By Lauren Michel,
May 31st, 2010 at 5:00 am
(Conferences and Calls for Papers)
The Art of Applied Design
Deadline: July 15, 2010
The DHM Digital Gallery invites designers working in fiber to participate in The Art of Applied Design, an international juried competition. The Gallery is operated by the Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising (DHM) at Oklahoma State University.
The Art of Applied Design is open to all applied artists age 18 or above, working in the U.S. and abroad. All submitted works must be functional objects commonly used within interior spaces, such as furnishings (hard or soft), utensils, fixtures, or containers. Entries must be original one-of-a-kind works of the submitter, completed within the preceding three years (2007 to 2010), and be represented by high quality digital images.
There is no limit on the number of objects that may be entered. Evaluation will be based upon the creative uniqueness and originality of the work, evidence of excellence in craftsmanship, and quality of the photographic images. Exhibition of accepted work will include notation of the artist’s name, country of residence, and e-mail address to facilitate the independent sales of exhibited work. One entry in each material category will be selected for recognition as Best of Show for that category.
The online exhibit, September 15 to Dec. 1, 2010, will include e-mail addresses of accepted artists to facilitate independent sales of work.
For full details and the Call for Entries, visit the gallery website.
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By Monica Sklar,
May 28th, 2010 at 5:00 am
(Academic Research & Related)
It’s been a while since we’ve updated you on what we’re up to behind the scenes here at Worn Through.
You read our columns, event postings, and random musings, and perhaps you’ve even checked out our bios (which hopefully aren’t too out of date.) But I thought with WT‘s 3rd birthday quickly approaching it is a good time to check in with the ladies that contribute to this blog so you can get a richer perspective on what makes us tick and who we are when we’re not in front of this screen.
You can hit up our bios to find out our occupations, get a list of publications, see pictures, etc, but below is a list of some of our most recent happenings within the field of apparel & scholarship:
Founder and Editor Monica
Monica has been wrapping up this (more or less) final semester of her schooling by closing out her graduate assistantship at the Goldstein Museum of Design, completing a full draft of her dissertation, finishing her role on two university committees, and then walking in commencement (see photo above). She was thrilled to win the award of College of Design Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year for the University of Minnesota, and she also was pleased to receive an Adele Filene Student Award for her upcoming CSA presentation. Monica’s goal is to finish turning her dissertation draft into a final (or close to final) version prior to her first baby being born this July. She’ll then hopefully defend it in the fall, and officially be Doctor Fashion!
Senior Contributor Heather
Heather has been gearing up to be the new Program Chair/President-Elect for the Western Region of the Costume Society of America (starts July 1 and lasts through June 20, 2012). She is also knee-deep in research for her book project.
Contributor Lauren
Lauren successfully completed another academic year of teaching fashion design. She is looking forward to her first summer off in several years and preparing to volunteer at the Northern California Renaissance Faire in the fall.
Contributor Lucy
Lucy has recently begun writing for Fashion Facts Folio, a New York based accessories forecasting company. But she is especially looking forward to teaching classes in art, film, philosophy and fashion at LIM college, a fashion merchandising college in New York, this summer and fall. She’s also continuing to work towards finishing her PhD.
Contributor Tove
Tove has been contributing to the Huffington Post (Style section), is collaborating on a cultural book about fashion in 1930s films, and is a research assistant for a book on 19th century NYC socialite Eliza Jumel’s life as read from her wardrobe. She was a recent guest lecturer on cross dressing for a Sociology Gender class at FIT and is participating in archiving at the Coney Island Museum. She has also joined an interdisciplinary fashion studies group through CUNY.
Intern Kat
Kat has been working on two papers: One comparing collarless suit designs of Pierre Cardin and Douglas A. Millings, tailor for The Beatles and another concerning Folk Dress Under Communist Czechoslovakia. She also recently gave a presentation to the CUNY Graduate Center Fashion Studies Group and will be presenting some of her research at the CSA conference, for which she received an Adele Filene Student Award.
We’d love to hear what our readers are up to in the field. Please feel free to leave comments with your exciting happenings.
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By Lucy Collins,
May 27th, 2010 at 10:05 am
(Uncategorized)
As a relatively new New Yorker, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things we do to get noticed. It goes without saying that the clothes we wear are one of the most immediate ways we can grab the spotlight or stand out in a crowd. But why do we want to be noticed in that way? What is at about the basic human need for acknowledgment that so influences the way we dress?
Beneath the simple longing for acknowledgment are two much more profound needs — the need to feel desired and the need to feel loved. And as I’ve lately been questioning my own style of dressing and my social context, I’ve been thinking about the ways in which our particular modes of dress indicate either a longing to be desired or a longing to be loved. (And I don’t believe the two are the same thing.) In fact, I would argue that love and desire are two separate inclinations which express themselves most visibly as two distinct modes of dress.
A woman who seeks to be desired wants to entice or seduce, under a variety of masks. While a woman who longs to be loved wants to be known as one – as a complete and uniquely particular individual — whole, not divided.
Walt Whitman famously reminds us that we all contain multitudes, but what do the multiple selves we take for granted in contemporary society have to do with dress? An acquaintance recently told me he thinks a woman changes clothes so often in order to trick a man into thinking she is more than one woman. I’ve been mulling over that idea for a while and it seems pretty valid.
Men, in their most basic biological state, are able to mate with multiple women with no negative consequences. In fact, some have argued that is in their best interest to sow as much seed as possible. Yet, perhaps it’s at a higher level of consciousness (or enlightenment) that they are able to choose just one female with whom to invest in the act and process of procreation. But is a woman’s extensive and ever-changing wardrobe simply a biological trick, a ruse to appear as many women rather than one?
There are those women who clearly embrace this mentality – whether conscious of the effects of not. They constantly fluctuate in their appearance, seeming to have sartorial schizophrenia – never settling on a certain look or style. Are they merely confused, not knowing themselves, or are they attempting, in some fashionable way, to embody “everywoman”?
But then, with my recent interest in questions concerning sustainability, I’ve also become much more aware of those woman for whom style is subtle and constant. They have a look that may be particular, but it doesn’t frequently change. And the masquerade quality of clothing doesn’t hide who they are. For the sake of this argument, I’m inclined to think that these women are seeking a deeper kind of connection with the other – not one built on a guise or constant change – but rather on consistency and longevity – perhaps ultimately leading to love.
I’ve read a lot about the kind of fractured time that comprises life in post-modernity — pointillistic moments that appear disconnected to everything else — experience that is shaped purely by momentary needs and urges. Against this kind of temporal backdrop, it makes sense to see each day or each occasion as separate from the one that follows. As a result we begin playing into the consumerist and desire-driven masks we are compelled to wear. But I hope that the concept of narrative is not so lost that the possibility of a unified self, who still gets noticed, still exists.
2 Comments
By Heather Vaughan,
May 26th, 2010 at 5:00 am
(Exhibitions, History of Dress, Uncategorized, Videos)
*
A few weeks ago I was privileged to attend a panel discussion at the San Francisco Museum of Performance and Design focusing on San Francisco Rock n’ Roll clothing (costume & fashion) of the 1960s: items worn and designed locally, for and by rock musicians (both locally and internationally recognized groups between 1963 and 1973). A quick word to the wise: Don’t assume San Francisco was interested in tie dye or disco at this time – the participants of this panel were quick to assign responsibility (and blame) for those trends to Los Angeles and the 1970s.
The panel was led by co-curators Alec Palao and Melissa Leventon and included rock costume designer Jeanne Rose, (Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, the Young Rascals, Country Joe & the Fish); Helene Robertson (who owned the boutique Anastasia’s, a mod shop in the Bay Area and Los Angeles); musician Peter Kaukonen, (Jefferson Airplane & Jefferson Starship, designed stage and street clothes for himself) and George Hunter (founder of The Charlatans, a San Francisco’s band and created the look for the band). Audience members had dressed in vintage Mod and Hippie attire, contributing much to the atmosphere.
The Charlatans, as pictured in the exhibition on view at the San Francisco Museum of Performance and Design
Stylin’: Bay Area Rock Fashion 1963-73, opened with an introduction and brief history of the museum by the organizing curator, Brad Rosenstein, and flowed quickly into a discussion of slides moderated by Leventon. It included a number of interesting, if slightly rambling, insights by the panelists into the beginnings and development of the counter-culture music and fashion scene of San Francisco.
Jeanne Rose (or Jeanne Colon/Jeanne the Tailor as she is alternately known) was the first to talk. Her interest was primarily in designing costumes and clothing for men. The male aesthetic seemed to appeal to her – and she preferred to design for their straight lines. She felt clothes just looked better on men, but recognized the need to design clothing for women as well. As she put it, the groupies wanted her clothes too! Rose/Colon was influenced strongly by natural fibers: silk and linen cotton, handmade and hand-crocheted pieces, as well as some historical reference. Most of the clothes she sold had been made on her 1910 treadle sewing machine. She designed almost exclusively for Jefferson Airplane, but also designed for Big Brother & The Holding Company (including Janis Joplin), as well as the Young Rascals and Country Joe & The Fish. Be sure to check out more photos of her 1960s and 70s rock designs on her website.
Hand-crocheted pants by Jeanne Rose, modeled by Katherine Smith, May 2010.
Jeanne Rose in hand crocheted pants, 1970
Next on the panel was Helene Robertson, owner of Anastasia’s a boutique. Robertson opened the original shop in 1961 because she had specific (and unique) career aspirations. “I didn’t want to wear shoes, I didn’t want to have to work until 11am, and I wanted to take my dog to work with me.” Robertson said that her mother had always sewn her clothes, and felt it was a natural progression to open up a boutique. The location of the shop contributed to its continued success: it was directly across the street from an early rock club in Marin, California called the Trident (follow the link for more of it’s amazing history). Robertson frequently traveled to London for design inspiration and to get her hair cut. Consequently, her clothes were reminiscent of the Carnaby street Mod’s, though her store was known for both its hippie and mod styles. Robertson, and her shop were featured in a clip from a 1967 KQED documentary called Come Up the Years: Spirit of ’67 that was played during the discussion.
Helene Robertson in the 1967 Documentary by KQED, Come Up the Years: Spirit of ’67.
Lecture slide featuring Helene Robertson in hippie clothing, and with Sonny & Cher.
The final two participants were Peter Kaukonen and George Hunter. Both men are musicians who also had a strong interest in clothing. Kaukonen, who created the amazing patchwork jeans pictured below, was interested in color, visually exciting garments and especially in things that implied movement and kinetic energy. The example pieces he brought in showed a strong interest in ethnic clothing, as well as an appreciation for handwork. His emphasis was clearly on craft, and it’s part in the 1960s aesthetic. Hunter, who founded the San Francisco band The Charlatans, seemed more drawn to historical menswear, especially the “wild west” and dandyism (as is evident by the video below).
The evening ended with an impromptu fashion show of Jeanne Colon/Jeanne Rose pieces, followed by questions from the audience. The panel was clear in it’s discussion of tie dye in the Bay Area, with Melissa Leventon proclaiming that San Francisco was a tie dye free zone and a disco free zone (as it really didn’t start to come into play until 1969, with the advent of the Grateful Dead. Panelists suggested that some over-zealous journalists got overly attached to the notion of tie dye, and that “Los Angeles Musicians tie-dyed everything. Even their cats.” More to the point however, was the ending comment that artists and musicians of the San Francisco Bay Area gave a generation of early rock music fans a visual identity through fashion. “People were all interested in looking like musicians.”
Clothing by Jeanne Rose (Melissa Leventon pictured with microphone)
The associated exhibition, Somethin’s Happening Here: Bay Area Rock ‘n’ Roll 1963-73, will be on view through August 28, 2010. A few images from the exhibition are featured below, and more are available here.
Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
Jerry Garcia’s hat
Janis Joplin costume on the left, and I believe a Jimi Hendrix vest on the right.
*Jeanne Colon and Friends, 1967. Photo by John Gorham. Courtesy of Jeanne Rose. (“Out on several limbs, these far-out fashions by Jeanne Colon are modeled by some of Jeanne’s friends. The friends: A. Jana Miles, professional model, wears a psychedelic hooded silk print; B. Michele Sevryn, a “love knot” dress of patterned silk; C. Bard Dupont, bell-bottomed peone pants and a pull-over shirt; D. Liane Chu, owner-manager of Berkeley’s Red Square boutique, a peacock’s eye “butterfly” dress; E. Jeanne herself, in a corduroy hip-hugger pants (with a Spanish influence), hand-crocheted lace top and body necklace; F. art and dance student Jacqueline Chris in a San Francisco Fog Suit, ideal for open convertibles; G. Maureen Kirby in a man’s shirt of Irish linen and hand-crocheted lace copied from a 1780 French model. H. Amber Rose, Jeanne’s daughter, in a washable cotton tot’s dress with widely belled sleeves; I. Janis Joplin, lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company, in a poncho of antique Moroccan fabric over velvet peone pants, And George, the dog who immodestly, declined an outfit.”)
3 Comments
By Tove Hermanson,
May 25th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
(History of Dress)
After seeing Gisele Bundchen’s latest Vogue shoot entitled “Call of Duty” in various military-inspired ensembles, my conflicted feelings about the sexifying of war gear swung hard and fast in the “that’s not cool” direction. Huffington Post presents these images with significantly less conflict: “let us know which is Gisele’s fiercest moment.” I should mention that this was shot for Vogue Korea no less — presumably South Korea, but formerly united with insular, distinctly militaristic North Korea which now has the highest percentage of military personnel per capita of any nation in the world with approximately 1 enlisted soldier for every 25 citizens. I mean, I wonder if anyone involved in this Vogue fashion shoot experienced any irony whatsoever. Photographed by Nino Muñoz, clothes are from Balmain, Alexander Wang, Chloé and others in Call of Duty (in case you didn’t get the soldier reference from the images alone). Some choice selections follow.
Gisele is so parched from her desert swim that she must provocatively douse herself with her canteen:
The practical cargo shorts paired with the distinctly impractical shorty army-issued t-shirt and stiletto-heeled combat booties are almost laughable:
This one has clean lines and uniform (as opposed to combat) tailoring that generally appeal to me, but it’s still disturbingly devoid of irony or socio-political critique:
Now, shall we look at some historical moments when military uniforms crossed over into day wear? Frederick Law Olmsted (1822 – 1903) noted that after the Mexican War (1846 – 48) “a great deal of military clothing was sold at auction in New Orleans, and much of it was bought by planters at a low price, and given to their negroes, who were greatly pleased with it.” Not only did military uniforms carry the associations of literal warfare, but they had the compounded layer of becoming sloppy seconds for African American slaves. Later, the surplus army clothing of the Civil War (1861 – 65) was adopted by Western frontiersmen: functional heavy coats and trousers, double-breasted pullover shirts, boots, and individually crimped hats were appealing to those living a rugged civilian lifestyle. And many men who served in WWII found many articles of clothing designed for warfare (i.e. khaki pants) to be comfortable, practical, and even stylish. War generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Patton, and Douglas MacArthur became fashion icons of sorts, and the practical “Eisenhower jacket” was adopted by men and women for its formal practicality:
In the years immediately following WWII, record numbers of veterans entered colleges (in 1946, 75% of entering Harvard students were former G.I.s), bringing with them the comfortable and practical khaki pants, fitted tailored shirts, and casual military jackets. With America’s current casual collegiate styles this might not seem noteworthy, but pre-WWII college students typically dressed in suits and ties, emulating the businessmen many aspired to become, and the casual military look was a sharp turn.
But the natural dissemination of actual army/navy clothes into regular society is a far cry from the fashion industry appropriating military as a trendy look (see Style.com “Marching Orders” trend). In one aberrant season of Rudi Gernreich (1922-1985), better known for his whimsical ’60s graphic mini dresses and topless swimsuit, his 1970 resort collection was distinctly military inspired. His muse and model Peggy Moffitt actually brandished a rifle in a different shot, as did the models on the live runway (this is one of the tamer looks):
Generally embracing a mod-meets-hippie look, Gernreich showed this controversial collection just months after the Kent State shootings and during the dragging Vietnam War (1955 – 75). During a 1985 retrospective presentation at the Smithsonian Institute, Gernreich commented, “I did the military look in the late 1960s because some designers were making Scarlett O’Hara clothes, which I thought was an insult to women when they were becoming totally equal to men.” I’m the first to admit military-influenced styles of WWII acted as a gender equalizer (see my other posts on War), but Gernreich’s feminist message was lost, but this is an inherent problem with glorifying military clothes: there is too much damn violence in the world for it ever to be appropriate without implied commentary (making it shorter/tighter/sexier does not count unless you’re trying to say “war is sexy”).
On the one hand, I have residual fondness for pairing fancy bling with camo — I think it can call attention to the inherent disconnect between wealth, individuality, style, and the mostly poor, conforming, functional purpose of military uniforms. On the other hand, glamorizing the military — especially when one’s own country is in a dragging, controversial war — seems problematic. As a designer (or a photographer, or a model), how do you make this distinction? I am all about playful fun in fashion, but glamorizing bigotry and government-sanctioned violence is distasteful at best and irresponsible at worst. Practical innovations that have come from military issued uniforms should absolutely be adopted by the general public: deep cargo pockets and trench coats are utilitarian and stylish. But making sexually provocative military clothes is not conceptually provocative.
There is some interesting art incorporating fashion and the military. Peter Gronquist’s show entitled “Firearms and Fashion” included weapon objets d’artes with fashion house labels, alluding to a complicit (if vague) relationship between corporate fashion and violence. Below is a Burberry rifle from the collection:
Bringing back the Korean military thread, I saw a powerful piece last summer of Do-Ho Suh’s entitled “Uni-Forms: Self-Portrait/s: My 39 Years” from 2006:
This is a sartorial timeline of Suh’s mandatory life in the South Korean army, from the disturbingly tiny boy’s crested jacket to the full-grown man’s camo and khakis.
Martha Rosler is known for collaging images of the Vietnam battlefield and magazine clippings from the home front including fashion models, washing machines, living room sofas, Playboy nudes, etc. Here is a more recent 2006 work using Iraqi/Afghani footage with a superimposed fashion model who appears to be turning away from the confrontation:
Though the model doesn’t actually wear military gear, it does point to an irresponsible relationship between the fashion world (and the public that so eagerly consumes it) and concurrent warfare.
So readers, do you think it’s ever ok to sexify military wear, and if so, in what context?
Further Reading:
4 Comments
By Kat,
May 25th, 2010 at 11:58 am
(Conferences and Calls for Papers, Uncategorized)
WornThrough will be tweeting from the Costume Society of America’s National Symposium in Kansas City, MO. Follow our updates here. For those of you attending, we look forward to meeting you and hearing your presentations!
1 Comment
By Kat,
May 24th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
(Uncategorized)
‘AFTERLIFE: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR PHD’
Tuesday, June 1st
2 – 6pm
Humanities Seminar Room
Jay Mews, Royal College of Art, London.
An afternoon of talks about post-doctoral options from those who have survived the PhD and are building successful careers in lecturing, publishing, free-lance journalism, curating and research in art and design. Followed by drinks reception.
Speakers:
-Dr Rebecca Arnold, Senior Lecturer in Fashion History and Theory, Courtauld Institute of Art
-Dr Charlotte Ashby, RCA
-Dr Dipti Bhagat, Senior Lecturer, Design History and Theory at London Metropolitan University
-Dr Victor Buchli, Reader in Material Culture, UCL
-Dr. Alex Coles, Art critic
-Dr Javier Gimeno Martinez, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
All research students welcome. Spaces are limited, therefore booking is essential. RSVP with your name, affiliation and questions and issues for Q&A sessions to [email protected].
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By Kat,
May 24th, 2010 at 5:00 am
(Conferences and Calls for Papers, Uncategorized)
CALL FOR PAPERS
Uniform – State – Power. Uniforms as signs of change in state power?
December 10th – 11th, 2010
Westfälische Wilhelms – Münster University
Institute for Law – German and Canonical
Münster, Germany
Uniformity as an expression of material culture is a phenomenon which pervades many areas of our life. It appears, for instance, in corporate workwear, sportswear or the common style among certain youth subcultures. In the academic discourse on uniforms as a means of social communication, those civil forms have recently gained much attention. State uniforms, however, show a variety of additional functions beyond delineation and construction of identity. The uniform can, for example, serve as a prima facie identification of a person’s governmental authority claim. This affects the relationship of the wearer to his uniform, to his association and to his non-uniformed environment. Incomprehensible to outsiders, there may also be subtle distinctions among (at first sight) consistently uniformed associations, established by means of badges or other insignia.
The design of a uniform is usually determined by the head of state. Thereby, a public officer’s appearance might even be interpreted as a symbol of a state’s self-conception. The proceedings by which uniforms are established, however, sometimes lack transparency. This seems problematic, not least considering their cost. Changes sometimes come from within an association, resulting from practical necessities or a traditional manner of wear. The factors influencing a change in uniform style are widely unexplained. Beside practical advantages, political and ideological requirements, economic and legal considerations may play a role, as well as civil fashion or a recourse to traditional style elements of uniforms. So in general, the functions, styles and degrees of uniformity in a state depend on the social and historical context.
During the last years, traditional uniform styles in several states underwent significant changes within a relatively short period. The U.S., for instance, are replacing their traditional Army green uniform by a blue design since 2008, in Germany the police and the disaster relief organisation “Technisches Hilfswerk” are the ones to be named, and China introduced new uniforms for police and military in 2007. The successive implementation of “digital” camouflage patterns in the military of different states also shows that research on the development of uniforms may no longer focus on single states only.
The symposium centers around the phenomenon of uniforms as a means and expression of state power. Because of the numerous interdependencies, an interdisciplinary approach by historians, sociologists, philosophers, political and textile scientists as well as legal scholars seems necessary. Established scholars as well as young academics on the doctorate or postdoctorate level are invited to participate. Submissions, which can have both an empirical or a theoretical focus, are appreciated in English or German. As a subsequent publication is intended, all submissions must reflect original work and must precisely document any overlap with previously published or simultaneously submitted papers from any of the authors.
Abstracts for papers not to exceed 500 words or 30 minutes in length. Please submit abstracts along with a short CV and information on your current field of research.
Abstract deadline: June 30th.
For more information, please contact Sandro Wiggerich. Click here for details.
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By Lauren Michel,
May 21st, 2010 at 5:00 am
(Teaching)
This post is a follow-up to a previous post on the concept of testing students in small groups.
My basic textiles course recently had their second mid-term examination, giving me another opportunity to test the group test-taking method I experimented with earlier this term. My favorite part: as they worked on the exam in their small groups, I was able to listen to the students’ discussions of the merits of potential answers to test questions. Having the opportunity to eavesdrop on their entire thought processes is invaluable. I heard them teaching another, jogging each others’ memories, and reasoning things out with one another in their discussions.
“Remember there was that one picture? Remember the Oberkampf painting?”
“He was the painter.”
“No, he was in the painting. He was in the town of Jouy. He owned the factory.”
“Chinoiserie. The Chinese version of toile? Asian toile? The European interpretation?”
There were a few things I chose to do differently this time around, the first being that we did not play the Jeopardy-style quiz game in class as a means for preparation for the exam and I did not have the students write sample test questions. I instead allowed the students time to meet in groups and studyat the end of the three class periods preceding the exam.
Second, when lecturing on world textiles and textile design history, I gave the students a hand-out with key historical and design terms for note taking, as most of the material was not covered in the text. It was essentially several pages of key terms with blank space for notes, plus a few examples of historical motifs. I found that when I listed terms from the hand-out on the exam and asked students to define them, their recall was surprisingly accurate.
As far as the results of the exam go, the average score went down from 88% to 86%, when compared to the previous exam. When asked their opinion, many students said they found this exam more challenging than the first. This may be due to the complexity of the material, being that I was testing them on further advanced topics, relative to the introductory concepts tested on in the earlier exam. Alternatively, they may have found the exam harder because they did not have the opportunity to write sample questions and play the quiz game in preparation. In a class discussion, consensus seemed to indicate that both contributing factors were considered reasonable explanations for the lower test scores.
One issue which may be of concern is whether poorly prepared students unfairly earn higher test scores by relying on the strength of their better prepared team members, but I find that those who would get lower scores if they had tested alone still tend to get lower scores in a group setting. Apparently there is truly no substitute for being properly prepared for an exam.
At this point, I am liking the group test taking approach, however, for their final exam, I plan to hybridize it with the traditional solo test taking method. Their final exam of the course will have some elements for which I will require individual, not group, answers. I would like to assess the students individually, in addition to asking for a little self-reflection on their parts, by asking them for examples of new information they learned from their group mates during the test taking process. I will be sure to keep you posted, and let you, dear readers, know the results as soon as I have them. In the meantime, I have a fierce match of fashion jeopardy planned for next week’s final class meeting.
7 Comments
By Kat,
May 20th, 2010 at 5:00 am
(Exhibitions, Uncategorized)
“DRAPE: CLASSICAL MODE TO CONTEMPORARY DRESS”
Through June 27
The National Gallery of Victoria [Melbourne, Victoria, Australia]
This exhibit will feature fashion, sculpture, painting, decorative arts and photography from antiquity to the present day to explore the practice of draping cloth on the body in two dominant modes, clinging drape and elevated drape. Clinging drape relies on a direct interaction between the body and cloth, as in classical sculpture, while elevated drape shows drape theatrically animated away from the body as in the festooning of fabric over crinolines and bustles. Within this historical framework, this exhibition will also explore the works of 20th and 21st century designers such as Rei Kawakubo, Vivienne Westwood, Gianni Versace, Christian
Dior, Balenciaga and Hussein Chalayan who have created works that reference the history of drape while extending the boundaries of fashion.
Click here for details.
“AISLE STYLE: 150 YEARS OF WEDDING FASHION”
Through June 30
The Charleston Museum [Charleston, SC]
This exhibit will focus on the bride and her dress and include accessories, men’s garments, trousseau treasures, and photographs. It will also explore wedding traditions, from orange blossoms and blue garters to the magnificent white gown. A variety of workshops and programs occur in conjunction with the exhibit.
Click here for details.
“MICHELLE BERKOWITZ: MODERN COSTUME”
Through August 8, 2010
The James A. Michener Art Museum [Doylestown, PA]
Philadelphia native Michelle Annette Berkowitz studied at Drexel University and Moore College of Art and Design, followed by years of researching historical garments in the collections of museums such as the National Gallery of Art. Using antique fabrics and trim as well as period sewing techniques when appropriate, her gowns sometimes have modular components, like crinolines, underskirts, jackets and wraps that can be interchanged to create multiple and unique costumes. Berkowitz’s design explorations also include millinery, beaded jewelry and sterling silver, and she has created a collection of original designs and restored antique apparel. Especially well-known in the region for evening gowns, her costume designs have appeared in various publications including Philadelphia Magazine and The New York Times. Her influences include the father of haute couture, Charles Frederick Worth; noted Philadelphia milliner, Alzie Jackson, whose hats were exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1993; and the renowned designer Judith Leiber.
Click here for details.
*Thank you to the Costume Society of America and the James A. Michener Art Museum for this information.
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