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!

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.

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

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

Egyptomania

In late 1922, the British archaeologist Howard Carter unearthed and opened the sealed tomb of King Tutankhamun in Luxor, Egypt. Though Egyptian art and ornament had served as a source of artistic inspiration for many centuries, the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb created an immediate renewal of interest in Egypt throughout Europe and North America. Reporters present at the opening of the tomb sent frequent articles and images to their home newspapers, resulting in widespread knowledge of the archaeological find. By early 1923, Egypt (or fanciful perceptions of Egypt) had inspired a wave of Egyptian-influenced garments, accessories and decorative embellishments.

Textile
c. 1923
Gift of Robert Fortunoff
99.274.114

Howard Greer

Today's post on Howard Greer was written by costume historian Shelly Foote. From 1994-2004, Shelly worked with the Costume Collection at The National Museum of American History as the Assistant Chair in the Division of Social History. Retired since 2004, Shelly is closely involved with the Costume Society of America and is also researching a book on Howard Greer. As part of this process, Shelly has examined and researched Howard Greer garments in the FIDM Museum collection. In this post, Shelly shares some of her findings on the work of Howard Greer.

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HOWARD GREER

Howard Greer (1896-1974), born in Illinois and raised in Nebraska, was fascinated by the world of fashion and theater as a young man. So, after college, he pursued and obtained a position with Lucile (Lady Duff Gordon), first at her establishment in Chicago and then in New York. After his military service in World War I he asked to be mustered out in Paris – where he reconnected with Lucile.

He returned to New York in 1921. After designing a few garments for the theater, he was offered a job in Hollywood with Famous Players-Lasky (later Paramount). He designed for many films which featured the silent movie star, Pola Negri. Unfortunately, many of these movies have been lost. In 1925 he was made head of the wardrobe department.

In 1927 Greer opened a couture salon in Hollywood patterned after the House of Lucile, both in how the salon looked and how the garments were made. Patronized by Hollywood movie stars, his collections were featured in movie and fashion magazines and Women's Wear Daily. Garments were rumored to take weeks to produce, required frequent fittings and were notoriously expensive.¹ Garments made by Greer incorporated fine quality fabrics and were beautifully finished.

Greer continued to design for the movies on a freelance basis, most famously for Mary Pickford in Coquette (1929) and Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby (1938).

Greer and Travis Banton, who had also worked at Paramount, formed a short-lived partnership in 1938. FIDM Museum owns the only known existing garment from this partnership - a heavily embroidered and beaded jacket worn by Marlene Dietrich.

Evening Jacket worn by Marlene Dietrich
Travis Banton/Howard Greer
c. 1936
Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, FIDM Museum
INV. 1137

Lanvin

As designer for Lanvin since 2002, Alber Elbaz has brought new life to what had become a house on the periphery of fashion. Founded in 1885 as a millinery shop, Lanvin flourished under the direction of its founder, Jeanne Lanvin. Lanvin excelled in the creation of elegant, sophisticated garments with a distinct silhouette and inventive surface decoration. After Lanvin's death in 1946, a series of designers headed the house, though none to such acclaim as Jeanne Lanvin herself. It was only with the hiring of Alber Elbaz that Lanvin began to return to a position of prominence. Though Elbaz's designs for Lanvin are lauded for their modernity, it is possible to find traces of Jeanne Lanvin's aesthetic running throughout his work.

Evening dress
Winter 2004
Alber Elbaz for Lanvin
Gift of Barbara Bundy
2006.37.8

Stephen Burrows

Stephen Burrows' first fashion show, held in 1970 at Henri Bendel in Manhattan, was accompanied by a disco soundtrack. In attendance were not only members of the fashion establishment, but also "hordes of boys and girls in brilliant plumage who looked as if they came from the nearest rock festival, only cleaner."¹ On show were garments of studded leather, form-fitting sweaters and dresses of a simple, fluid cut in a riot of colors. As one attendee noted, Burrows "has an absolute disregard for the established laws of color."²

Wrap dress
Stephen Burrows
1970-71
Gift of Jo Holzman
2006.871.12

Propaganda fashion

During World War II, raw materials were in short supply. Wool was needed for military uniforms and a shortage of rubber led to the near disappearance of athletic shoes. Silk stockings vanished, as silk fiber was needed in the production of parachutes. Additionally, factories which had produced civilian clothing were reconfigured to produce items needed in the war effort. In order to regulate the remaining production of civilian garments, the United States government implemented the L-85 regulations in 1942. L-85 dictated the styling of garments with an eye to conserving materials and production time. Skirt length, hem width and types of trim were strictly regulated, as were the cuffs and pockets of menswear. Home-sewn clothing was exempt from these regulations, but all were encouraged to "make do and mend."

In addition to the actual conservation of materials, L-85 regulations provided a constant visual reminder of the necessity of total participation in the war effort. The production of propaganda textiles featuring slogans and imagery relating to the war allowed civilians to support the war effort in yet another way. Interestingly, these textiles were not produced by governments, but by independent manufacturers. In the United States and Britain, propaganda textiles featured familiar slogans such as "V for Victory" and "Keep it Under Your Hat," a reminder that casual conversations could inadvertently reveal confidential information. Other designs featured brightly colored patterns of red, white and blue, the colors of the Allied flags. The FIDM Museum propaganda textile dress seen below features a red, white and blue pattern with the slogan "There'll Always be an England," after a patriotic 1939 song.

Dress
1941-42
Gift of Madge Baker
2005.842.2

Marimekko

With its oversized imagery and brightly clashing colors, Marimekko textiles are unmistakable. The Finnish company began in 1951 as a textile design firm specializing in hand silk-screened cotton fabric. The patterns created by Marimekko designers were a departure from traditional Finnish floral patterns, though the graphic, modern Marimekko imagery was definitely inspired by aspects of Finnish heritage and landscape. To promote their textile designs, the founders of Marimekko created a collection of unrestrictive garments utilizing their textiles. From the beginning, Marimekko garments were loose and unstructured, meant to allow freedom of movement. Marimekko gained widespread popularity in the United States when Jackie Kennedy purchased several Marimekko dresses in 1960, which she wore throughout her husband's presidential campaign.

Belted dress
Marimekko
1972-74
Gift of Dora Lou Davis
2004.835.1AB