We are thrilled to share that Associate Curator Christina Johnson will be sharing her extensive knowledge on fashion designer Rudi Gernreich at the Costume Society of America's Western Region symposium. Modernism Mode: Fashions, Fabrics, and Interiors in Mid-Century America will be held on Saturday, March 11 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at California State University, Long Beach.

Inspired by Frank Bros.: The Store that Modernized Modern, the symposium will feature noted scholars presenting their research on how the mid-century modern aesthetic was conveyed in American fashion, textile, and interior design. In addition to Christina Johnson, panelists include fashion and textile experts Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, PhD (Independent scholar, author of Fashion Victims:  Dress at the Court of Louis XVI), Shelly Foote (President – CSA Western Region/Smithsonian Institution, retired), and Leigh Wishner (Curatorial Assistant, Costume and Textiles, LACMA). CSULB Professor of Design Tom Tredway will provide insight into postwar furnishings in America.

PROGRAM

Morning Session:

Shelly Foote, "California for the Unusual": The Affiliated Fashionists of California

Christina Johnson, Rudi Gernreich: "Different and Daring and Colorful and Californian"

Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, Mod Man: The Life and Legacy of Chester Weinberg

Afternoon Session:

Leigh Wishner, "The Artist Paints in Print": Textile Design in Mid-Century America

Tom Tredway, Furnishing Postwar America: Mid-Century Modern and Beyond 

To register, visit the event website, where you will also find maps, driving directions, and parking information. Note that registration is free for all students! We hope to see you there!

Read more about Rudi Gernreich on our blog here, here and here.