Norma Kamali fringe suit, 1986
  SuitNorma Kamali1986Gift of Liz Mazurski2012.1142.71AB Norma Kamali's fringed two-piece suit is a challenging, slightly eccentric, take on 1980s power dressing. During the 1980s, bland, tailored skirt suits defined women's professional dress.... Read Article ››

Silk handkerchiefs, c. 1926
These charmingly presented silk handkerchiefs prove that the whole is usually greater than the sum of its parts. Their colorful, festive packaging elevates them to something memorable. Carefully folded and arranged to form full skirts, the hand-painted... Read Article ››

Moschino Couture! evening gown, 1992
Made of rainbow-hued silk satin, this Moschino Couture! evening gown was worn to an early 1990s costume ball. Though we have few details about the event, if all the costumes were this eye-catching, it was surely a splendid evening. Any guesses as to the... Read Article ››

Jeanne Lanvin fashion figure
Fashion Figure Winter 1921 Jeanne Lanvin Museum Purchase 2008.25.1 The original purpose of this extremely rare Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946) fashion figure is a mystery. It may have been associated with an extensive display of figures at the International Silk... Read Article ››

Fashion Birthday: Hubert de Givenchy
  Couturier Hubert de Givenchy was born on this day in 1927. Now retired, Givenchy is one of the last living couturiers to have learned his art during the golden age of the haute couture. His training began in 1945 when he took a position with Jacques... Read Article ››

From the Archives: Pucci maxi dress, 1964
Today's post, originally published in 2010, explores a 1964 Pucci print inspired by designer Emilio Pucci's travels in Africa. ********** Emilio Pucci's (1914-1992) intensely colored prints are one of the most easily identifiable signatures in... Read Article ››

Claire McCardell day dress, c. 1950
Day dressClaire McCardellc. 1950FIDM Museum Purchase2003.5.28AB Claire McCardell had a way with stripes. She played with them, spinning and twisting their orientation to create dazzling visual effects. Here, lavender, aqua, purple, and blue stripes are... Read Article ››

Butterflies abound
Though we're not a natural history museum or a science center, we have lots of butterflies in our collection. No taxidermy specimens here, FIDM Museum butterflies are woven, printed, painted, and embroidered. Our curatorial team has no specific intent to... Read Article ››

Gianni Versace leather suit, 1994
Schoolgirl chic with a naughty edge was a strong theme throughout Gianni Versace’s Autumn/Winter 1994-95 collection. Statuesque supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Nadja Auermann walked the runway clad in shiny,... Read Article ››

L’Aimant by Coty, 1950s
According to this article, downtown Los Angeles (home of the FIDM Museum) has experienced snow only 6 times since a January 1949 snowstorm sprinkled downtown with less than 1 inch of snow. The last recorded snow downtown occurred in 1962, so it's unlikely... Read Article ››

Peter Max umbrella, c. 1968-70
The kaleidoscopic vision of this umbrella cover is the trademark style of Peter Max (b. 1937), New York's East Village illustrator who gave the hippie generation its far-out graphics for Central Park "Be-Ins" and Woodstock-era rock 'n'... Read Article ››
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