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In the mid-20th century, the splendor of the Palace of Versailles, former home to France’s kings, queens, and emperors, had drastically faded. The palace was in extreme disrepair, facing millions of dollars worth of renovations to restore it to its former glory. Cut to 1973: Versailles Chief Curator Gerald Van der Kemp and his wife Read More »
Félix Alexandre: his fans were called “the richest of any exhibited”[1] at London’s 1851 Crystal Palace Exposition; they were commissioned and carried by European royalty, and painted by the artistic masters of the 19th century. His fans represented a lifestyle of luxury, ornate works of art that communicated the status and wealth of their owners. Read More »
This chic mid-century ensemble is typical of the elegant but wearable clothes designed by Adele Simpson (1904-1995). The youngest of five sisters, Simpson landed her first Seventh Avenue job at the age of 17. By 21, she was one of the best-paid designers in New York, launching her own label in 1949. At just 4 feet 9 Read More »
Rompers, jumpsuits and playsuits. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're all over the place. Emerging a few years ago as a runway trend, they've reached critical mass and can be purchased at just about any youth-oriented clothing retailer. As we all know, fashion runs in cycles, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to Read More »
Everyone at the FIDM Museum is so excited that High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture is now open to the public! Curators Christina Johnson and Kevin Jones have been working on this exhibition for 3 years and all of their careful planning has resulted in a fantastic exhibition. We plan to feature exhibition Read More »
In 1970, a small boutique in Galerie Vivienne, Paris - painted top to bottom with lush vegetation as a tribute to Henri Rousseau’s The Dream - brought a fresh sartorial perspective to the venerated fashion capital. The store, Jungle Jap, was an antithesis to the buttoned-up couture creations on Avenue Montaigne; instead, cheerful prints, bright Read More »
The FIDM Museum Special Collections hold a treasure trove of fashion ephemera. From personal and business archives to trade publications, these supplementary materials help us interpret the physical objects in the Museum's collection. Today, Registrar/Museum Coordinator Leigh Wishner, our resident textile aficionado, introduces you to a magazine that illustrates the importance of fabrics in fashion, Read More »
We often share pieces from the FIDM Museum Special Collections, but did you know our holdings include several design archives? Today we’re giving you an overview of the archives in our collection, featuring personal papers, photographs, clippings, business records, sketches, and assorted ephemera from prominent 20th century fashion figures. Mid-20th century sketch and fabric swatches Read More »
Today's blog post is written by Donald and Joan Damask Summer Study Grant recipient Kirstin Purtich, who is currently studying fashion and textile conservation at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After completing an MA in decorative arts, design history, and material culture at the Bard Graduate Center and spending several years organizing and contributing to Read More »
Today's blog post is written by Nandini Gopalarathinam, recipient of the Santamaura Summer Study Grant. Nandini Gopalarathinam is a fashion professional turned aspiring fashion historian and archivist. After years of working as a visual director for brands like Donna Karan and Anthropologie, she decided to take a deeper dive into into the historical, cultural, and Read More »
Dark glasses, ponytail, and a crisp starched collar: even for those outside of the fashion industry, designer Karl Lagerfeld (1933 - 2019) was an immediately recognizable self-made icon. Known for his acerbic wit (quoted eagerly in the press) and irreverent attitude, Lagerfeld was the definition of a Renaissance man. His relentless curiosity and quest for Read More »
"What makes Geoffrey Beene great? Is it the sophistication of his cut that makes the most bulky fabric seem airborne? The curved lines that give a graceful femininity to clothes without dipping into banality? It is all this but, more important, it is the designer’s unceasing struggle to find new materials and new shapes that Read More »
