FIDM Museum Blog

Thierry Mugler suit, 1998

 

Thierry Mugler
S/S 1998 Ready-to-wear
Museum Purchase
2005.5.22AB

The work of Thierry Mugler is noted for its theatricality and an emphasis on exaggerated, aggressive femininity. Mugler began his career as a freelance designer in the early 1970s; by the end of the decade he had opened his first boutique in Paris. From the beginning, Mugler used fashion to create a stylized feminine archetype: "square shoulders, slender waist, full hips and tight skirt-preferably slit to the hip."¹ Mugler presented his designs in spectacular runway shows that resembled stage productions. You can watch the La Chimere (A/W 1997/8) couture collection presentation here. At about 2:22 the mythical human/animal Chimere herself appears. Her costume clearly demonstrates the inherent theatricality of Mugler's aesthetic.

Holiday greetings from Lucien Lelong

 

Greeting card sent by Lucien Lelong
1935-1940
Gift of Monique Fink
F2006.877.155

Brassiere, 1908-1910

 

The brassiere appeared on the fashion scene about 1904 or 1905. Of course, women wore brassiere-like garments before this date, but they went by other names depending on the time and place in which they were worn. In the 19th century, these garments were called bust supporters, breast girdles or bust corsets. During the second half of the 19th century, these garments were worn by a minority of women, primarily dress reformers, who felt that the tight fit of a corset was too restraining. The majority of women continued to wear corsets until the very late 19th and early 20th century, when the brassiere and its forerunners became popular among European and American women.

The term brassiere was first used in advertising copy by the Charles R. De Bevoise Company in 1904 and included in a 1905 patent by Gabrielle Poix. In French, brassiere referred to a child's vest or undershirt and/or a woman's bodice. Both Poix and De Bevoise probably borrowed this French word to bestow a certain cachet on their product, which was a wise marketing move. Who wouldn't prefer wearing a brassiere over a breast girdle? During the 1930s, brassiere was shortened to bra, the term still in use today.

Parisiana Brassiere
1908-1910
Gift of the Manlove Family
2006.870.23

Kenneth Jay Lane starburst brooch, c. 1968

 

The term costume jewelry came into use in the early 20th century, probably in the mid-1920s. Prior to the 1920s, jewelry had a dual purpose: adornment and as a vehicle for displaying personal or familial wealth. Though glass paste gemstones and pinchbeck could very nearly imitate the appearance of costly fine jewelry, objects made using these techniques filled the same roles as did jewelry made from gold and diamonds. In the 1920s, semi-precious and non-precious jewelery challenged this notion, suggesting that jewelry was simply another way to enhance personal appearance. The most iconic example of this mindset are the oversized, patently fake pearls worn and popularized by Gabrielle Chanel.

As the twentieth century progressed, costume jewelry continued to gain in popularity, becoming an acceptable, popular alternative to precious jewelry. One of the most celebrated costume jewelry designers of the twentieth century is Kenneth Jay Lane. Lane's fashion training began at Vogue, where he worked in the art department. He quickly switched to shoe design, working for Delman and Christian Dior Shoes. In 1961/2 Lane was working on a collection of jeweled shoes for Arnold Scassi when he "suggested making jeweled buttons to match the shoes, and even matching earrings and bangle bracelets."¹ This first hand-made collection consisted of plastic bracelets and drop earrings covered with rhinestones. These first designs ultimately weren't mass-manufactured, but they began Lane's forays into jewelry design. In 1963, Lane quit designing shoes and turned full-time to jewelry.

Brooch
Kenneth Jay Lane
Rhinestone/metal
1968
Gift of Anonymous Donor
2009.40.3

Ted Lapidus fur, c. 1983

 

Bill Cunningham's recent On The Street video "Fabulous, Mr. Fox," pointed out something I've noticed over the past few months: a renewed interest in animal prints and fur, both real and fake. In November 2010, the New York Times featured an article on fur coats made from nutria, a voracious rodent. Vogue's December 2010 editorial titled "On The Prowl" highlights a trend for "wildcat-print heels roam[ing] the urban jungle."¹ And don't forget the Fall 2010 Chanel collection, which featured shaggy fake fur showcased against a frozen background, including chunks of an iceberg reportedly transported from Scandinavia.

Some have suggested that the renewed popularity of fur and animal prints can be directly tied to the prevalence of fast fashion. When fashion-forward styles and designer capsule collections can be bought inexpensively at mass-market retailers, those with the interest and financial resources purchase status items (fur, specific handbags) unavailable at lower price points. Thus, fur is driven into a niche market, reinforcing its status as a luxury item. Ironically, some mass-market retailers, including H&M and Forever 21, have stopped using fur and/or exotic leathers in their collections. Though made for ethical reasons, this decision further reinforces the idea of fur as a rare and desirable commodity.

Knee-length fur coat
Ted Lapidus
Wolf/coyote/leather
c. 1983
Gift of Jo Holzman
2006.871.2

Evening ensemble, c. 1982

 

Adolfo
c. 1985
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
2006.116.46AB

Ballooning taffeta sleeves and a matching floor-length bouffant skirt are bold design elements characteristic of 1980s fashion. The decade also enjoyed renewed appreciation for applied decoration, which added substantially to the cost of a garment. Here, wide bands of bead, sequin, and rhinestone embroidery were affixed to emerald green velvet in a meandering floral pattern. Though in tune with the time, this ensemble also harkens back to the silhouette and materials of the 1890s, an era favored by the designer.

2006.116.46AB Waist detail

Images of Men: A Look Through Fragrance

 

Dani Killam, Assistant Registrar at the FIDM Museum, brings you this post examining how masculine archetypes are reinforced through the design and packaging of fragrance bottles. The bottles discussed in this post are part of a larger exhibit currently on display in the Annette Green Fragrance Archive. Images of Men: Looking Beyond Fragrance features a variety of classic and contemporary fragrance bottles along with garments and accessories. This exhibit is free and open to the public; make sure you stop by when you visit Re-Designing History.

 

When discussing men’s fragrance in her essay “The Wasteland,” Tania Sanchez states, “[W]hen feminine fragrances are reformulated and cheapened enough, they begin to smell like masculine fragrance.”¹ In the exhibit Images of Men: Looking Beyond Fragrance, we consider this view and put scent aside, drawing our full attention to the name, bottle and packaging of the product. By focusing on the aesthetic components we are able to see different themes brands have invoked to showcase their product.

The typical eau de cologne used by men until the nineteenth century was not drastically different from the scents for women. An emphasis on good hygiene followed by advancements in technology began a split between the two appropriate formulas for each sex to wear. Today there are a variety of masculine scent families with continuously expanding sub-categories. Green, citrus, lavender, spicy, floral, chypre, fougère, woody, leather and musk are the main categories, each having identifiable characteristics.

Like all products on the market, there are sought after target consumers that each item is intentionally designed to reach. This exhibit seeks to show the different roles and images of men that the fragrance industry has focused on in order to seek their lucrative business.

The SportsmanAlaskan Moose Deep Woods After Shave
Avon
c. 1972-76
Gift of Robert Nelson
F2006.528.13AB