Crochet can hat, 1968-1970
We try to approach every object in the FIDM Museum collection with a critical, evaluative eye. But how do you maintain the necessary scholarly distance when confronted with a hat made from beer cans? It's hard not to smile, or at least raise an eyebrow... Read Article ››

Bakelite cherry brooch, late 1930s
   Cherry and log brooch c. 1935-1940 Gift of Steven Porterfield 2010.897.49 Can you imagine a world without plastic? Overwhelmingly ubiquitous today, plastic has been in existence for less than 200 years. Prior to the last quarter of the 19th... Read Article ››

Swingin’ Summer
  Swingin’ Summer, a collaboration between the FIDM Museum Shop and Clever Vintage Clothing, pays homage to the influence of swimwear on fashion and culture. On view in the FIDM Museum lobby through late July, this installation of swimwear and... Read Article ››

Boudoir slippers, c. 1939
  Boudoir slippers c. 1939 Daniel Green Gift of Kevin Jones 2008.155.3AB In the 1937 article, "Mules: The More the Merrier," Vogue claimed that, "all women are slipper collectors."1 Though this is probably an... Read Article ››

Balenciaga hat, 1960
  Throughout the 1950s, etiquette dictated that women wear hats for everything but the most informal occasions. Whether running errands, meeting friends for lunch, shopping for a new frock, or attending a meeting, the hat was a necessary accessory. A... Read Article ››

Monies jewelry
  BraceletsMother of pearlMonies 1990-2000Gift of The Muriel Pollia Foundation 2006.868.9A-C Since the early 1970s, Gerda and Nikolai Monies have used fossils, petrified wood, animal bone, seeds, beach stones, jute and other organic materials to... Read Article ››

Fred Astaire’s dancing shoes
  Tap Shoes Worn by Fred Astaire, c. 1930sSuede, leather & metal tapsDepartment of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles/FIDM MuseumL88.1.125AB By the time he first appeared in a Hollywood film in 1933, Fred Astaire was already an experienced... Read Article ››

Chains of Chanel
  Gilt chains are a recurring visual theme in the Chanel lexicon. Beginning in the 1920s, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel promoted costume jewelry as an alternative to jewelry made of gold and studded with pearls and precious stones. Chanel didn't just... Read Article ››

Mae West objects on display
  Originally posted in 2009, this post explores Mae West's larger-than-life persona. Visit the 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition to see one of Mae West's corsets and a pair of her platform shoes on exhibit. The... Read Article ››

Lace mitts
  If these black mitts remind you of circa 1980s Madonna, you're not alone. The first time I encountered a pair of black 19th century mitts, I instantly remembered the fingerless lace gloves Madonna wore throughout much of the 1980s. She wears a... Read Article ››
1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 10