FIDM Museum Blog

“The Art of Dressing Has Never Been Manifested with So Much Brilliancy”: Fashion and the Paris Exposition of 1900

 

Did you know that working at a museum requires ace detective skills? In this blog post, Associate Curator Christina Johnson describes her research on a evening gown in our collection. This research, aka sleuthing, led to a wealth of knowledge about the gown itself, its wearer and the context in which it was created.

Evening gown
1900
2005.842.22
Gift of Madge Baker
FIDM Museum Collection

My research began with the evening gown you see above, donated to the FIDM Museum in 2005. The gown is part of a collection of about 25 garments and accessories dating from the 1890s to the 1940s worn by Ida Irwin Jones and her daughter Katharine. The items were donated by Katharine’s daughter, Madge Baker. The original wearer of this evening gown must have been Ida who would have been about 28 years old at the time.

Thanks to the Robert M. Adams Charitable Foundation, we're working on the Rudi Gernreich Archive.

Remember the Rudi Gernreich Archive? Consisting of accessories, garments, paper patterns, furniture, scrapbooks and other miscellaneous items, this collection demonstrates the breadth and depth of Rudi Gernrich's creativity. Our post Transforming the Rudi Gernreich Archive described some of the steps we've taken to ensure the continued preservation of this extensive and varied collection. Thanks to a generous grant from the Robert M. Adams Charitable Foundation, we've been able to begin intensive work with an important component of the archive, Rudi Gernreich's scrapbooks.

Rudi Gernreich's 32 scrapbooks consist primarily of press clippings. Because of his innovative, sometimes controversial designs Gernreich received extensive press throughout his career. As you can see from this image, the paper clippings were taped or glued to the page. With age, the tape has become extremely discolored, not to mention brittle.The paper of the clippings themselves has also deteriorated with age. Though nothing can be done to reverse this process, our goal is to prevent further damage. The page seen here features articles and correspondence related to Gernreich's notorious topless bathing suit.

Page from Gernreich's topless bathing suit scrapbook, c. 1964

Lucile

 

As a child, Lucile Sutherland (1863-1935) designed and sewed clothing for both herself and her sister Elinor. Years later, Lucile's hobby would become the foundation of an internationally successful business. After the dissolution of her first marriage in 1888, Lucile was left with no means of supporting herself and her young daughter. Lacking any other professionally viable skills, Lucile turned to dressmaking. At first, Lucile worked as a society dressmaker in London under her married name, Mrs. James Wallace. Her business expanded rapidly and by 1894, she operated under the name Maison Lucile, eventually incorporating as Lucile Ltd. in 1903. By this time, Lucile's reputation was international. In 1907, the American edition of Pearson's Magazine encouraged all American travelers to visit Lucile Ltd. when in London, as the proprietress was "pleased to open wide her doors to all Americans--even if they have no intention of purchasing."¹ Within a few years, Lucile would open international branches of her store to fulfil the demand for her designs. Lucile Ltd. New York opened in 1910, followed by a Paris store in 1911 and a Chicago store in 1915.

Lucile
c. 1917
Gift of Anonymous Donor
91.40.5

Straight to the heart

 

Forget roses, forget chocolate! We've got a better gift for you this Valentine's Day--a selection of objects that address the theme of the day, love.

Paul Poiret evening gown from La Gazette du Bon Ton
1922, No. 22
FIDM Museum Special Collections

Published between 1912-1925, every issue of the French fashion periodical La Gazette du Bon Ton featured witty illustrations of the latest fashions. Penned by Georges Barbier, Erté, Paul Iribe, Georges Lepape and others, the illustrations placed the garments within an intriguing narrative. Was it a romantic mishap, or fashion rivalry that put the arrow through her heart? Additional illustrations from La Gazette du Bon Ton can be seen here.

 

Return of the bustle

 

In the 1880s, the bustle made a comeback. Last seen in the previous decade, the bustle of the early-to-mid 1870s supported puffs and swags of fabric, creating a rounded fullness which often ended with a short train. Though exaggerated, this silhouette still had a certain softness. When the bustle returned in the 1880s it was more angular, extending almost at a right angle from the waist. This 1885-88 blue silk afternoon gown demonstrates the rigid shape of the 1880s bustle silhouette.

Given the shape and size of the 1880s bustle, you'd think it was supported by a large, heavy apparatus. Actually, the 1880s bustle was usually quite small. This c. 1885 bustle is about 6 1/2 inches wide and 13 inches long. Made of metal coils covered with tan cotton and secured at the waist with a twill ribbon and metal prong buckle, this oddly shaped device was used to create the angular 1880s bustle silhouette.

Bustle
Cotton/wire
c. 1885
Museum Purchase
2005.5.174

19th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition now open!

 

Did you see The King's Speech, Alice in Wonderland or True Grit? What about Clash of the Titans or Burlesque? Selected costumes from these and other films are currently on display at the FIDM Museum. Featuring costumes from 20 films released in 2010, our annual exhibition provides an up-close view of the costumer's art.

The exhibition is FREE and open to the public, Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. through April 30th, 2011. Please note that the FIDM Museum will be closed April 22 through April 25 for Spring Recess.

Until you have a chance to see the exhibition in person, here's a sneak peak. You'll have to visit our galleries to see what other costumes are on display!

 

Collen Atwood for Alice in Wonderland. The costumes from Alice in Wonderland are nominated for a Costume Design Academy Award. A prolific costume designer, Atwood has received many Oscar nominations for her costume designs and won twice: Memoirs of a Geisha in 2006 and Chicago in 2002.

 

Assorted textile swatches

 

We've featured selections from our collection of textile swatches here and here. Enjoy these additional examples from our collection.

Printed cotton with trompe l'oeil pattern of hard candy
1930s
Gift of Robert Fortunoff
99.274.170

The detailed portrayal of the individual candies, along with careful shadowing, give this whimsical pattern an unexpected visual depth. Though it may have been intended for a child, in the 1930s textiles with unexpectedly whimsical and/or surrealist patterns were sometimes used in women's dress.

Suede and vinyl boots, 1968-70

 

By 1965, the miniskirt had infiltrated women's fashion. Worn by women of all ages, the popularity of the style resulted in a new fashion focal point: the leg. Exposed for the first time since the 1920s, the leg needed a new wardrobe. Colored, patterned and textured knee-socks were worn with low-heel, square-toed shoes. Sheer neutral and black stockings became passe, replaced by tights in a rainbow of colors and textures. According to an end-of-the-decade fashion recap from 1969, "the hosiery industry rejoiced as stockings went from sheer to crazy with color and pattern making the rising hem easier to take."¹ The same article also noted that "many [women] switched to tights" during the 1960s.

Boots, which had been relegated to bad weather or outdoor pursuits for many decades, made a return to the fashion scene. André Courrèges' Spring 1964 collection, which featured all-white, minimalist garments paired with flat boots, goggles and helmets, is often cited as the origin of 1960s boot mania. Beth Levine, who designed a pair of jewel-studded evening boots as early as 1959, also deserves credit for bringing the boot to forefront of fashion during the 1960s. Levine's creativity also resulted in an innovative 1960s garment which mimicked the look of a boot, the all-in-one stocking shoe.

Boots
Suede/vinyl
1968-1970
Museum purchase
2003.5.31AB