FIDM Museum Blog

A Century of Cotton: Selections from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, 1800-1900

A Century of Cotton: Selections from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, 1800-1900
FIDM Museum Larson Gallery
Tuesday through Saturday, 10am–5pm
Opens to the public February 12, 2013

Showcasing the beauty and versatility of cotton fabrics, this exhibition highlights selected cotton garments and accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection. Beginning in the late seventeenth-century, lightweight cotton fabrics gradually supplanted the dominance of fragile and expensive silks. As cotton became increasingly popular, fashionable dress incorporated this new medium into its vocabulary. Including woven, printed and embroidered cottons, A Century of Cotton also traces the dramatic changes that occurred in the fashionable female silhouette between 1800 and 1900.

Afternoon Dress
United States, c. 1908
Cotton-embroidered linen & cotton crochet lace
L2011.13.1060

Hat
Europe or United States, c. 1908
Cotton floral trim & straw
L2011.13.538

Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection
Proposed FIDM Museum Acquisitions

 

21st Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design opens February 12, 2013

 

21st Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design
February 12-April 27, 2013
Tuesday–Saturday
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
FREE and open to the public.

Since its inception in 1992, the Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition has honored the incredible work of costume designers in the film industry. Now in its 21^st year, the 2013 exhibition will feature over 100 costumes from selected 2012 films, including all five Academy Award nominees for best Costume Design. Including costumes from A Royal Affair, Anna Karenina, Argo, Django Unchained, Hitchcock, Les Misérables, Lincoln, Mirror Mirror, Skyfall, Snow White and the Huntsman, and other films, the exhibition will offer visitors a close-up view of the costumer's art.

 

In 2012, The Artist by Costume Designer Mark Bridges won the Academy Award® for Costume Design. Selected costumes from The Artist will be on display in this year's exhibition.

RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground is open to the public

RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground is now open! Exploring the art and influence of punk rock on design and culture, RIPPED features 150 band T-shirts, photographs, posters, and related ephemera from the punk, post-punk and indie rock eras. Curated by Cesar Padilla, artist, musician, collector, and punk rock enthusiast, RIPPED is based on Padilla's 2010 book, Ripped: T-shirts from the Underground. In the November 2012 issue of our newsletter, Cesar Padilla discusses how and why he began collecting T-shirts.

RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground is open until December 22, 2012. This FREE exhibition is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am–5pm. Follow RIPPED on Facebook for regular exhibition updates.

Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection

The Annette Green Fragrance Archive Presents:
Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection

Shoes
Europe, c. 1800
Leather, canvas & ink
Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection
L2011.13.534AB

We are delighted to announce the opening of Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, now on view in The Annette Green Fragrance Archive. This new exhibit complements A Century of Millinery Style: Hats from the Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, 1820s - 1920s. Both exhibits are drawn from Helen Larson's exceptional private collection. Surveying footwear, fans, gloves, purses, and hats, these objects demonstrate Helen Larson’s acquisition prowess and appreciation of fashion history. From a pair of 1860s men’s floral Berlin woolwork slippers to a 1930s crimson reptile skin handbag, the importance of adornment is not lost on the viewer of this visually striking installation.

Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection is FREE and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 10am–5pm. The exhibition is located in The Annette Green Fragrance Archive, on the second floor of FIDM's Los Angeles campus. Check-in is required at the security station on the ground floor. 

*There are no fragrance related objects on display at this time.*

RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground

RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground
November 8–December 22, 2012
FIDM Museum & Galleries

 

RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground, explores the art and influence of punk rock on design and culture. Curated by Cesar Padilla, artist, musician, collector, and punk rock enthusiast, RIPPED includes 150 band T-shirts, photographs, posters, and related ephemera from the punk, post-punk and indie rock eras. Based on Padilla's 2010 book, Ripped: T-shirts from the Underground, the exhibition documents the band T-shirt as a method of communication and self-expression in the pre-Internet era. RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground is sponsored by Cherry Resource Center.

The opening night of RIPPED on November 8 will be held in conjunction with LA’s popular Downtown Art Walk. Live performances by Lydia Lunch with Retrovirus and the Ritchie White Orchestra. Readings by Roddy Bottum of Faith No More, Kari Krome of the Runaways, Nicole Panter, former manager of the Germs, and other contributors to Ripped: T-shirts from the Underground. This free event will be in Grand Hope Park, adjacent to the FIDM Museum.

RIPPED: Expressions from the Underground opens to the public on November 8, closing on December 22, 2012. The FREE exhibition is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am–5pm. Follow RIPPED on Facebook for regular exhibition updates.

Photo by Andrea Thompson.

FABULOUS! video

FABULOUS! opened one year ago this week! To celebrate, we're taking a look back at the exhibition via a brief video. Short and sweet, it takes you inside the exhibition for a chance to revist your favorite pieces. You'll even see some pieces that have yet to be published on our blog. Can you spot Elsa Schiaparelli's shocking pink evening jacket, Alexander McQueen's peacock dress, Gianni Versace's safety-pinned leather ensembles and Adrian's brown taffeta evening gown?

For those of you who want a tangible reminder of FABULOUS!, we still have a few copies of the exhibition catalogue available at the FIDM Museum Shop. Enjoy the video and have a wonderful weekend!

FABULOUS! Ten Years of FIDM Museum Acquisitions, 2000–2010 from FIDM Museum on Vimeo.

From the Archives: Holly's Harp evening dress

 

Today's post features a late 1970s Holly's Harp dress. We've reposted this garment today because it is currently on view at The Autry in California's Designing Women, 1896–1986. On view through January 2013, this exhibit focuses on women who have helped shaped California design. In addition to our Holly's Harp evening dress, we also loaned two bathing suits to this exhibition: a Cole of California fringed bikini, and a knit Catalina suit.

**********

Los Angeles based designer Holly Harp (1939-1995) began her fashion career in the late 1960s, designing theatrical, psychedelic clothing for iconic performers such as Janis Joplin and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane. Harp's early designs were in tune with the catch-all aesthetic of late 1960s hippie fashions, and her garments quickly gained a reputation for "being wild and wonderful, feathers and fringe."¹ A maxi-dress worn by the singer-songwriter Dory Previn was typical of Harp's aesthetic. Constructed of an old table cloth, green doily and a piece of vintage satin, it was described as a "clothing mosaic."² In 1968, Harp opened Holly's Harp, a small boutique on the Sunset Strip where she sold both her ready-made and custom-designed garments.

Within a few years, Harp's designs had taken on a very different character. Instead of merely incorporating bits and pieces of the past by using vintage textiles, Harp started designing slinky, overtly sexy dresses and separates that referenced the glamour of Old Hollywood. Using silk textiles such as jersey, crepe and chiffon, Harp created what she called " fantasy-oriented...mood clothes."³ These mood clothes often referenced 1930s evening wear, as in the Holly's Harp bias-cut dress seen here.

Evening dress
Holly's Harp
c. 1978
Gift of Gloria Strasburger
99.655.3

6th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design exhibition is open!

 

 

6th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design 
July 31-October 20, 2012
Tuesday–Saturday 
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
FREE and open to the public.

 

Join us in celebrating the work of television costume designers at the 6th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design exhibition. Featuring costumes from a variety of television genres, the exhibition spotlights the role of costume design in creating believable onscreen characters. See costumes from your favorite television shows, including Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, Hemingway & Gelhorn, Game of Thrones, Great Expectations, Downton Abbey,The Fresh Beat Band, Pan Am, Boardwalk Empire, and more! The exhibition is organized by costume designer Mary Rose, current president of the Costume Designers Guild. Curator and Docent tours are available; email docent@fidmmuseum.org for more information.

Here's a look at some of the costumes featured in the exhibition AND highlights from the opening night party. Enjoy!

Rainbow Fairy from Once Upon a Time: Nominated for 2012 Emmy® for Outstanding Costume Design: Costume Designer, Eduardo Castro and Assistant Costume Designer, Monique McRae.

 

Investigating a Silver Studio textile

 

In 2007, the Textile Group of Los Angeles donated a late 19th century Silver Studio textile panel to the FIDM Museum. About 7 feet long and 2 ½ feet wide, this printed cotton textile features a dynamic pattern of orange poppies and white daisy chains on a pink ground. As our curators were familiar with the Silver Studio, they were certain that the textile had been used to decorate an interior, not for garment construction. Silver Studio
1897
Gift of the Textile Group of Los Angeles
2007.916.1

From the Archives: Aesthetes, Bohemians & Craftsmen: Artistic Dress, 1880s–1920s

 

While doing some research for an upcoming blog post, I had the chance to revisit images from our 2008 exhibit Aesthetes, Bohemians & Craftsmen: Artistic Dress, 1880s–1920s. Combining fashion, textiles, furniture and ephemera, Aesthetes, Bohemians & Craftsmen followed the path of the design rebellion that occurred in reaction to 19th century industrialization. Originating in mid-19th century England, Artistic dress was sparked by influential artists who subverted societal norms. Rejecting the tightly-trussed clothing of the Victorian era, Artistic dressers sought liberated and individually expressive modes of dressing. Abandoning contemporary fashions, Aesthetes adopted the loose, un-corseted styles of ancient Greece and medieval Europe. In the United States, Bohemian artists championed loose-fitting smocks and the aesthetics of Far Eastern art. Craftsmen looked to the past, creating handmade garments and accessories inspired by historic examples. These groups were unified in their rejection of the inexpensive and widely available products of the Industrial Revolution.

As we hadn't yet established our blog, Facebook profile or Twitter account at the time of this exhibition, most of the installation images from Aesthetes, Bohemians & Craftsmen have never been published. In this post, we share a few images from the exhibit. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the world of Artistic Dress!

The first gallery of the exhibition grounded visitors in late 19th century fashionable dress. Straight from Paris, with corseted silhouettes and extreme proportions, these three ensembles are the antithesis of Artistic Dress. Portraits on the opposite wall highlighted the lives and achievements of six Artistic women: Isadora Duncan, Ellen Terry, Romaine Brooks, Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, Annie Garnett and May Morris.