Fashion Birthday: Vivienne Westwood
Happy birthday to Vivienne Westwood, born on this day in 1941! We wish her the best and look forward to many more of her inventive designs. Though Westwood's early career, which began in the early 1970s, was closely associated with punk, by the 1980s she... Read Article ››

Betsey Johnson sweater, 1983-84
Is it a sweater or is it a dress? A sweater dress? For the fan of Betsey Johnson's playful, eye-catching designs, this question would be of little concern. According to the designer herself, people who wear Betsey Johnson, "don't get stuck in... 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 ››

1970s Gunne Sax dresses
  Gunne Sax's aesthetic has been described as feminine, nostalgic, Victorian, old world and romantic. Though the brand is now closely associated with formal and bridal wear, its origins date back to late '60s San Francisco. In 1969, San... Read Article ››

Jeans by Gaultier
  Jean Paul Gaultier specializes in joyfully rejecting conventional distinctions between masculine and feminine dress. 'Une garde-robe pour deux' (A wardrobe for two), a 1985 Gaultier illustration, portrays a man and women in nearly identical... Read Article ››

Liberty & Co. evening gown, c. 1910
  Evening gown Liberty & Co. c. 1910 Silk satin, silk gauze & pearl beads Museum Purchase 2006.5.7 Liberty & Co. opened in London's West End during 1875. Founder Arthur Lasenby Liberty stocked his small shop with goods imported from the... Read Article ››

Project Alabama reverse applique dress
  Contemporary fashion rarely evokes a specific sense of time or place, but the one-of-a-kind garments of Project Alabama are an exception. From 2001-2006, Project Alabama earned rack space in boutiques from Tokyo to New York City and appeared in Vogue,... Read Article ››

Newsprint fashion
  A Paul Poiret c. 1911 tunic and the daily newspaper--what do they have in common? At first, the relationship between a haute couture creation and the local newspaper might seem almost non-existent, however, both are communicative devices that convey... Read Article ››

Diane von Furstenberg, c. 1976
  Diane von Furstenberg's reputation began with one dress, the wrap. Introduced in 1973, von Furstenberg's signature dress is a one-piece wrap style that crosses in the front and ties at the waist. Figure hugging and made of synthetic or silk... Read Article ››

Re-Designing History: The Competition
  In conjunction with our current exhibit, Re-Designing History: FIDM Museum Study Collection, 1850-2000, FIDM Museum & Galleries held a design competition for currently enrolled FIDM students to re-design history by creating illustrations inspired... Read Article ››
1 2