As we described in this post a few weeks ago, interns and volunteers are a tremendously important part of the FIDM Museum. We appreciate their varied efforts on behalf of our many objects! Today, recent intern Jasmine Helm describes her work with our collection of croquis.
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As an art history major with a desire to pursue a Masters in costume studies, I needed to gain more experience working with costume objects. Therefore, applying for a summer internship at the FIDM Museum made perfect sense. FIDM Museum staff welcomed me with open arms, and decided they wanted to use my fine art expertise to help catalog their collection of croquis.
In fashion, a croquis is a quick sketch of figure wearing an outfit. Each season designers send croquis to top clients, who use them like a catalog. The FIDM Museum has a collection of about 800 croquis. Many of the croquis are connected to Betsy Bloomingdale's haute couture collection. A large number date from 1976-1992, when the House of Dior was under the direction of Marc Bohan and then Gianfranco Ferre. A small group of 1962 Balmain croquis are in the collection as well.
Marc Bohan for Christian Dior
Autumn/ Winter 1982-1983
Ink, gouache, and colored pencil on paper
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
FIDM Museum Special Collections
SC2006.116.88 (illustration for 2006.116.6AB)
I had a hefty project in front of me. I had to catalog each croquis using the FIDM Museum's collection management system. I needed to describe the illustration and its condition, transcribe each inscription on the page, and identify the materials used to create the image. My knowledge of fine art and art handling experience were put to good use during this process. I was able to easily identify what materials were used to create the croquis. Many of these croquis used a variety of materials, including gouache, watercolor and colored pencil. Over time, I was able to tell the difference between an illustration from Marc Bohan and one from Gianfranco Ferre. Bohan usually had the female figure printed on the page and would have an illustrator paint the ensemble over the figure with gouache. Ferre's figures were always softer in form, and were often hand-drawn with pencil, and hand-painted with watercolor.
Marc Bohan for Christian Dior
Spring/ Summer 1985
Marker, gouache, and colored pencil on paper
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
FIDM Museum Special Collections
SC2006.116.89AB (illustration for 2009.116.2AB)
While working with the croquis, I also learned basic fashion terms and silhouettes, and gained the ability to identify textiles. In the catalog description, I described what the figure was wearing such as an evening dress with an empire waist or a jacket and knee-length skirt ensemble. Since the Dior croquis collection spanned over 30 years, I could see the drastic differences as styles changed. In the mid-1960s, sheath and A-line dresses were popular, while the 1970s collections featured wrap dresses and tunic and pant ensembles. The 1980s croquis included peplum dresses, and the 1990s highlighted oversized dresses. The most difficult part of my assignment was identifying fabric swatches, which were often stapled on the top or lower corners of the page. It was amazing to see just how different textiles are from each other because it is something we take for granted in everyday life. I now know the difference between silk chiffon, organza, faille and gabardine. Whenever I had any questions about ensembles or the swatches everyone was more than willing to help me and guide in the right direction. By end of my internship I had typed a document over 100 pages long!
Marc Bohan for Christian Dior
Spring/ Summer 1983
Marker, colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache on paper
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
FIDM Museum Special Collections
SC2006.116.85A/B (illustration for 2006.116.1AB)
My short time at the FIDM Museum was an invaluable experience and a great introduction into costume and museum studies. I learned so much in a short time and my time there solidified my decision to pursue a Masters degree and career in costume studies. I am currently finishing my last year at Cal State Fullerton and I am curating a pin-up exhibit at Gallery Nucleus, entitled Poster Peepshow. This exhibit will open February 5th, 2011. Once my schedule winds down I look forward to hopefully interning at the FIDM Museum again.
