FIDM Museum Blog

Behind the Scenes: Photographing objects at the FIDM Museum

One of our goals in starting this blog was to reveal the aspects of museum life that are usually out of public view. With that in mind, we've brought you posts on exhibition design, mount making, creating paper wigs, and behind-the-scenes research projects. Today, we're thrilled to feature an interview with FIDM Museum photographer, Brian Sanderson. Many of the object photographs seen on our blog, and all photos seen in FIDM Museum publications, are taken by Brian. His photos bring our objects to life, highlighting their most compelling visual qualities. Keep reading to find out what interested Brian about working with our collection, and which objects are most difficult to photograph.

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How long have you been working with the FIDM Museum?

About 5 years, though I’ve been photographing for FIDM Publications for about 15 years.

Did you have a background or interest in fashion or fashion history before you started working with the FIDM Museum?

No. In fact, originally my interest in photography really came from the fine art realm. I loved the work of Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman, John Baldessari, and Francesca Woodman. In the 80s I started shooting my own images in order to incorporate them into conceptually based prints and drawings. In the late 90s I started exploring more documentary-type photography, and in mid-2000 I ventured into digital photography and fashion studio work. When I approached Kevin about photographing for the museum I was intrigued about having the opportunity to explore light on three-dimensional forms.

And how is working with static objects different from the other types of photography that you’ve explored?

I am part of a creative team that can make immediate decisions to change how the camera will capture its subject. We can be precise and exacting. There’s no living subject to move or tire; no light starting to disappear. That level of control is very freeing.

How does control free up the creative process?

To start, Kevin and Christina position the object to be photographed. Kevin usually weaves a fanciful, historically based story for me about who wore the outfit and the setting in which the person lived. Next, I ask Kevin and Christina what is important about the outfit. Is it the silhouette? The detail? The construction? A certain feature(s)? Once I hear the story and know what is important about the outfit, then the fun starts. I try to pre-visualize what quality light is needed to capture both the mood and the object. I set the lights; take a few shots; preview them on the camera; readjust the lights. At this point everything is about trying to capture what I have pre-visualized will be the best solution.

I must admit, I’m very private about this creative activity. This is my creative time. I don’t even let Kevin and Christina preview these early shots. Once I feel that I’ve captured what I intended, I transfer the images to a computer and the three of us review them. At this point the images become the basis of our conversation. The images are scrutinized down to the minutest detail. Sometimes adjustments are made accordingly: lights are moved slightly/pinpointed more exactly, the underneath padding is fluffed and/or the position of the object itself is tweaked a bit. It’s during those discussions that I truly feel a part of a highly creative team. It’s a very personally rewarding process.

When we photographed this Vionnet evening gown for the FABULOUS! catalogue, Kevin spun a tale about a chic evening party on the Upper West Side. We photographed the mannequin from several angles to capture the glamour of the gown. In the view below, she's standing on an outside terrace, poised to turn and reenter the party.

Evening gown
Madeleine Vionnet
c. 1936-1938
Museum Purchase, Funds provided by Mrs. Tonian Hohberg
2008.5.50AB

Out & About: Visiting the Maryhill Museum of Art

Though our blog posts usually focus solely on FIDM Museum projects, today’s post explores another museum's collection. I recently visited the Maryhill Museum of Art, home of the legendary Théâtre de la Mode. Because of Maryhill’s location in rural Washington State, not many fashion enthusiasts have the opportunity to see this unusual collection. Experiencing the Théâtre de la Mode in-person was a fascinating experience, one worth sharing with all of our readers.

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Perched on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River, the Maryhill Museum of Art is a long, long way from the haute couture ateliers of Paris. Located on the southern border of Washington State, Maryhill is also a long way (100 miles) from the nearest international airport in Portland, Oregon. Despite its distance from Paris, Maryhill owns a one-of-a-kind collection of Parisian haute couture, the Théâtre de la Mode. Consisting of 2 foot tall wire dolls dressed in haute couture from head-to-toe, this collection offers a unique snapshot of late World War II Parisian fashion.

Visitors to the Maryhill will see 41 of the original dolls on display, staged in three different backdrops. Balenciaga's pearl and bead embroidered evening gown, with matching hat, is front and center when you enter the exhibition. The backdrop is Le Jardin Merveilleux (The Marvelous Garden) by set designer Jean-Denis Malclès. The original backdrop was lost, but Malclès participated in a 1989 recreation of the original set.

 

Fashion birthday: Vivienne Westwood

Happy birthday to Vivienne Westwood, born on this day in 1941! We wish her the best and look forward to many more of her inventive designs. Though Westwood's early career, which began in the early 1970s, was closely associated with punk, by the 1980s she had turned to the past for her primary inspiration. Never one for straight-forward interpretation of historic fashion, Westwood's work reinterprets aspects of history, making them relevant to the contemporary moment.

Corset & Shorts Ensemble
Spring/Summer 1994
Vivienne Westwood
Museum Purchase
2003.5.12 & 2004.5.1

 

Unpack fashion history with FIDM Museum's Fashion Council

Are you fascinated by fashion history? Interested in learning more about the twentieth century's most influential fashion designers and silhouettes? We can help! FIDM Museum is delighted to announce a new opportunity to learn more about the fashion and fashion history of the twentieth century.

If your class, club, or professional organization is located in Southern California, schedule a presentation of A History of Women's Fashion: The Twentieth Century. Brought to you by FIDM Museum's Fashion Council, this lively and informative illustrated lecture will provide insight into key moments in twentieth century fashion. Participants will experience hands-on learning with selected objects from the FIDM Museum Study Collection.

Interested in learning more about this opportunity? Email Linda Plochocki, Chair of Fashion Council's Outreach Committee, at fashioncouncil@fidmmuseum.org.

 

 

Sarah Elizabeth Craft’s Easter bonnet, 1852

According to superstition, wearing new clothes on Easter Sunday ensures good luck throughout the coming year. Those with a cynical bent might suspect this superstition was developed by retailers, but it predates contemporary holiday-themed marketing campaigns. A saying attributed to Poor Robin's Almanack, a series of almanacs first published in the late 17th century, indicates the belief is at least several hundred years old: "At Easter let your clothes be new, Or this be sure you it will rue."

Poised between winter and spring, Easter marks a symbolic transition from cold weather to warmer temperatures. During the Victorian era, Easter was both a solemn religious occasion and an appropriate time to replace a tired winter wardrobe with cheerful spring attire. It marked the beginning of the spring social season and the first time it was permissible to wear new clothing after the austerity of Lent. In 1890, Harper's Bazar described Easter Sunday as the day that "new bonnets and spring gowns first see the light."¹ 

Girl's bonnet
1852
Silk taffeta & silk ribbon
Museum Purchase
2009.5.73A

Norma Kamali fringe suit, 1986

 

Suit
Norma Kamali
1986
Gift of Liz Mazurski
2012.1142.71AB

Norma Kamali's fringed two-piece suit is a challenging, slightly eccentric, take on 1980s power dressing. During the 1980s, bland, tailored skirt suits defined women's professional dress. These power suits, derived from men's business suits, articulated the idea that dressing for workplace success meant dressing very much like a man. Power suits, with their sedate palette and uniform silhouette, also worked to disguise the individuality of the wearer. Kamali's suit, with its layers of swaying fringe and stylish bolero jacket, challenges the neutrality of the 1980s power suit.

Green in fashion

Thanks to Pantone, avoiding a pinch on St. Patrick's Day will be much easier this year. According to their decree, 2013 is the year of emerald green, a rich jewel tone "that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony."¹ Due to Pantone's promotion of the color, retailers are well-stocked with garments and accessories featuring emerald and other shades of green. So, if you wear green on St. Patrick's Day, you'll be sporting the most fashionable color of 2013 and immune to the painful pinches given to those who shun green clothing on this informal holiday.

In the FIDM Museum collection, we are fortunate to have some wonderful green garments and accessories. In honor of both St. Patrick's Day and Pantone's color of the year, today's post features an emerald green silk bonnet from the late 19th century. Want to see another emerald garment from our collection? Revisit our post on James Galanos' vivid 1950s cocktail dress.

"Kate Greenaway" bonnet
c. 1880-89
Museum Purchase
2004.5.11

Friday Wrap

An occasional round-up of events, lectures, exhibitions, and other information of interest. This week, we remind you to visit our current exhibitions, note upcoming lectures by FIDM Museum curators, and watch some fashion-themed film and television.

 

Current Exhibitions and Docent Tours

Have you seen our current exhibitions? If not, head to the FIDM Museum this weekend. A Century of Cotton: Selections from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, 1800-1900, Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection and the 21st Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibitions are waiting for you! We're open Tuesday-Saturday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Want to get the stories behind the seams? We're offering weekly Docent Tours of the 21st Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition every Saturday @ 10am. Tours are by reservation only. To RSVP call 213.623.5821, ex. 2240. $5 per person or free with FIDM ID.

 

Upcoming lectures by FIDM Museum curators

Dress and Identity in the Life of Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992)
Bowers Museum
Saturday, March 23, 2013
2 PM - 3 PM
$7 Members/ $10 Non-member

Christina Johnson, FIDM Museum Associate Curator, will speak on the life and style of Marlene Dietrich. Please note: this event will be held at the Bowers Museum, not at the FIDM Museum. For location and ticket information, visit the Bowers Museum website.

Fowler OutSpoken Lecture: Fringe Concepts
Fowler Museum at UCLA
Saturday, June 1, 2013
2 pm
Free lecture

Kevin Jones, FIDM Museum Curator, will trace the evolution of fringe in dress from ancient times through modern and contemporary high fashion. Please note: this event will be held at the Fowler Museum, not at the FIDM Museum. For location information, visit the Fowler Museum website.

 

Versailles '73 and Fashion TV

Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution isn't in wide release yet, but it has been playing at select theatres around the country for the last several months. Have you seen it yet? It's a documentary focusing on a 1973 fashion show pitting five distinguished French haute couture designers (Givenchy, Dior, Ungaro, Saint Laurent and Cardin) against five North American fashion upstarts (Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows and Bill Blass). We're looking forward to watching this, not only for the great early 70s hair and fashion, but to learn more about this moment in fashion history. Watch the trailer here.

Not one, but two, fashion-themed reality shows premiered this week. L.A. Frock Stars spotlights vintage boutique The Way We Wore, and Dukes of Melrose features Decades, another L.A. based vintage boutique. We posted a link to L.A. Frock Stars on our Facebook page earlier this week, inspiring strong reactions from our followers. Watch the first episode of L.A. Frock Stars here and the first episode of Dukes of Melrose here. Let us know what you think after you've compared and contrasted these two shows.

 

Snapshot of Marlene Dietrich taken during her 1944-45 USO tour. Dietrich wears a gown by Irene Gibbons, which she wore in both her personal life and on-screen. Learn more about Dietrich's personal and cinematic style during Christina Johnson's March 23 lecture at the Bowers Museum.

 

Silk handkerchiefs, c. 1926

These charmingly presented silk handkerchiefs prove that the whole is usually greater than the sum of its parts. Their colorful, festive packaging elevates them to something memorable. Carefully folded and arranged to form full skirts, the hand-painted handkerchiefs add dimensionality to a beguiling printed background. Because they're so prettily packaged, they probably retailed as a gift item. As declared in a 1924 Vogue advertisement: "Let that last-minute gift be Handkerchiefs! They are always appropriate and sure to be appreciated."¹

Handkerchiefs
c. 1926
Gift of Yvonne Sone
2010.796.1A-F

Moschino Couture! evening gown, 1992

Made of rainbow-hued silk satin, this Moschino Couture! evening gown was worn to an early 1990s costume ball. Though we have few details about the event, if all the costumes were this eye-catching, it was surely a splendid evening. Any guesses as to the identity the wearer wanted to assume? Think of a well-known historical figure, one who supposedly said, "Let them eat cake!"
Evening gown
Moschino Couture!
1992
Gift of Eden Riegel
2010.1007.1