Hands-on fashion history education is something of a dwindling practice these days, with more collections moving their objects to offsite storage and switching to digital only access for researchers. There is an inherent value to being able to explore the inside of historical garments, with a professor, museum professional, and classmates in the room all offering observations. As a student at NYU, I was lucky enough to have regular collection visits incorporated into our curriculum.
In the Spring of 2003, I was fortunate to have a costume history class with Professor Elizabeth Morano, author of Sonia Delaunay: Art into Fashion. The class was Clothing History IV, and was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Costume Institute. On one particularly nice day, we explored a selection of Haute Couture garments of the 1950s. Two of these were designed by Christian Dior (I’ll be posting a second part on who else we looked at that day – stay tuned).
To our modern eyes, the above day dress appears to be a relatively simple, straight-forward belted-dress. However, when looking through the piece with our professor pointing out specific details, innovations and techniques, the real value of the garment and the importance of the designer became more evident. Being able to look at multiple pieces, by multiple designers – and comparing their styles, techniques and preferences helped us to develop connoisseurship.
“Trompette”, House of Dior, spring/summer 1950, Met, CI. C.I.54.6.3a–c
It also became evident that nothing about wearing couture in the 1950s was simple – multiple layers and heavy under-structures revealed some of the differences in social norms and expectations for women in that time period as compared with modern women. This dress in particular suggested ties to menswear through the fabric choice and the use of button detailing, but also made one question what is hidden and what is shown. The under-blouse pictured below, but also his design choice to assist the wearer of this narrow skirt in walking, by incorporating fullness at the knee into the design. The narrow silhouette, placement of buttons and the kickpleat all suggest a reference to the shape of a trumpet, drawing the eye to the back of the dress and to the calf. (Martin & Koda)
Detail photos of “Trompette”, House of Dior, spring/summer 1950, Met, CI. C.I.54.6.3a–c:
The other Dior piece we looked at that day was a silk evening gown dating to 1954. As an outside observer, this too was fairly simple looking, though elegant and slightly demure. Something about the large bow made me think it was intended for someone young and innocent.
“Priscilla”, House of Dior, fall/winter 1954–1955, Met, CI 1974.258.7
However, when a look inside reveals the the wearer of the dress was basically corseted, and the dress not as comfortable or ‘easy’ (by modern standards) as one might have thought.. The layers of chiffon-lined net add additional fullness underneath the skirt, resulting in an audible swishing sound (by rotating the mannequin back and forth) that in many ways brought the dress to life.
One could see that a simple demure-looking gown was in fact quite complicated and in many ways, contrived. Though a woman wearing this dress might in fact appear modest, knowing what was on underneath might not only affect her posture and over-all appearance, but could affect her mental attitude and behavior. Issues of sexuality and perception of ones own body immediately spring to mind. The corset itself was also an innovation for Dior, as it depicted his “H Line” which reshaped the bust into a different profile than had previously been popular. Here, he “seemed to flatten the chest and unusually widen[ed] the upper torso.” (Koda & Martin)
L'Officiel de la Mode n°343 de 1950
All this is to say: I really value my experience as it helped me learn how to think about clothing within a historical, cultural and social context, based on what was present in the object itself. Handling the materials, hearing how they sound and seeing how they move all seem important to this process. I’m concerned that future generations of students may not have this opportunity. For museum professionals, teachers and students: What has your experience or use of historic collections been like?
As an aside, I’m happy to announce two pieces of personal news: Tomorrow, I will officially take office as program chair for the Western Region of the Costume Society of America. I also have a newly designed website, going live today! It’s fully redesigned site, with much more photos and some writing that I hope you’ll enjoy.
More information:
Those interested in learning more about the history of couture, its designers and specific techniques should really venture over to the Golden Age of Couture microwebsite affiliated with London’s V&A Museum and its exhibition of the same name. Their time line feature by designer is an especially helpful element.
Extreme Beauty: The Body Transformed (Metropolitan Museum of Art Series)
Christian Dior (Koda & Martin)
*”Trompette”, House of Dior, spring/summer 1950, Met, CI. C.I.54.6.3a–c.
This event looks like it has a very rich program and is much more than an exhibit. Today’s kimono schools educate students in the techniques and traditions of wearing kimono, and this event features students and faculty of Motomi Kimono School in Nishinomiya, Japan.
A group of kimono teachers and students lead by Mineko Ukai from Nishinomiya, Japan are travelling specially to the National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre to present Beauty of Japan – Japanese Kimono Show on Wednesday, August 4, 2010, at 7:00 pm. Experience the virtues of wearing a kimono and expect to see myriads of kimono worn for different occasions and seasons.
In the program’s first scene, women’s seasonal kimono for spring, summer, fall, and winter will be introduced. Scene two will show three kinds of obi: Han haba, Nagoya, and Fukuro Obi. In scene three, kimono worn for special occasions will be showcased: Shichigosan, Jusan-mairi, and Coming-of-Age Day. Thirty kimono teachers and models, including one man, a handful of children, and some local models, will come together on stage for the finale.
When wearing kimono manners such as bowing, walking, sitting, and virtues of the heart – harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility – will also be illustrated throughout the show (with English and Japanese commentary). A reception with refreshments will follow, and audiences will have a chance to mingle with the kimono bearers. Please join us for a spectacular and rare opportunity to appreciate Japanese kimono with those who keep the tradition alive.
Kimono and items created from kimono fabric will be on sale in the lobby, which is accessible to everyone with or without tickets.
Mineko Ukai is the founder of the renowned Motomi Kimono School in Nishinomiya, Japan. Twenty members from her three kimono classes will accompany her for this show. As a young girl Ukai loved watching her mother and others wear kimono and began learning how to dress her own children for Shichigosan. Ukai began teaching kimono classes in 1973. By 1976, she established Motomi Kimono School and held kimono classes at Danjo Public Hall and Takagi Public Hall. Her skill in weaving and braiding obijime led to invitations to San Francisco’s Little Tokyo, for the Cherry Blossom Kimono Shows and braiding workshops (in 1977 to 1979).
In 1994, Ukai-sensei and members from the Koto Public Hall kimono class travelled to Canada to present a Japanese Kimono show at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. After nearly 40 years as a kimono teacher, Ukai still teaches three weekly kimono classes with 25 to 30 members in attendance. Ten kimono teachers meet weekly for advanced classes in Ukai-sensei’s home. Together they study the history of kimono, design, and the preservation of kitsuke “the art of wearing kimono” in everyday Japanese life.
For more information about kimono, Mineko Ukai, and members from her Motomi Kimono School please visit Ukai’s site, The Way of Kimono.
The National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre is a multi-use facility at the corner of Kingsway and Sperling in Burnaby, BC. Officially opened on September 22, 2000, the Centre houses the National Nikkei Heritage Centre and the Japanese Canadian National Museum.
The Centre’s mandate is to promote a better understanding and appreciation by all Canadians of Japanese Canadian culture and heritage; and an awareness by all Canadians of the contribution of Japanese Canadians to Canadian society, through public programs, exhibits, services, publications, public use of the facilities and special events.
In addition to offering its own programs, the NNM&HC has a number of rooms available for rent for many purposes including meetings, demonstrations, weddings, receptions, small conferences, and other special events.
Going hand in hand with my love of dress history and clothing construction is my interest in historically inspired costumes, and the use and wear of those costumes in leisure activity. If you have seen my post on the Great Dickens Christmas Fair of San Francisco, California, you have some idea of an historical era being reenacted for education and entertainment. Other examples are American Revolutionary War, American Civil War (in and outside the US), medieval Europe, Renaissance Europe, and various decades of the 20th century. In addition to historical eras, there is also the enormous realm of cosplay, wherein cosplayers dress as their favorite film, animation, or comic book characters. The number of students I have interested in constructing apparel for these various pastimes grows every term, and I think it is as much fun for me as it is for them to see their ideas come to life, as they learn to sew and make something they truly can not buy ‘off the rack.’
Today’s web site is one which focuses on the reproduction of clothing of a very specific time and place, 16th century Europe. By Drea Leed, The Elizabethan Costume Page is a great starting place for anyone wanting to reproduce women’s, men’s and children’s clothing of the era (do not let the early 1990s-style title of the site deter you, it is kept up to date). Leed is the author of The Well-Dress’d Peasant: 16th Century Workingwoman’s Dress (Partizan Press, 2003), which appears to currently be out of print, but is certainly on my personal wish list.
The web site, in addition to containing numerous thoroughly researched articles and papers authored by Leed, also has an abundant collection of well organised and worthwhile links to sources for even more information. If you want to see period images of members of specific social classes of particular nationalities, this web site will help you find them, particularly those with the best depictions of clothing for those wishing to reproduce them, as in paintings with clear details, such as seam placement and the various layers of clothing worn.
One of my favorite things on the site is the Elizabethan Smock Pattern Generator. This can even be used by those with little or no sewing experience. The instructions tell precisely how to measure your body so that you can enter your measurements (bust, around the bicep, waist, hip, etc.) into the Pattern Generator and voila! you immediately get a custom pattern made to your measurements. This one, I can say I have used with success.
If any readers are historical costume buffs, leave me a comment and let me know your favorite eras and resources, for possible inclusion in future posts.
I’ve seen a lot of bodies lately. As temperatures rise in NYC and I’ve even begun to throw my own sense of modesty to the wind, more and more body parts have been out on display. While the parade of flesh that is summer in this city may be alluring to some, the reason for more exposure is most basically a desire to stay cool rather than the desire to seduce.
But in this effort to beat the heat, it really does seem as if all standards of decency have evaporated – much like the sweat on our backs. And as I’ve been observing this phenomenon these last few days I’ve also been thinking about places where women aren’t able to wear a tank top or sundress when it’s hot. Even as I write in a small apartment with no AC, I’m feeling all the more poignantly the irony that cultural modesty standards are often the most severe in places with the hottest climates. So why do they do it? Why do they wear layers and layers of clothes to abide by certain clothing guidelines – what purpose does it really serve?
While veils and other forms of modesty garments often find their origin in various religious dictates, there’s something to be gained from thinking for a moment about what it means for clothing to conceal – even to the point of invisibility – rather than revealing everything.
It’s easy for a liberated American women like myself to immediately dismiss veils and the like as oppressive and outdated, but isn’t there some valid purpose they serve?
I think at the most basic level, veils are an attempt to preserve the distinction between the public and private realms, and that might not be such a bad idea.
Putting it all out there all the time (whether it’s in the way we dress or the fact that we’re chatting on the telephone on the bus) means we really don’t have boundaries between what is private and sacred and what is for public consumption. My question is then – what are the consequences of this kind of barrier breakdown for a society at large?
Veils are so appealing in certain cultures because it’s assumed that self-control in dress implies self-control in other areas of one’s life (specifically in the sexual department). It’s precisely this self-control that makes a woman appear worthy of marriage. As Andrea Rugh writes in her great book Reveal and Conceal: Dress in Contemporary Egypt: “Modesty garments are symbolic in the sense that they mark people’s intentions concerning moral issues.”
There’s so much talk of how much clothing reveals about the self – what if we revealed more of our self (or our self-control rather) through revealing less?
In another sense, modesty garments are actually class equalizers – they are uniforms which can disguise a woman’s poverty. So rather than posing women as sartorial competitors, flaunting clothing and bodily endowment in an effort to woo men, women have to be more creative and subtly provocative. Is modesty then more a sign of a culture’s sophistication rather than primitivism?
(Please note that I’m in no way trying to make light or appear dismissive of the serious abuse that certain culture enact towards women – unfortunately the veiled woman often is the subject of much oppression and violence; yet, I do believe over-correcting to the opposite extreme of full disclosure doesn’t necessarily solve the larger problem of women being treated as objects – clearly, this is a much larger topic, far beyond the purview of my present thoughts…)
Modesty garments ultimately make apparent the struggle that every woman must encounter in any game of flirtation – how much does one reveal and how much does one conceal? The fine line between revealing just enough to keep one wanting more and spilling it all is difficult to discern. And the metaphor certainly extends beyond the purely physical…
A new summer series of events, Geometric Threads: Artisanal Takes on Pattern, Dimension, and Topology, has been put together by the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco focusing on the appearance and use of geometric shapes in crafts, clothing and textiles. For those unfamiliar, the Exploratorium has hundreds of interactive exhibits in the areas of science, art, and human perception and is housed in the Palace of Fine Arts of San Francisco.
*
I am rather excited by the idea of this series (on in July and August) and hope to make it over to at least one of the programs, though my calendar is getting pretty full. I am particularly interested in those that involve crochet, Japanese embroidered balls, lacemaking, and custom couture. Included in one of the programs is a showing of the paper-folding documentary, Between the Folds (2009), by Vanessa Gould, which I’ve just added it to my Netflix que.
The series is connected to the Exploritorium’s current exhibit, Geometry Playground (through September 6, 2010) and is meant to highlight “geometry found in traditional and contemporary crafts.” This will include the interrelationships of quilts; ethnic clothing, fabrics and designs (Hawaiian Ka’pa cloth, Korean maedup, Japanese temari, Islamic art, Moroccan tile) ; maritime knots & ropemaking; lacemaking; crochet; upholstery; cartography; origami and much more.
This makes sense, as the Exploritorium is more well-known for its science and math exhibits, than for art or fashion. I’m thrilled, though, the disciplines are being intermingled, and look forward to thinking specifically about textiles as three-dimensional objects. Events will take place on Saturdays in July and August. Though not mentioned in the official press release for the series, Lace (and the Lacis Museum of Berkeley, CA) will be involved in the July 3rd program.
Here are the schedule and presentation descriptions from the press release (I added the links and highlights to point out things of interested to WT readers):
July 3 & August 7 2010: Geometric Threads: Symmetry, Topology, and Handmade History, Noon-4pm
We may think of reuse, recycling, and upcycling as contemporary ideas. But textiles were once made by hand and considered much more valuable than they are today. The folk arts of lacemaking, marlinspike seamanship (ropemaking), and Japanese temari (embroidered balls) produce extraordinary symmetries and pattern; they also evolved as creative solutions for repair or reuse. Crochet, on the other hand, emerged as a less expensive alternative to other forms of lacemaking with the advent of machine-made thread in the early 1800s. Though each of these techniques developed from different needs and influences, they all begin with a simple string or cord, and result in an endless variety of elegant designs. Explore their intertwining geometries with experts and enthusiasts who continue to preserve and evolve these artisanal traditions.
Wendeanne Ke-aka Stitt
July 10 & August 14, 2010: Geometric Threads: Patterns and Tessellations, Noon-4pm
Tessellations—perfectly fitting patterns of shapes—appear in honeycombs, fish scales, pine cones, and a myriad other natural forms. They are also a popular element in many human-made designs, such as those found in Islamic art and architecture. The complex artistry of Moroccan tile mosaics, quilts, and Hawai’ian kapa cloth (created from the pounded and fermented bark of the paper mulberry tree) reflect a variety of intricate geometric designs. Watch master quilters, an expert tiler, and Hawai’ian kapa cloth artist Wendeanne Ke-aka Stitt skillfully arrange simple shapes to create exquisite patterns—then get a taste for tessellating by fitting fabric shapes together into your own mesmerizing designs.
Ke Alo Ha via Snyderman Works Gallery
July 17 & July 31, 2010: Geometric Threads: Moving Between Dimensions, Noon-4pm
The expert artisans who make our clothes and furniture use geometry everyday. See master upholsterer Mike Boloyan and an expert clothing designer share the skills and techniques they use to transform two-dimensional fabrics into striking, three-dimensional pieces of furniture or custom-made couture. Afterward, an exploration of cartography will reverse the process—flattening three-dimensional terrain into a two-dimensional map.
July 24, 2010: Geometric Threads: Form and Fold, Noon-4pm
Supplied with 3 or more points and lines, we can make a myriad of shapes called polygons. These closed figures include triangles, pentagons, nonegons, and more. Joined together, polygons create an amazing array of patterns found in nature and in handicrafts such as weaving and origami, the Japanese art of paperfolding. For this special presentation, expert geometer and origami impresario Chris Palmer shares his marvelous techniques for folding elaborate forms in paper and silk, while master weavers demonstrate their skills at interlacing patterns. Between the Folds (2009), by Vanessa Gould, will also be shown. This award-winning documentary explores the creative world of master paperfolders—and features the work of Chris Palmer himself. Should inspiration strike, you’ll have a chance to play with shapes and patterns of your own.
August 21, 2010: Geometric Threads: Forms in Nature, Noon-4pm
Curved forms and surfaces found in the natural world have long been evoked in art—especially in the textile arts. Crochet, popularized in the 1800s, crafts fabric from yarn or thread, one loop at a time, with the help of a crochet hook. Familiar for its lacelike patterns seen in everyday objects such as sweaters and throws, crochet has also been used to create sculptures and mathematical models of hyperbolic surfaces that recall the ruffled edges of kale or coral. Meet expert fiber artists who not only capture the color and shapes of curvaceous species but who also support their conservation through the re-use of recycled materials. Learn how their one-of-a-kind sculptures are crocheted from plastic bags and other commonplace materials.
I recently watched the video presentation of Johanna Blakley who is involved with TED (a non-profit whose conferences unite the worlds of technology, entertainment, and design), and UCLA’s Norman Lear Center, which utilizes Entertainment as a lens through which to read world events and ideas, much as I use Fashion to do the same. I recommend you take a gander (it’s relatively short):
Blakley delves into a bit of the history of copyrights, but here is an excerpt directly from the official US Copyright website:
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following:
• To reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords;
• To prepare derivative works based upon the work;
• To distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
• To perform the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audio visual works;
• To display the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audio visual work; and
• In the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.
In addition, certain authors of works of visual art have the rights of attribution and integrity as described in section 106A of the 1976 Copyright Act.
You might note that last sentence sounds like it might include fashion… but it doesn’t. Blakley explains that copyright protection is not afforded to a wide array of creative industries including food, perfume, hairstyling, furniture, and cars, among others. The reason for this oversight is that
…copyright protection for the designs of useful articles is extremely limited. The design of a useful article is protected under copyright “only if, and only to the extent that, such design incorporates pictorial, graphic, or sculptural features that can be identified separately from, and are capable of existing independently of, the utilitarian aspects of the article.”
(Incidentally, that same page includes a somewhat odd but interesting, lengthy comparison between fashion design and boat building.)
So useful, functional articles may not be copyrighted. Blakely paraphrases more helpfully to call the excluded group utilitarian. Fashion is too utilitarian to be copyrighted, because everyone should have access to clothes. While in abstract theory that makes sense to me, this distinguishes fashion from art, a nebulous line. A notable exception is the zipper, the failed copyrighting of which you can read about here. What the article doesn’t mention is that patenting the zipper was only possible at all because it’s technically a machine and not strictly an article of clothing. The placement and artistic design incorporating zippers are another matter.
1917 Sundback patent for the "Separable Fastener"
And yet there are growing (though still alternative) factions within other industries that are technically applicable for copyright protection, but that choose to publicize and gift their ideas. My computer-saavy partner convinced me to give open source Ubuntu a try, and once installed on my little laptop (wiping out the familiar PC interface with more than a little trepidation), I admit I soon took pride in joining the freeware community and the cache it gave me among tech-savvy folk. There are extensive online forums with a never-ending supply of techies willing to sooth my freeware freakouts. Though Open Office is undeniably, perhaps irretrievably inferior to the Microsoft original, I find it inspiring that computer programmers are willing to invest their personal time and energy in developing these systems (most of which are far better than the Office knockoff).
The DIY movement shares this free information standpoint, in that sites like Instructables and Make Magazine offer step-by-step tutorials on how to build relatively complex-looking items your very own self, ranging from lights to tables to computers, to upholstery. Part of the appeal is that it’s anti-establishment, anti-consumerist (which the Fashion Industry is certainly not) ; part of the appeal is that you have more opportunities to customize your software / shelving unit / whatever. While these movements deliberately reject copyrights for their own projects, this returns me to the question: why should fashion design be copyrighted when it seems other creative industries can manage without?
Part of the difficulty in determining whether fashion designers should be allowed to patent their designs is that the original purpose of U.S. government copyrighting is not to willfully deprive inventors of fame and money for their inventions, but to encourage innovation within the U.S. market. Chia-Yu Chang writes:
Innovation in the fashion designs has not suffered for 2 reasons: One, innovative fashion designs still commands very high premiums in the high-end market; and two, a design’s value drops precipitously after just one season. So, high-fashion designers can bring in sufficient profit from one design, but only for a very short period of time. They must continue to innovate to sustain the business. Protecting the less-valuable older designs is relatively unimportant.
She tempers this assertion by asking, but “what about protections for the young designer dreaming about establishing herself by innovating for the mid-end market, which commands lower premiums? What about the need of mid-end and low-end markets for innovative designs?”
The music industry’s battle with copyrighting has been in the spotlight ever since the internet was used in conjunction with programs like Napster, iTunes, and the soon to be defunct Songza that allow the instantaneous sharing/copying of music files. Blakley mentions that Charlie Parker invented beebop because he didn’t think it could be mimicked (or stolen) by white musicians. While I strongly believe artists should be compensated for their time, effort, and talent, I do think there’s something valuable in being able to test, sample, and share music without the fear of prosecution. The fashion industry somehow doesn’t get as much press (or respect) in its similar struggle, though it’s been an issue to those directly involved for decades. Way back in 1977, former Register of Copyrights Barbara Ringer stated that the issue of design protection was “one of the most significant and pressing items of unfinished business.” And the issue is still open.
From her own open source platform of complete internet lecture video footage, Johanna Blakey suggests using fashion as a model for an inter-disciplinary discussion about what needs protection, what needs to be in the public domain, and what will lead to the most innovative ideas. I still don’t have a clear answer. Do you?
Further Reading:
Here is an impressive breakdown of the issues involved in fashion copyright law by Jennifer Mencken.
Fabricating the Body: Textiles and human health in historical perspective Pasold Research Fund Conference
Centre for Medical History, University of Exeter
6 – 8 April, 2011
This conference aims to bring together historians of textiles and clothing, and of health, with scholars of social, medical, cultural, and economic history to examine the rich connections between textiles, human health and welfare, environmental issues, and self expression (including ‘sunlight seekers’ and ‘body culture’ movements of the past 150 years).
The conference welcomes papers that will address four main themes:
•Early modern and modern textiles manufacturing and the association of benign and malign influences in the growth of industry and the impact on the labour force, land and water use.
•The modern environmental costs of textiles production, from soil utilisation (and erosion) to the chemical manufacture of man-made fibres and the consequences of toxic minerals and chemicals for both workers and the wider community.
•The animal world and the costs of textile and skin production: hunting, farming, and human-animal health concerns. The rise of a new politics of health around animal utilisation.
•The textile sector in relation to future environmental degradation, bio-health and sustainability.
To apply, please forward a 300 word abstract of the proposed paper, together with a one page CV, to: Professor Jo Melling (j.l.melling @exeter.ac.uk)
Centre for Medical History
University of Exeter
Rennes Drive, EX4 4RJ
Contact info: Professor Jo Melling
University of Exeter
Centre for Medical History
Rennes DriveExeter
EX4 4RJ
+44(0)1392 263289
Email: [email protected]
A fun time was had at the opening of Flights of Fancy: A History of Feathers in Fashion at the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota. This has been my employer as a Graduate Assistant on and off for 4 years, and the final exhibit I did any work for as I’m on the road to graduation (PR/marketing this time around).
The opening was fab with attendees donning feathered attire, an array of fascinating fashion, science, and social science concepts to review in the text panels and cases, and a program by interpretive naturalists featuring live birds and discussing the history of feathers in fashion including laws and regulations regarding birds.
The show was curated by Goldstein Museum of Design Assistant Curator Jean McElvain, Ph.D. and Master’s Student/Research Assistant Angelina R. Jones. Also, in a fairly unique match-up, it was put together in conjunction with The Raptor Center and the Bell Museum of Natural History, both of the University of Minnesota. This combination added a different scientific/political slant rarely seen in fashion exhibitions that aren’t about textile science or sustainability.
Flights of Fancy invites visitors to examine the function of feathers in nature, the historical feather trade and activism against it, and the psychological appeal of wearing feathers. Feathered apparel from the late 19th through the 20th centuries from the GMD collection is on exhibit including garments designed by Bill Blass, Sonia Rykiel, Victor Costa, and Oscar de la Renta. The hats are probably the most outstanding feature, as there are plenty to admire.
The partnership with the science centers provides an ornithological foundation for the feathered apparel. Study skins of birds from the Bell’s collection are examples of birds whose feathers were commonly used in the fashion industry. Audubon prints and diagrams of feather structure illustrate the unique qualities and functions of feathers. The exhibit gets into the environmental activism sparked by the prevalent feather usage in fashion and discusses the social connotations associated with feathers in historical and contemporary dress.
It runs through September 12 so you should try to make it out if you’re in the area. Also there will be a guest lecture by Amy Scarborough Wednesday, September 8, 3:00 pm. Scarborough will present “Bird Protection and Millinery: Exploring the Role of Fashion Media in the Debate.”
Captions:
Contemporary Monique Lhuillier wedding dress on loan from the designer
Two images of the live bird presentation; bottom image features Goldstein Museum Grants Writer Kathleen Campbell, Ph.D.
Curators Angelina and Jean, alongside Goldstein Museum Registrar & Materials Library
Coordinator Eunice Haugen
Here is a quick round up of new books out in the next few months that will be of interest to Worn Through readers. Watch for full reviews of a few of these later on. I am particularly interested in the Emilio Pucci and High Style. What books are you looking forward to that you’d like to see reviewed here? Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments and let me know!
High Style: Masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Jan Reeder Publication Date: June 15, 2010
The Hermes Scarf: History & Mystique by Nadine Coleno Publication Date: July 15, 2010
Emilio Pucci by Vanessa Friedman, Armando Chitolina Publication Date: July 26, 2010
Bedouin Weaving of Saudi Arabia and its Neighbours by Joy Totah Hilden Publication Date: July 5, 2010
Orderly Fashion: A Sociology of Markets by Patrik Aspers Publication Date: July 26, 2010
(1. Assistant Costume Shop Manager, Theatre Department, Williams College
The College is seeking an Assistant Costume Shop Manager to assist
in the day-to-day operation of a busy Costume Shop. The shop serves an
active Dance Program, Theatre Department and provides wardrobe support
for other performing arts events. Under the direction of the Costume
Shop Manager the Assistant Manager’s primary duties include
construction of costumes from designers’ renderings, assistance with
measurements and fittings, maintaining and supervising use of costume
stock and storage, help maintain equipment and supervision of the
Costume Shop in Manager’s absence.
This is a full-time, nine-month, two-year term position beginning
August 30, 2010. Hours vary within the academic year based on
production needs; occasional overtime is required.
Candidate must have experience in theatrical costume construction
techniques, including patterning, draping, cutting, stitching,
assembly and alteration. BFA or MFA in Costume Technology or related
field of study and/or 3 years of full time professional or high-level
academic costume shop work required. For optimal consideration please
submit cover letter and resume by June 15, 2010. Band 18. Please apply
to Job #300622-CSDF
Please send a cover letter and resume including Job # to:
The Office of Human Resources, Williams College
100 Spring Street, Suite 201, Williamstown, MA 01267
(2. Visiting Assistant Professor, College of Visual Arts and Design, University of North Texas
Department: Art Education & Art History (N16120)
Rank/Title: Visiting Assistant Professor
Job Summary/Basic Function: Teach graduate and undergraduate art education / art museum education and related courses; assist students in securing summer internships and supervise interns; additional duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications: ABD in art education or closely related field; art museum education experience.
Preferred Qualifications: PhD or EdD in art education or closely related field, K-12 teaching experience, university teaching experience and/or background in instructional technology are all preferred.
Area of Specialty: art education
*
*
and High Style
. What books are you looking forward to that you’d like to see reviewed here? Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments and let me know!
by Nadine Coleno Publication Date: July 15, 2010
by Joy Totah Hilden Publication Date: July 5, 2010
by Patrik Aspers Publication Date: July 26, 2010
