Fancy dress
Contemporary Halloween celebrations offer an opportunity for young and old to dress in costume, but in the 19th and early 20th century, Halloween was primarily geared towards children. Adults who wanted to dress in costume attended or hosted fancy dress... Read Article ››

Cinch belt
If you happened to see this cinch belt out and about, what would be your guess as to its age? Given that it is part of the FIDM Museum collection, we probably didn't pick it up at H&M over the weekend. Cinch belt1952SchafferAnonymous... Read Article ››

Orientalism in fashion
For Western artists and designers, one of the most enduringly popular points of inspiration is “The Orient,” resulting in a style called “Orientalism.” In historical terms, the Orient was a broad geographical designation describing the many nations... Read Article ››

Preserving the Ann Getty Fashion Collection
Behind every great museum is a great library. The FIDM Museum is fortunate to have access to the FIDM Library, which houses a great collection of design oriented books. Today's post focuses on a preservation project completed by Rachel Clarke, FIDM... Read Article ››

Opening this week!
High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture October 21, 2009-December 13, 2009 Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm Evening gown Gianfranco Ferre for Christian Dior 1989-90 Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale 2001.116.13 “High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the... Read Article ››

Wiener Werkstatte textiles
Remember this post about found textiles? Today's post features a group of Wiener Werkstatte textiles from the same collection. The Wiener Werkstatte (Vienna Workshop) was an artistic collective based on an interest in eliminating the gap between fine art... Read Article ››

1870s Wedding Dress
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you almost certainly believe that sartorial choices are made by individuals to create aspirational versions of themselves, i.e. you dress in the fashion of the person you want, or believe yourself, to be. Given that... Read Article ››

Hairpin lace
When this hairpin lace dress was donated to the FIDM Museum in 2007, we had to give ourselves a crash course, because we weren't familiar with this form of handwork. Worked on a small, hand-held "fork" or loom with a crochet hook, hairpin lace... Read Article ››

Fast fashion
Over the last few years, collaborations between clothing designers and mass-market retailers have become increasingly common. These fast fashion or capsule collections consist of a small group of designer items created for a specific retailer and are only... Read Article ››

Do you want IT?
In 1998, Chanel launched an understated new handbag. Based on the upside-down torso of a woman, this aerodynamic bag was called 2005. The sleek, lightweight 2005 bag was created to carry the venerable design house into the new century. Prior to the 2005 bag,... Read Article ››

Alexander McQueen
Deliverance, Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2004 fashion show was the hit of the season. Based on the 1969 film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (starring Jane Fonda), Deliverance subverted the typical fashion show narrative by reversing the order... Read Article ››
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