Streamline Moderne

At the end of each year, our team reports on the Museum’s activities from the past twelve months – including what objects have been added to the Permanent Collection. As we compiled our list of 2015 acquisitions, there were a few unforgettable pieces that... Read Article ››

Vivier’s “Virgule”

In honor of Bastille Day, we salute legendary French footwear designer Roger Vivier (1907-1998). Before working for Delman and Dior, Vivier studied sculpture at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris–training evident in his... Read Article ››

From Farm to Fashion

Improvements in European agriculture during the first decades of the nineteenth century resulted in a glut of straw, a by-product of cereal crops such as barley and wheat. Straw found its way from the farm to fashion due to its seemingly endless supply,... Read Article ››

Embroidered evening wedge shoes, late 1930s

  The modern wedge shoe was developed by Italian shoe maker Salvatore Ferragamo (1898-1960) during the 1930s. Starting in the 1920s, Ferragamo designed stylish, trend-setting shoes for Greta Garbo, Paulette Goddard, Claudette Colbert, Clare Boothe Luce,... Read Article ››

Fashion Birthday: Miuccia Prada

Happy birthday to Miuccia Prada, born on May 10, 1949! Prada, the creative force behind her family's 100 year old company, has a knack for distilling her interests (in and outside of fashion) into influential collections that chart the course of fashion.... Read Article ››

Prada orchid shoes, Spring/Summer 2008

Shoes Spring/Summer 2008 Miuccia Prada Silk velvet, suede, leather & plastic Museum Purchase 2009.5.11AB Miuccia Prada (b. 1949) received a PhD in political science from the University of Milan, but altered the course of her life by entering the world of... Read Article ››

Side-button boots, 1870s

  The Victorian woman's wardrobe was divided into a dizzying array of categories. Morning, visiting, walking, evening, traveling, shopping, and mourning are just some of the activities and circumstances that demanded a dedicated ensemble.... 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 ››