FIDM Museum Blog

Oscar dressing

In the early years of the Academy Awards, celebrities didn't always dress themselves in the latest glamorous fashions. In 1935, Claudette Colbert wore a simple traveling suit to accept the Best Actress Award for It Happened One Night. Colbert didn't expect to win, so was already on-board a New York bound train as the ceremony began. The train was held at the station and Colbert was rushed to the ceremony to accept her award. That same year, Bette Davis wore an "afternoon frock" to the Academy Awards and was criticized by the press and studio executives for her lack of glamour. During the early 1940s, Ingrid Bergman proudly wore the same black dress to the Academy Awards two years in a row!

Vivienne Westwood corset

The task is to form the future from the materials of the past-Vivienne Westwood¹

For centuries, corsets were an essential, but unseen, part of a woman's wardrobe. Visible only through their shaping of the body, actual corsets were typically seen only in the most intimate of situations. This remained true until the 1970s, when punk fashion demonstrated that garments associated with sexuality and/or deviancy (including corsets) could be worn as everyday streetwear. In the early 1990s, corsets became a widely accepted part of the fashionable wardrobe, thanks in large part to the Jean Paul Gaultier corset worn by Madonna on her Blonde Ambition tour of 1990-91.

Corset
Vivienne Westwood
Spring/Summer 1994
Museum Purchase
2003.5.12

Ferragamo

Though Ferragamo shoes are closely associated with Italian luxury and chic, the roots of the company can be traced to southern California. Company founder Salvatore Ferragamo was born in Italy in 1898, but immigrated to the United States at age 14. Following in the footsteps of his older brothers, he first worked in a Boston shoe factory before making his way to Santa Barbara around 1914. With his brothers, Ferragamo opened a shoe repair shop, though he was soon creating custom shoes for the actors and films associated with the American Film Company, a silent-film studio based in Santa Barbara. In 1923, Ferragamo moved to Los Angeles and opened the Hollywood Boot Shop, where he designed custom shoes for famous customers, including Pola Negri, Gloria Swanson and others. In 1927, Ferragamo returned to Italy and established the company that bears his name today.

Mules
Ferragamo
1944-45
Museum Purchase
2004.5.38AB

Rudi Gernreich mini dress

Minidress
Rudi Gernreich
1967-68
Bequest of the Rudi Gernreich Estate
G85.331.1

Rudi Gernreich is probably best known for his most provocative creations, such as the monokini or this military ensemble. Though Gernreich was definitely interested in pushing fashion boundaries, some of his more light-hearted designs indicate an interest in non-Western dress. A specific focus on Asia reveals itself in the kabuki, kimono and Japanese schoolgirl dresses, all of which are loosely abstracted versions of garments worn in Japan. Gernreich also produced collections based on Chinese opera costumes and traditional garments of Thailand.

Alexander McQueen, you will be missed.

All of us at the FIDM Museum were saddened and shocked to learn of Alexander McQueen's death. Such a tremendous loss of creative talent is difficult to comprehend. McQueen's aesthetic was provocative and never shy of pushing limits. Individual garments (recent examples include "armadillo" shoes and bone patterned suits) were provocative, as were the narratives that inspired each collection. In addition to his creative abilities, McQueen was a master of his craft, with many calling him the finest woman's tailor of his generation. For anyone who questions the impact of a provocative designer on everyday dress, take a look at the jeans you're probably wearing right now. If they're low-waisted, you have Alexander McQueen to thank, as he first introduced the low-cut "bumster" trouser in the mid-nineties.

Forbidden fruit

A post from our Registrar, Meghan Grossman Hansen!

Apples are grown around the world in thousands of varieties, so it is not surprising that they are an undying symbol in mythology, fairy tales, and popular culture. Putting aside the more contemporary connections to John Lennon and Macintosh computers, the apple plays a pivotal role in the story of Adam and Eve, the trials of Hercules, and the fairy tale of Snow White. These associations take physical shape in a variety of perfume bottles based on the apple.

In the case of Lolita Lempicka’s First Fragrance, the connection between Eve and the Tree of Knowledge takes on a more romantic association, as the designer explains, “I drew on my distant memories to recreate this intense moment when a girl is waiting to become a woman.”¹

Miniature Perfume Bottle
Lolita: Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum
c. 1997-1999
Gift of Annette Green
F2005.860.1149A/C

Refashion

As a concept, fashion is based on the appeal of the new. Every season, silhouettes, colors and shapes are re-combined in an effort to create garments of such great appeal that you will replace (or at least supplement) your existing wardrobe. With the appearance of inexpensive, mass-market retailers that stock their racks with "fast fashions", it has become even easier to fill your closet with garments that resemble the latest runway offerings. Though the savvy shopper is often encouraged to pursue quality over quantity, it is far too easy for many shoppers to believe that new clothes = a new me.

In recent years, consumers and creators of fashion have begun to look at the issue of fashion consumption with a more critical eye. Some creators and producers of fashion struggle with what sustainability and eco-fashion can mean on a practical level through altering production methods or utilizing eco-friendly textiles. Many consumers have taken the issue into their own hands by purchasing only second-hand garments or sewing their own clothes. Others engage in wardrobe refashioning or remixing, a concept which promotes rethinking your closet by recombining or altering those garments you already own.

Refashioning or altering garments to update their style or function is not a new concept. Until the mid-to-late 20th century, most garments were costly enough that they were worn until no longer functional, passed on to someone else or refashioned. In the FIDM Museum collection, we have several examples of garments that have been reimagined to suit the changing needs of the wearer.

Day dress
1853-54
Gift of the Helen Larsen Estate
S2001.31.18A-C

Mirrorwork embroidery

Though the focus of the FIDM Museum collection is on objects related to Western European and North American dress, we do have a small number of outstanding objects related to the sartorial traditions of other cultures and countries. Many of these objects, like this kimono dressing gown, have been reimagined or repurposed to suit Western tastes. Today's object, a small drawstring bag covered with mirrorwork embroidery, is no exception.

Drawstring bag
1900-35
Gift of Carita Kadison
2003.792.3

Balenciaga

Popular conceptions of 1950s dress usually fixate on the defined waist and full skirt of Christian Dior's New Look. Though this silhouette dominated fashion for much of the decade, in 1957 a new shape appeared. Called the sack or chemise, this new dress skimmed and enveloped the body instead of enforcing an hourglass silhouette. Presented by both Christian Dior and Balenciaga, credit (and blame) for the innovation went to Balenciaga. Variations on the chemise soon appeared, including this belted Empire-waist version designed by Balenciaga.

Chemise dress
Balenciaga
1959-1963
Transfer from the Museum at FIT
Gift of the Estate of Anita Loos Emerson
S2004.291.15A-D

Tailored suit

In the 20th century, the tailored suit became a standard uniform for professional working women. Consisting of a jacket and skirt in matched or closely coordinated fabric, it developed in the late 19th century as an evolution of specialized garments worn for outdoor activities such as horseback riding, croquet and bicycling. Like its sporting predecessors, the tailored suit had a function: it served as a professional uniform for the newly emerging class of women who worked outside the home as educators, social workers and clerical employees. Tailored suits were also worn for leisure activities like travel or an afternoon promenade. With styling borrowed from menswear, most tailored suits featured solid colors and a minimum of decorative trim.

Two-piece suit
1913-1914
Gift of the Manlove Family
2006.870.33AB