a useless phone call prior to these emails. All I am trying to do is get a pair of shoelaces to replace mine which have worn through (Ha) and they are not available for purchase and no one seems to be able to get me any or reply to my request. These are $125 Converse (!!!!) (average Converse price for similar shoes about $45) and yet they won’t tell me how to actually get shoelaces for them. You’ll see from my emails I’m at a loss for how to deal with them. And yet…I love those shoes and simply want the stupid laces so I can keep wearing them. When a brand gets so big that they have lost touch with their core customers there is a problem.

-Monica

Here are the emails in reverse order-latest first:

Hi Meagan,

I am checking in again to see how I can get the rubber laces to go with my John Varvatos multi-eyelet shoes. It’s now been a full month and I have not received the information from Converse which is disappointing customer service as I have multiple pair of the shoes and they are going unworn.

It is also disappointing since I am currently a Ph.D. student in Apparel Studies at the University of Minnesota, and in the university’s Goldstein Museum of Design (of which I am a former employee) there is a sportswear exhibit featuring the Converse brand and includes Converse shoes owned by myself and my husband. I am now rethinking my support of Converse as this customer service experience has been less than satisfactory.

To have a request as simple as the purchase of shoelaces, and have it disregarded via the phone, and then twice via email is quite poor. This will not go undiscussed among my coworkers, fellow students, and the numerous courses I teach and on my fashion blog.

Please let me know how to purchase or to simply acquire these shoelaces. Feel free to pass this along to any management that you feel should be informed of my dissatisfaction and I understand it is not necessarily your department who are the break in the chain as you initially said you were contacting a different department to help you with my need.

Thank you,

Monica Sklar

On Sep 22, 2008, at 2:08 PM, ConverseOne wrote:

Hi Monica,

I apologize you have not received any contact. Unfortunately, we do not have direct numbers we give out. I have sent this information on to that department again. I apologize for this inconvenience.

Thank you,

Meagan
www.converse.com

________________________________

From: Monica Sklar [mailto:skla0014@umn.edu]
Sent: Fri 9/19/2008 6:30 PM
To: ConverseOne
Subject: Re: mbRE: need replacement Varvatos laces

Hi,
I haven’t heard back form the other department-is there a phone
number I can call. I’m currently unable to wear the shoes due to torn
laces. Or perhaps you could follow up with them again?
Thank you,
Monica Sklar

On Sep 16, 2008, at 2:53 PM, ConverseOne wrote:

Hi Monica,

I have forwarded your information on to another department to see
what we can do.

Thank you,

Meagan
www.converse.com

________________________________

From: Monica Sklar [mailto:skla0014@umn.edu]
Sent: Mon 9/15/2008 2:16 PM
To: Estore; ConverseOne
Subject: need replacement Varvatos laces

Hi
I need two pair of replacement black thin rubber shoe laces for my
two pair of John Varvatos multi-eyelet Converse Chuck Taylors. The
rubber has worn through and I cannot find them in a local store
cannot find them online, and I called the product sales number for
Converse who said since they are not online they do not have any to
sell to me and that I should email your address.

Please let me know how to replace them.
Thank you,

Monica Sklar

8 Comments

“Last Titanic survivor sells mementos to raise cash”

By , October 17th, 2008 at 9:49 am (History of Dress, Uncategorized)

An auction house in England is selling a suitcase of clothing and other memorabilia belonging to Millvina Dean (the youngest and last survivor from the Titanic disaster): “It’s the people, the human angle,” Aldridge [the auctioneer] said. “You had over 2,200 men, women and children on that ship, from John Jacob Astor, the richest person in the world at the time, to a poor Scandinavian family emigrating to the States to start a new life. There were 2,200 stories.”

More on this story can be found here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/16/international/i075646D71.DTL&tsp=1

The Auction is online here:

http://www.henry-aldridge.co.uk/

Until Next Time,

Heather

www.fashionhistorian.net

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Of interest from Antiques & Fine Art Magazine

By , October 16th, 2008 at 10:00 am (Book Reviews, Exhibitions)

Following along with Monica’s post today, the current (Autumn/Winter 2008) issue of Antiques and Fine Art magazine has some exhibits and books of interest to Worn Through readers. The magazine profiles the following:

Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD (on view Oct 19, 2008-January 2, 2009. The exhibit is also on View online here.

Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (through November 1, 2009). The exhibition highlights Rene Lalique and George Foquet. More information is available here.

Finally, the highlights section profiles the new book, Tiffany Style: 170 Years of Design, written by John Loring the design director for Tiffany & Co and published by Harry N. Abrams. Available for sale at your local bookstore and online in November.

Until Next Time,

Heather

www.fashionhistorian.net

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Exhibits!

By , October 16th, 2008 at 5:00 am (Exhibitions, Uncategorized)

“HEIGHTS OF FASHION: A HISTORY OF THE ELEVATED FOOT”
Through October 31 at the Esplanade Museum [Alberta, Canada], this exhibit
features shoes that illustrate the rise and fall of the high heel in Western
fashion over the last 500 years. Designers include Manolo Blahnik, Roger
Vivier, Salvatore Ferragamo and Jean-Louis Francois. Visitors can learn how
political, social and pop culture landscapes influenced styles through the
centuries. Click here for details.

“CALDER JEWELRY”
Through November 2 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art [Philadelphia, PA],
this exhibit focuses on the jewelry of artist Alexander Calder
[1898 1976], which functions as sculpture on a small scale while retaining
the linear yet three-dimensional aspect of the monumental mobiles for which
he is known. Click here for details.

Some of this material was gathered from the Costume Society of America e-Newsletter.

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Couture and Burlesque Lecture at LACMA

By , October 15th, 2008 at 5:00 am (Book Reviews, History of Dress, Uncategorized)

I’m taking a short break from my usual postings on the history of dress to let you know about this upcoming lecture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art by filmmaker Liz Goldwyn. I’ll be back next week with, I hope, an informative post relating to California’s part in the history of 20th century dress. Now onto the post.

Burlesque, involving the removal of clothing, relies heavily on dress as costume. While this lecture and performance are likely to be more entertaining than academic, its still important for those in the area to attend and support the museums efforts. Money raised by the costume council goes directly to support the Costume collection at LACMA. Do let me know if you attend! I’d love to hear your comments.

From Burlesque to Couture: The Ultimate Show and Tell!
Monday, November 17 | 7:30 pm
 Hosted by Liz Goldwyn and introducing Ava Garter
Based on her HBO documentary and book, Pretty Things, author and filmmaker Liz Goldwyn will look into the world of burlesque, where satire meets glamour, providing us with an in-depth look at the women, designers, and costumes of the last generation of American burlesque queens. Following the discussion Liz will introduce one of the rising stars in neo-burlesque, her protégé, Ava Garter, will cap the night off with an exciting performance full of grace and glamour. Liz will be available for a book signing during the cocktail reception following the program.
Bing Theater | Costume Council RSVP to 323-857-6013 or bginter@lacma.org.
For all others, tickets required: $25 for Costume Council guests; $35 LACMA members; and $50 general public. Tickets: 323-857-6010.
This event is sponsored by LACMA’s Costume Council

Details on the lecture here

For more on the HBO series, visit the website.

More on Ava Garter here:

Check out the book here: Pretty Things: The Last Generation of American Burlesque Queens

Until Next Time,

Heather

www.fashionhistorian.net

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Assistant Registrar at the FIDM Museum (Los Angeles)

By , October 14th, 2008 at 10:00 am (Jobs)

There is an opening for an Assistant Registrar at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles. Applicants with experience in costume and textiles collections preferred, see details below. Start date is as early as Oct. 16! Please address all inquiries to Kevin Jones, museum curator, at kjones@fidm.edu or (213) 624-1200 x3367.

JOB TITLE: Assistant Museum Registrar

DEPARTMENT: FIDM Museum EXEMPT

SUPERVISORS: Museum/Gallery Director & Museum Curator

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES: Reports to Museum Curator & Registrar

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Assists Registrar in all registrarial duties
  • Provides research assistance to Registrar & Curator
  • Keeps apprised of approved and current registrarial standards
  • Creates, organizes and maintains orderly forms, files and retrieval systems associated with acquisition, cataloging, loans, inventory and packing and shipping Museum objects
  • Catalogues collection: new donations and purchases as well as previously un-catalogued or incorrectly catalogued Museum objects, including Study Collection pieces
  • Responsible for Perfume bottle/ephemera collections & yearly rotation of open-storage displays
  • Assists with professional photography of collection for database
  • Assists with year-end inventory of donations and purchases to the collection
  • Assists with museum exhibitions: dressing and mounting pieces for shows in Galleries, as well as on other FIDM campuses
  • Supplies factual information for label copy
  • Assists students when necessary
  • Assists with off-campus and external programs, conferences, courier trips, etc.
  • Assists other staff with large projects
  • Continues ongoing research in the history of fashion

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Knowledgeable in fashion history.
  • Knowledgeable of current museum standards and basic museum administrative procedures
  • Detail oriented
  • Multi-task oriented
  • Good hand skills, for sewing, handling objects and dressing mannequins
  • Extensive fashion vocabulary for cataloging objects
  • Knowledgeable of collection management procedures
  • Computer skills

EDUCATION: BA degree in related object; MA in Museum Studies preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE: Two years museum experience.

SKILLS: Familiar with museum databases, Past Perfect preferred; Excel; efficient in library/Internet research

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