Museum Sale: Augusta Auction Company

By Lauren Michel, March 8th, 2010 at 5:03 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers, History of Dress, Museum Life)

Kimono, 1870s

Coming soon is the Augusta Auction Company’s latest antique and vintage clothing and textiles auction.  Preview in New York City on Friday, March 23rd and Saturday, March 24th.  Auction starts at 12 noon March 24th.  If you can not be in New York City for the auction, despair not!  Absentee, phone, and internet bids will be accepted.   Nearly 400 catalogued lots, this auction is especially interesting as its contents are consignments from a number of prominent American museums, including:  Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection, Museum of Fine Arts – Boston, Chrysler Museum (Virginia), Montclair Art Museum (New Jersey), and the National Heritage Museum (Massachusetts).

Two Mainboche Lamé Dresses

The sale features antique clothing, accessories, Asian & middle Eastern garments & textiles, rugs, tapestries, lace, ecclesiastical objects, and more from the 15^th to 20^th centuries.  If you visit the Augusta Auction Company web site, you can view online galleries of consigned items, with more to be posted over the next few weeks.  The auction catalog is schedule to be posted online March 10th.

The following information comes from an email sent by the auction company:

Lots to be sold include rare textiles and clothing objects from the 15^th Century right up to the 1990’s, including…designs from many of the top fashion names of the twentieth century – Elizabeth Hawes, Bonnie Cashin, Halston, Claire McCardell, Chanel, Ferragamo, Mainbocher, Phillip Hulitar, Sarmi, Stavropoulos, Galanos, Elizabeth Arden, Rudi Gernreich, Eta Hentz, Pierre Cardin, Balenciaga, Zandra Rhodes, Geoffrey Beene, Lilly Dache, Gucci and many others.

Rose Pink Evening Gown, 1910

If you are at all like me (and I suspect you may be, if only a tiny bit, since you are reading Worn Through), you have already asked yourself, “Why are museum pieces up for auction?”

Taken from the Augusta Auction Company web site, here is the explanation, really quite simple:

Garments and textiles offered for sale from most of the museum collections include pieces that no longer fit the criteria of the museums’ collections policies, duplicate other pieces in their collections, or are pieces that are no longer exhibited.  Many have been in museum storage for decades. All are new to market and have not previously been offered for sale. The museum collections are sold to the highest bidder, free of any minimum bids or auction reserves. Proceeds from auction attendees’ purchases go directly to the museums’ acquisitions funds or to support their conservation efforts.

See?  You can add a treasure to your own collection, and feel good about doing so, knowing that the proceeds from your purchases go directly towards supporting the museums. 

Here are a few more of the promised highlights of the March 24th sale:

Featured items include 1940’s posters from Charles James, donated by the designer to the Brooklyn Museum, a c. 1750 Chien-Lung Imperial palace hanging, a 15^th C tapestry of Roman Soldiers, a 1770 dated Aubusson tapestry, a large 19th C. Meiji embroidery depicting mythical beasts, hand-woven and embroidered shawls, 16^th & 17^th C. ecclesiastical textiles & silk brocades, other early European embroideries, Victorian through late 20^th C garments, shoes, hats, 19^th C beaded purses & 20^th C pocketbooks, silk lingerie and so much more.

Even if you do not plan to bid, if you are a collector it can be useful to check the results of this auction, as they can help you to determine the current market value of any similar pieces in your own collection (although, bear in mind that the museum provenenance adds to the value of these auction items), or even the potential auction price of a special something for which you have been searching and saving up.

To tempt you, below are some examples from the online gallery.

Elizabeth Hawes Evening Gown, 1945

Embroidered Chinese Export Robe, early 20th century

Orange and Gold Stavropoulos Evening Ensemble, 1982

Four Mod Serendipity Dresses, 1965

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ARTstor Travel Awards

By Kat, March 8th, 2010 at 5:00 am (Academic Research & Related, Conferences and Calls for Papers)

ARTstor Travel Awards 2010

Five research travel awards in the amount of $1,500 each

While the digital age is opening up new approaches and techniques for using images of the world’s cultural heritage as evidence in teaching and scholarship, there is no substitute for engagement with original works and sites, for research in archives that hold primary source material, or for attending conferences with colleagues engaged with similar issues. In recognition of this need, ARTstor will provide five research travel awards in the amount of $1,500 each (to be used by September 1, 2011) to help support the educational and scholarly activities of graduate students, scholars, curators, educators, and librarians in any field in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences.

To be considered for a research travel award, applicants must create and submit an ARTstor image group (or a series of image groups) and a single accompanying essay that creatively and compellingly demonstrates why the image group(s) is useful for teaching, research, or scholarship. The five winning submissions will be determined by ARTstor staff. These submissions will help ARTstor to understand better the uses that scholars and teachers are making of ARTstor’s content and tools and will provide us with insights into how we can continue to improve our efforts to serve the educational community.

All graduate students, scholars, curators, educators, and librarians who are at least 18 years of age and associated with institutions that subscribe to the ARTstor Digital Library are eligible to apply for the ARTstor Travel Awards.  See if your institution has ARTstor access.

Deadline for proposal application: April 1, 2010
Winners announced: May 1, 2010
Awards will be made by: June 1, 2010
Awards to be used by: September 1, 2011

Email submissions should be sent to travelawards@artstor.org.

Please email userservices@artstor.org if you have further questions.

How to register for an ARTstor account.
How to build an image group.

Further details may be found on ARTstor.org.

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Event: New Jersey’s Silk City

By Monica Sklar, March 1st, 2010 at 5:00 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers)

Study Tour Day Trip to New Jersey’s Silk City
Saturday, April 17, 2010

Just a short drive from New York City, Paterson, NJ, was once known as “Silk City” and was the leading producer of silk fabric in the United States from the nineteenth century until well into the twentieth century.

On Saturday, April 17th, join Textile Society of America members for a day-long bus trip from mid-town Manhattan to Paterson. After an orientation to the newly designated Paterson National Historic Park area, we will visit the spectacular Great Falls of the Passaic River, the power source that made Paterson a leading east coast industrial center starting shortly after the Revolutionary War.

We will tour the vicinity of the falls with industrial archaeologist Gianfranco Archimede who will explain the raceways and other features that transferred power from the Passaic River to the many factories of the city. Giacomo Destafano, the director of the Paterson Museum, will tell us about the city’s textile industry and will guide us through the production of the jacquard silks that made Paterson famous. The museum collection includes looms and other equipment used to produce Paterson silks along with many examples of the narrow ribbons and broad yard goods that gave the city the name “the Lyons of America.”

After a vegetarian box lunch of Middle Eastern specialties provided by Fattal’s Syrian Bakery, a mainstay of the thriving row of Middle Eastern shops that line Paterson’s Main Street, we will end the day on docent led tours of two historic homes connected with the silk industry. Lambert Castle, the home of wealthy silk manufacturer Catholina Lambert, is tucked into the side of Garrett Mountain on the south side of the city. Home to the Passaic County Historical Society, the Castle tells the story of the lavish life of a leading textile manufacturer. In addition to Lambert’s luxurious home, we will also see more examples of Paterson’s beautiful fabrics. In contrast, the American Labor Museum in the modest Botto House shows the life of an immigrant Italian silk worker family who played a leading role in the great Paterson Silk Strike of 1913. This landmark strike was lead by the Industrial Workers of the World at their height of membership. On the way back to Manhattan we will sample pastries from Fattal’s Bakery that the New York Times recently called “hard to resist.”

This trip will leave promptly at 8:30 am from the front of the main branch of the New York Public Library’s Research Division on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets (in front of the Library Lions and close to Grand Central Station, the Port Authority Bus Station, and Penn Station) and returns to the same location by 6:00 pm. Optionally, members can also join the bus at 9:00 am in Paterson.

The trip costs $125.00 per person for TSA members and $150.00 for non-members. This includes lunch, all admissions and tips. The price includes $30.00 donation to TSA.

Click here to register for this trip.

TSA is also offering a scholarship for one TSA member to participate in this tour of Paterson. To apply for this scholarship visit Workshop and Study Tour Scholarships for more information and a scholarship application.

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Call for Book Entries: One-Yard Craft Projects

By Monica Sklar, February 25th, 2010 at 5:00 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers, Uncategorized)

On Mondays WT tries to always post a call for papers regarding something in the academic world, but sometimes something else fun comes up that isn’t exactly research-y, but that I really want to let you know about.

My friends Rebecca and Trish have a call for entries for their second book Fabric Extravaganza: One-Yard Wonders. Their first book, One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects; Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric! was a big hit with crafters everywhere and this second volume promises to be even more robust as this time it covers all types of fabric.

They are looking to you to submit entries of your best ideas. Here is what they say:

“As with 101 One-Yard Wonders, we’re focusing on projects that take no more than one yard of fabric to complete. Ideally your project would use nearly the full yard of fabric (no quarter yard projects please, unless they are part of a group project which takes up a full yard).
By all means, please feel free to add trims, zippers, Velcro, buttons, interfacing — whatever additional stash stuff & notions might be necessary to complete the project. We only ask that your project uses one– and only one–yard of a single fabric.

The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2010. Projects will be considered as we receive them, so try to get them in sooner rather than later. The only stipulation is that your original designs may not have been previously published in a book or anthology. Email notifications will be sent May 1, 2010 with detailed next steps.”

You may know Rebecca from her fab work with baby bedding and her famed sock monkey dress and Trish you may know through her super store Crafty Planet.

I think you’ll love working with them so hopefully you’ll submit something snazzy to the book!

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Call for Nominations: R.L. Shep Ethnic Textile Book Award

By Lauren Michel, February 22nd, 2010 at 5:01 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers)

R. L. Shep Ethnic Textile Book Award

Call for Nominations

The Textile Society of America is pleased to solicit nominations for the R. L. Shep Ethnic Textile Book Award for books published in 2009.

Given annually, the award is meant to encourage the study and understanding of ethnic textile traditions by recognizing exceptional scholarship in the field. The award consists of a cash prize, funded by an endowment established by R. L. Shep in 2000. The Textile Society of America administers the endowment through a committee appointed by the Board of Directors.

Nominations are open to English-language books (including bilingual publications in which all essential information appears in English). For the purpose of the award, “ethnic” textiles are defined as the non-industrial textiles of Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Native and Latin America, as well as those in identifiable cultural groups in Europe and North America. Books of a variety of formats, including monographs, anthologies, and exhibition catalogs may be nominated. High-quality research and scholarship are the principal criteria for the prize-winning book. The book must also be presented in an accessible, engaging manner. Books must contain a printed publication date of 2009.

The award will be presented at the Textile Society of America’s Biennial Symposium this fall in Lincoln, Nebraska (October 6 – 9, 2010). Visit the Textile Society online for further details.

Please send the full bibliographic citation of each book nominated to award committee chair Barbara Belle Sloan, Associate Director, Center for the Study of Regional Dress, Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1549; bsloan@arts.ucla.edu.

Deadline is March 1, 2010.

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CFP: 2010 International Conference in Textile Composites, TEXCOMP 10

By Lauren Michel, February 22nd, 2010 at 5:00 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers)

The 2010 International Conference in Textile Composites

October 26-28, 2010, LILLE, FRANCE

Participate in the 10th International Conference on Textile Composites, TEXCOMP10, to be held at the Lille Grand Palais conference center, from October 26 through 28, 2010.  By bringing together scientists and engineers active in a variety of disciplines, the conference provides a dedicated forum for discussions and reports on recent advances in textiles and their composites.

Scope of the Conference

The TEXCOMP10 conference accepts papers which make an original contribution to the field of science and engineering of textile composites and related topics. The non-exclusive list of conference topics includes:

Abstracts, with a maximum of 500 words, including one or two graphs/figures and references, should be sent electronically to Prof. Christophe Binetruy at binetruy@ensm-douai.fr and Dr. François Bossu at francois.boussu@ensait.fr.

The complete conference program has not been posted yet, however there are three plenary sessions listed, hosted by Dr Florent Bouillon of Aircelle,  Dr. A Blanton Godfrey, Dean of the College of Textiles and Professor at North Carolina State University, and Yiping Qiu, Professor at Donghua University, respectively.

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Symposium: Uncommon Threads

By Monica Sklar, February 15th, 2010 at 5:00 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers, Uncategorized)

Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts at the Florida Institute of Technology

Uncommon Threads Symposium

February 18-19, 2010

The Uncommon Threads Symposium will explore literary imagery and narrative in English embroidery with special guest, the sixth annual Ruth Funk Lecturer in Textiles, Melinda Watt.

Ms. Watt is Associate Curator, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts and Supervising Curator, Antonio Ratti Textile Center at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Lecture:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
“The Biblical “It” Girls: Female Heroines in English Embroidery”
7 p.m. Gleason Center for Performing Arts

Luncheon:
Friday, February 19, 2010
10:30 Lecture
“‘Twixt Art and Nature: Floral Imagery in English Embroidery”
Noon – 2 p.m. Luncheon
Hartley Room, Denius Student Center
Tickets: $60

More details

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CFP: Book Chapters on Retail

By Monica Sklar, February 15th, 2010 at 5:00 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers)

Book Chapter-Author Needed
Apparel Retailing in Emerging Markets

Editor: Jaya Halepete
Due Date: January 1, 2011

From the editor:
Inviting researchers to contribute to individual chapters in a book titled “Apparel retailing in emerging markets”. 

I am specifically looking for researchers who can contribute to information regarding organization of apparel retail markets, international retailers in the market, buying for these markets, and consumers in these markets. The countries for which I am looking for contribution are:

 China, Vietnam, Poland, Turkey, Chile, Romania, Argentina, Thailand, Russia, Spain, Brazil, and UAE.

 Contributors will be included as co-authors for the chapter.



Contact for further details




Jaya Halepete, PhD

Assistant Professor

Fashion Merchandising
 School of Arts and Sciences

Marymount University

2807 N. Glebe Road

Arlington, VA 22207

Office Phone: 703 284 5752

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College and University Collection Care Grant

By Lauren Michel, February 8th, 2010 at 5:00 am (Conferences and Calls for Papers, Museum Life, Teaching)

1960s Aloha Shirt from the University of Hawai'i Museum

Here is a funding opportunity for my fellow academics in the US, the Costume Society of America’s College and University Collection Care Grant

Description
The $1500 College and University Collection Care Grant is intended to assist with the care, maintenance, preservation, and instructional missions of a college or university collection that is not eligible for a Small Museum Collection Care Grant.

Purpose
The College and University Collection Care Grant is intended to assist the costume and textiles collection of a college or university that receives little or no financial support from its institution. Funding may be used to support the care, conservation, and/or instructional mission of a collection of historic, period, or otherwise informative costume and textiles that are intended for preservation and are used for study by an institution that has a degree program in apparel, textiles, or theatre.

University of Hawai'i Museum

Eligibility

Institutions applying for a Grant must meet the following requirements:

• be a degree granting institution
• have a degree program in apparel, textiles, or theatre
• The institution must legally own the collection; it cannot be a private collection housed in a college/university.
• provide institutional support for the collection. duties include the care and maintenance of the collection.
• provide institutional endorsement of the collection by some expression of commitment, such as, exhibition space, insurance, storage, or time invested in the care and management of the collection
• to accept the Grant, the chosen institution must become an Institutional Member of CSA

The collection seeking assistance must:

• consist of dress, textiles, and related objects (published materials, textile production tools/equipment, etc.)
• be legally owned by the institution applying for the Grant (not a private collection housed in a college/university)
• be intended for preservation

Selection Criteria
Applications will be judged by:

• high impact of the project on collection’s well-being and mission
• feasibility of the project in terms of budget, time line, and personnel to carry it out
• significance of the collection to the academic unit

Application Deadline

Completed applications must be postmarked by February 28.

Application Procedure
Complete the application, and send five copies, together with any relevant documentation and supporting material, to:

Chair, College and University Collection Care Grant
The Costume Society of America
390 Amwell Road, Suite 403
Hillsborough, NJ, USA 08844

Further details may be found at the Costume Society’s web site.

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What is Sustainable Fashion? (Part II)

By Lucy Collins, February 5th, 2010 at 5:00 am (Academic Research & Related, Conferences and Calls for Papers, Exhibitions, Uncategorized)

Donna Karan has said it best when she encourages those in fashion to really think deeply about why they are making the garments they are making and what purpose are they actually serving? I think the other issue informing my criticisms (of the panel discussion at Pratt) is that I think the only way we can make actual and significant headway on the sustainability front is 100% through cross-disciplinary collaboration — and by that I mean an actual think tank with architects, environmentalists, lawyers, and academics as well as professional fashion designers discussing the new future of fashion.  The discussion over something as important as sustainability has to come from a variety of avenues, not just from within fashion itself. That’s when the sentiments become a little difficult to read.

It’s true that there is a great distinction between the art and craft of garment-making and the fashion industry proper, but it seems that those who benefit from the latter in their pursuit of the former need not be so dismissive of the hand that feeds them.  It just feels a little odd when successful designers start complaining about “the system.”

Julie Gilhart noted that the Barney’s CEO is so concerned about the “bottom line” and that’s part of her difficulty in introducing sustainable designs to the Barney’s customer. But doesn’t that also indicate that everyone’s job really does depend on the fashion industry maintaining the status quo? Isn’t it then necessary that available fashions constantly change, thereby presenting the customer with a continual series of different options to purchase?

Fashion as it exists in the United States really is an enormous industry – providing millions of jobs and dealing in loads and loads of money. Do those who are at the highest level of that totem pole really and truly want to see everyone running around in re-usable linen shifts? I highly doubt it.

I also wonder if there isn’t something innately human about the desire to change our skins. Would any of us really be content with one or two garments, even if they did stand the wear and tear of time? Again, I have my doubts. And I think it’s little false to suggest otherwise. Perhaps the solution lies in thinking very seriously about how we can satisfy our thirst for the new in a physical environment that is quickly forcing us to settle for less.

Designs by Kelly Cobb, "Ethics and Aesthetics: Sustainable Fashion" Exhibition, Pratt

Another point I’d contest is this idea that individualism really has that much power over the fashion industry. Are the days of the “it” dress or “it” bag really over? Is it really so true that everyone just wants unique, well-crafted, individual pieces? While that idea sounds incredibly refreshing and yes, perhaps in New York and other highly style conscious places the quest for the “special” item may be in effect, I just don’t think that applies to all women everywhere.

I just wonder if the idea of the “new” combined with our need for group conformity are simply too much a part of why we dress the way we dress. And if group conformity (and the perpetuation and following of trends) is really at the heart of the fashion equation how long will we be satisfied without wanting what the girl next door is wearing?

So what is the answer? I agree with the Pratt panelists that a return to quality craft and individualism is a huge part of the solution. It’s typically when we feel the responsibility and the gravity of our own choices as individuals that we may come to really thoughtfully consider how our fashion and consumption practices affect others. It’s as individuals that we become accountable.

When blindly following trends we literally become one of a pack and we cease to feel a responsibility for our actions. So it does feel like more collaboration and cooperation on the design end, more individual responsibility on the consumption end, and we may see ourselves reaching some kind of solid grasp of the solutions to the problems of creating, promoting, and attaining sustainable fashion.

Julie Gilhart reminded the audience at the Pratt panel that we are now at a point where these issues of sustainability are simply unavoidable. That is definitely true. We are faced with a moment of crisis in all areas of consumption, but I think we need to ask a lot more primary questions about why we design what we design and why we buy what we buy. It’s only after dealing with these larger theoretical issues that specifics of this problem will come into focus.

For more reading check out these resources: Ecotextile News and the London College of Fashion’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion.

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