FIDM Museum Blog

Mugler-Inspired Costumes: Part Two

Just in time for Halloween, we're sharing Part Two of our Mugler-Inspired Costumes! As we learned in our previous post, Thierry Mugler used his runway to play out exotic fashion fantasies - everything from insects to angels, robots to rhinestone cowgirls appeared in his whimsical presentations. You'll notice that unlike today's fashion shows, these presentations were full of movement; rather than disappearing behind the clothing, Mugler's models act out his elaborate stories with emotion. Dancing, running, marching, flirting, and even bobsledding (see below!) were not unusual in Mugler's world.  

We hope you find the perfect costume for your own personal catwalk on Halloween!

Note: all photos by Michel Arnaud, Gift of Arnaud Associates.

Bobsledder, F/W 1984

Army of Insects, S/S 1997

Snow Queen, F/W 1981

Star Wars Extra, F/W 1983

Mugler-Inspired Costumes: Part One

Halloween is just around the corner, but if you still haven't selected your costume, we've got you covered! Look no further than the treasure trove of inspiration found in Thierry Mugler's wonderfully whimsical runway shows from the 1980s and 90s. 

Known as the “PT Barnum of the fashion world,” Mugler’s extravagant runways built his reputation as the ultimate showman. Atlantis, Mount Olympus, Aliens, Superheroes, Insects, Hollywood, Robots, and the Wild West are just some of the themes that appeared in his surrealistic presentations. Mugler saw the fashion show as an opportunity to build new worlds of fantasy, to tell the story of a heroine on an extraordinary adventure each season. In addition to storyboarding the production – a result of his early love of comic books – Mugler personally directed each aspect of the show, from lighting, sets, and music to models, makeup, and hairstyles. The fashion shows were intended to  stir publicity for the more client-friendly collection; after the outlandish runway, the showroom was stocked with the best-selling ‘store suits’ that were the foundation of his business. 

Thanks to the Michel Arnaud Fashion Photography Archive, we have hundreds of images from Mugler's runway shows - and it was not hard to find outrageous ensembles that could double as Halloween getups. In fact, there are so many to choose from that we thought this subject deserved two entries; stay tuned next week for part two of our Mugler costume inspiration! 

Note: all photos by Michel Arnaud, Gift of Arnaud Associates.

Disco Ball, F/W 1990

Sassy Skunk, F/W 1997

Party Pom Pom, S/S 1991

RoboCop, F/W 1990

Majesty & Mystery

The FIDM Museum History Gallery is a treasured part of our institution. It gives us the ability to showcase our vast Permanent Collection, or, in the case of the History Gallery’s current exhibition, an object that we hope to acquire! In the coming months, we are thrilled to take you behind-the-scenes of Majesty & Mystery: Saving a Napoléonic Court Gown. This unique exhibition introduces the Museum’s newest proposed acquisition: an extremely rare c. 1804 court gown possibly worn by Empress Joséphine, wife of Napoléon Bonaparte. As visitors explore the gallery, we share the historical importance of this gown, our research to confirm its provenance, plans for future conservation, and our fundraising efforts to make the gown part of our Permanent Collection. For those readers who are not local to Los Angeles, join us today for a virtual walk-through of the exhibition.

After a distinguished military career and surprising coup d’état, Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was crowned Emperor of France in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, on December 2, 1804. Beside him at the coronation was his wife Marie -Joseph-Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie de Beauharnais (1763-1814), whom he called ‘Joséphine’. Emperor Napoléon’s reign lasted until 1815; together, he and Empress Joséphine ushered in a remarkable era of artistic expression. A strict dress code was mandated at imperial court functions and the Empress was the ultimate arbiter of style. For formal occasions, ladies wore fashionable high-waist gowns and trains made from yards of French-produced silk satin, lace, velvet, and net with precious metal embroidery motifs that symbolized the rulers: Bees, Roses, and—seen here—Tulips. The astonishingly rare Napoleonic court ensemble at the focus of this exhibition was worn by a high-ranking member of the imperial circle—possibly even the Empress herself.

Skirt
France, 1804-1809
Metallic embroidery & silk net
FIDM Museum Proposed Acquisition, L2017.9.1

The court ensemble is said to have been made for Empress Joséphine by her court dressmaker Louis Hippolyte LeRoy, who worked with designer Jean-Baptiste Isabey. It descended in a British family which stated a relative purchased it after Napoléon complained of its exorbitant cost and refused to pay the bill. The skirt is made of silk net embroidered with gold and silver in geometric and stylized floral patterns. Sheets of metal were pounded and sliced to create thin strips, which were passed through the net yardage while stretched across a frame.

Bodice
France, 1804-1809
Metallic embroidery & silk net
FIDM Museum Proposed Acquisition, L2017.9.1

The extremely short cut of this bodice confirms it was made in the first decade of the nineteenth century. Embroidery fragments suggest the spiraled silk sleeves probably had additional net over-sleeves. The dark staining on the proper left side of the bodice indicates that the area once had metallic embroidery. 

Train
France, 1804-1809
Metallic embroidery & silk net
FIDM Museum Proposed Acquisition, L2017.9.1

Capturing the Catwalk: Luncheon & Lecture Day

Join the FIDM Museum Fashion Council for our annual Fall Luncheon & Lecture Day on Saturday, October 27 at the FIDM Orange County Campus! We will celebrate the opening of Capturing the Catwalk: Runway Photography from the Michel Arnaud Archive in the OC gallery space; to mark the occasion, the afternoon symposium will focus on the art of fashion photography, 1911-1998.

We are thrilled to be joined by Paul Martineau, Associate Curator, Department of Photographs, Getty Museum, who will speak about the Getty's latest exhibition Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography (open until October 21). Shelly Foote, formerly of the Smithsonian, will present on In High Style: The Photography of Neil Barr, an exhibition that took place earlier in the year at the Museum of Ventura County. Finally, our own FIDM Museum Registrar and curator of Capturing the Catwalk, Meghan Hansen, will take us through her curatorial journey for this exhibition. Renowned runway photographer Michel Arnaud will also be in attendance for a lively day of fashion discussion!

As always the event will begin with a beautiful luncheon, with plenty of time to socialize and explore the exhibition. All proceeds benefit the FIDM Museum acquisition fund. For more information and to register, click here.

Photograph by Michel Arnaud for Harper's Bazaar
Vivienne Westwood Ready-to-Wear, Fall/Winter 1993-1994
Gift of Arnaud Associates
FIDM Museum Special Collections, SC2000.1095.1 AS030102

 

 

Intern Report: Costumes on a Voyage

Today's post is brought to you by our summer intern Caela Castillo, who helped install the Art of Television Costume Design exhibition. Caela is a graduate student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in the MA Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, and Museum Practice program. She also has an MA in History and Public History from Loyola University Chicago. She has previously interned at the Museum at FIT and the International Museum of Surgical Sciences in Chicago, and has contributed to exhibitions in California, Chicago, and New York. Her research interests include late 19th and early 20th century Paris; she is currently working on several research projects, including the life of Nancy Cunard and 1920s fashion magazine Art, Gout, Beauté.

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Outlander costumes designed by Terry Dresbach on display in the FIDM Museum. Photograph by ABImages.

Currently on view in the Art of Television Costume Design exhibition are five costumes from season 3 of Outlander, which airs on Starz with costumes by Emmy-nominated designer Terry Dresbach. The show, based on the best-selling novels by Diana Gabaldon, tells the story of a 20th century woman who stumbles back in time to 18th century Scotland. Season 3, based on the third book in Gabaldon’s series, is aptly titled Voyager; the costumes in this season reflect the journey the characters take across time and space. As a fan of both the Outlander books and show, I was excited to be able to handle the costumes as an exhibition intern for the Museum, and use my knowledge of the story and its characters to accurately dress the ensembles. Knowing the context of the costumes and the actors who wore them was an important factor during the installation of this exhibition. Since mannequins rarely resemble actual humans, it took several hours to prepare each mannequin and have the costume fit well. An hour of that was attempting to get Jamie’s boots on uncooperative mannequin feet! Being able to recall specific details about the costumes helps the dressing process and allows us to provide a more vibrant exhibition for visitors.

Costumes worn by the characters Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe), designed by Terry Dresbach. Photograph by ABImages.

Detail of Jamie's boot.

Geoffrey Beene

"What makes Geoffrey Beene great? Is it the sophistication of his cut that makes the most bulky fabric seem airborne? The curved lines that give a graceful femininity to clothes without dipping into banality? It is all this but, more important, it is the designer’s unceasing struggle to find new materials and new shapes that flatter a woman’s body.”[1]

Photograph by Michel Arnaud
Geoffrey Beene at his Spring/Summer 1991 runway presentation
Gift of Arnaud Associates, SC2000.1095.1 

Described as cerebral, modernist, and the “architect of American clothing,”[2] designer Geoffrey Beene (1927 – 2004) made an indelible mark on fashion in the 20^th century – and his visionary creations influenced how women would dress in the next centennial, too. His journey began as Samuel Albert Bozeman Jr. in Haynesville, Louisiana, where he was born into a family of doctors yet maintained a keen eye for design throughout his childhood. He followed the family tradition and enrolled in medical school at Tulane University – legend has it he sketched Adrian gowns over the figures in his Grey’s Anatomy textbook.[3] Leaving the medical field behind, his family sent him to California to live with an aunt, and a brief stint working with the window displays at I. Magnin in Los Angeles was followed by Traphagan School of Fashion in New York City. However, it was Beene’s time in France that taught him the principles of good design and the art of dressmaking.

Evening gown                                      Image courtesy of Vintage Hamish, Vogue.com
Geoffrey Beene, 1971
Gift of Lenore Greenberg
89.1977.059.20

Beene moved to Paris in 1948 and experienced the fervor caused by Dior’s famed New Look. Yet it was another designer he credits with opening his eyes to the whimsical possibilities of fashion: Elsa Schiaparelli. While apprenticing with couturier Edward Molyneux, he attended Schiaparelli’s collection presentations and was immediately drawn to her innovative aesthetic. “At that moment I had never seen anything but serious clothes, and this had such charm. It set off my mind.”[4] After studying at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and Académie Julian, Beene returned to New York City and set about making a name for himself on Seventh Avenue.

Day dress
Geoffrey Beene, c. 1969
Gift of Roxanne, Byrnadette & Frank DiSanto
95.817.c.1969.08.48

Harper's Bazaar, February 1966

In post-war American fashion, manufacturers still reigned supreme, hiring talented young designers to produce profitable looks – for example, Claire McCardell for Townley Frocks, Rudi Gernreich for Walter Bass, and in 1952, Geoffrey Beene for Harmay. Yet while Beene was eager to experiment with new designs, Harmay only wanted interpretations of the clothes coming out of Paris. He left the brand in 1958 and found more flexibility with manufacturer Teal Traina, but it wasn’t until he opened his eponymous line in 1963 that he truly gained the artistic freedom he desired.

Evening gown
Geoffrey Beene for Robinson's, September 1966
Gift of Judy Carroll
2014.1291.2

Vogue, September 1, 1966

Interview with Game of Thrones Costume Designer Michele Clapton

 

Game of Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton visited the FIDM Museum yesterday to discuss her GOT-themed jewelry collaboration with Yunus & Eliza. Before her Q&A panel in front of a packed house, Michele spoke with us about her final season designing for the blockbuster show, how taking a break to work on The Crown benefited her return to GOT, and of course that spectacular white coat. See the costumes in person at the Art of Television Costume Design exhibition - but hurry, the GOT costumes are leaving early! The final date to see them is Saturday, September 22.

Michele Clapton in front of her Game of Thrones costumes, currently on display in the Art of Television Costume Design exhibition until September 22.

You’re done with filming, so this is a good time to look back at your work, which is profound on this show! Is there a character you feel you have been able to develop the most sartorially?

I guess Dany, coming from almost nothing. When we were starting to catalog all of the costumes, I found her first dress. It’s just so simple. Actually I found the dress from the pilot, when it was a different Dany, which was really interesting. We’re going through warehouses full of costumes, and we’re just trying to put them all in bags now so that they can get saved. So yes Dany is the most evolved on the show.

Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in Season 6, Episode 10 of Game of Thrones. Coronation ensemble and crown designed by Michele Clapton. Photo courtesy of HBO.

Is there a look that stands out, something that you are the most proud of accomplishing, your labor of love?

It’s hard because there are so many costumes! I think because I did decide to leave in season five – and it was a really hard decision to make – but I felt like I needed to do other stuff. And then got asked back in six to do Cersei’s coronation. I really enjoyed doing that costume because it was almost just a step back into it, and I’d had time to look back and think about it and think about the female characters. I love the fact that all the female characters are so strong. I think her coronation gown was one of my favorites.

Michele Clapton's costumes from The Crown on display in last year's Art of Television Costume Design exhibition (2017).

You mentioned leaving for a period; what do you think you gained from that time away from the show?

I think sometimes just to step back from something. My intention was not go to back – I really wanted to go and do something else, and The Crown was a great project. Stephen [Daldry, Executive Producer] had asked me personally, and I really like his work. It was just a breath of fresh air. Stepping back, I could look at the story lines, I could look at what had happened, I could look at the history of the show and actually felt that it was just right to step back in. It’s really hard to explain – it wasn’t difficult. I thought it might be difficult to pick up again but I read the script quite quickly, and I knew so instantly how Cersei should be, looking back at the arc of her story and her relationship with her father. I always try to make the clothes visually tell something – she said very little in that whole scene. I think you could tell it was based on her father’s costume…there were so many elements to it, I loved it. Then to pare down the crown into just simple strokes that to me looked like a lion still, that’s what they’re meant to be, but without that sort of solid heraldic lion that she’s usually worn. I quite liked the idea that it was a move away from that. Which then ties into Dany, the way they look at each other later on.

Body chain worn by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and designed by Michele Clapton with jewelers Yunus & Eliza. 

Intern Report: The Trouser Crease

Today's post was written by our 2018 Santamaura Study Grant Intern Brian Centrone. After years of being a writer and an English professor, Brian returned to school to do an M. A. in Costume Studies at New York University. His research focus has been menswear, where he has looked at the role gender, sexuality, and masculinity played in men’s eighteenth century breeches, as well as the impact nineteenth century anxieties about dress and sexuality had on the persecution of Oscar Wilde, and the establishment of the homosexual stereotype/identity. He is always looking to fill the gaps in the history of menswear—of which there are many. Brian’s interest in the developments that occurred to men’s suits during the end of the nineteenth century led him to this investigation on the origins of the trouser crease.

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Creases in center front and center back of suit pants
c. 1893
Gift of the Napa County Historical Society
S2012.1001.2B/B

Among the items in the FIDM Museum’s Study Collection is a pair of perfectly creased men’s trousers. The crease has been a part of menswear for so long, we think of it as having always been there. As with any great fashion trend—even ones so long-lived—the crease had to get its start somewhere.

Many scholars agree that the 19th century saw great changes to menswear, particularly men’s trousers. One of the most significant changes—a change that would have a lasting effect—was the inclusion of an elongated crease that ran down the front and the back of the trouser.^[1] The Museum’s suit has trousers with creases that run all the way up to the waist on both the front and the back; it was originally dated between 1880 and 1889 by staff. However, as many scholars agree, the appearance of the center front and back crease didn’t come into vogue until the 1890s with the advent of the trouser press, yet the date this press was introduced is vague. According to C. W. and P. E. Cunnington, the trouser press was invented c. 1890 onwards,^[2] with James Laver fixing the date in the mid-1890s.^[3] But I have discovered the trouser press, and the front and back crease, may have both gotten their start a lot earlier than suspected.

Trouser crease shown from the knee down
Cabinet card, 1894-1897
Gift of Steven Porterfield
SC2009.897.29

Opening Night: Art of Costume Design

Television is truly in a golden age – the quality that audiences experience on network, streaming, and digital platforms is equivalent to films playing on the big screen. Of course, the visual impact of television plays a big role in bringing new worlds to life for viewers, thanks to the hard work and creativity of Costume Designers. On Saturday night, the FIDM Museum and Television Academy put the spotlight on design for the annual Art of Outstanding Television Costume Design exhibition. Now in its 12^th year, the exhibition highlights the mastery of both new and veteran designers for television shows across multiple genres: comedy, period drama, horror, sci-fi/fantasy, Western, and more. Split into five categories, the exhibition invites visitors to fawn over old favorites (Game of Thrones and Outlander, anyone?) while discovering new content to love (why not give Schitt’s Creek or A Series of Unfortunate Events a go?)  Go behind-the-scenes of opening night to see Emmy-nominated costume designers, members of the Television Academy and Costume Designers Guild, and stars of the featured shows celebrate our latest exhibition!

Alison Brie, GLOW lead actress, and Beth Morgan, the show's Costume Designer 

Cynthia Summers, Emmy-nominated Costume Designer for A Series of Unfortunate Events

Ken Biller, Creator and Executive Director, Genius:Picasso and Sonu Mishra, the show's Emmy-nominated Costume Designer

Sharen Davis, Emmy-nominated Costume Designer for Westworld and Salvador Perez, President of the Costume Designers Guild and FIDM Alumnus

Detail of Westworld costume, designed by Sharen Davis

Avril Graham, Executive Fashion & Beauty Editor, Harper’s Bazaar

FIDM Museum Staff: Meghan Hansen, Registrar, Kevin Jones, Curator, Christina Johnson, Associate Curator and Peter Lam, Creative Director

Detail of The Alienist costume, designed by Emmy-nominee Michael Kaplan

Barbara Bundy, FIDM Museum Director and Hayma Washington, Chairman & CEO of the Television Academy

Detail of Broad City costume, designed by Staci Greenbaum

Kevan Hall, Fashion Designer and FIDM Alumnus

Laura Jean Shannon, Costume Designer for Black Lightning and Electric Dreams, and Sarah Jeanne Mgeni, Assistant Costume Designer for Black Lightning

Black Lightning, designed by Laura Jean Shannon

Michelle Cole, Costume Designer for Grown-ish

Emmy statuette inside the Art of Outstanding Television Costume Design

Alison Brie and her GLOW character Zoya the Destroya

Intern Report: Yohji Yamamoto Digital Archive

Today's post comes from our Digital Archive intern Maureen Nyhan, who spent time with the FIDM Museum this summer working on our Michel Arnaud Fashion Photography Archive. Maureen learned digital asset management skills as she scanned and categorized collections from one designer, Yohji Yamamoto, making these images available to researchers for years to come! 

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As a non-traditional student (returning to school after family) I felt so welcomed to the FIDM Museum family, where my amateur skills in both fashion and digital asset management (DAM) were graciously overlooked and I was treated as a valued member of the team from Day One.

In my search for an internship to complete my Digital Archiving Certificate at Pasadena City College, I am so glad I reached out to Meghan at the FIDM Museum. When Meghan called me back, her enthusiasm and welcoming tone caught me as a wonderful surprise. She immediately honed in on an area from my creative and academic past. I started my college career as an Art Major but ended up taking my BA in Japanese Language and Culture at SFSU and living in Japan in the 1980s. At that time, Comme des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto’s black fashions were all the rage.

Photograph by Michel Arnaud
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall/Winter 1982
Gift of Arnaud Associates, SC2000.1095.1 AS082472

Since my task was going to be organizing and scanning runway photos from the Michel Arnaud Archive, Meghan asked if I might be interested in working with either of those two collections, and perhaps creating content for a Google Arts & Culture page on one of the designers. I was thrilled at the prospect, and honored to come on board to complete my hours. I picked Yamamoto.

Photograph by Michel Arnaud
Yohji Yamamoto
Fall/Winter 1982
Gift of Arnaud Associates, SC2000.1095.1 AS082471