FIDM Museum Blog

FANtasy: FIDM Museum Fashion Council Luncheon & Lecture

 

The FIDM Museum Fashion Council is integral to the day-to-day operation of our institution. Because of the Museum's commitment to providing free admission, we rely on the group to support important acquisitions for the Permanent Collection. Fashion Council's fundraising activities, hands-on volunteer hours, and educational events not only enrich the Collection, but also fulfill the Museum's mission and benefit our fashion community. In fact, in 2018, Fashion Council members contributed over 4,282 total volunteer hours and raised nearly $209,000 in both financial and in-kind donations. As a non-profit organization, we truly could not exist without their incredible dedication!

Join us for our upcoming annual Luncheon & Lecture event to accompany the opening of FANtasy: The Mona Lee Nesseth Fan Collection at the FIDM Museum. See the invitation below for more information; to purchase a ticket, click here. We look forward to hosting you -- it'll be a FANtastic afternoon!

From the Archives: Space Age Style

Currently on view at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion reminds us of the noteworthy "futuristic" fashion in our collection. This post from 2014 explores how the fascination with space exploration and the moon landing was reflected through the clothes people wore in the 1960s and beyond.

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Fashion landed on the moon long before man did. In the early 1960s, in the throes of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, French couture designers like Pierre Cardin, Andre Courrèges, and Paco Rabanne sent so-called “Space Age” fashions down the Paris runways. These sleek, minimalist, and, often, unisex garments in high-tech synthetic fabrics turned women into chic astronauts and groovy aliens.

Boots
André Courrèges
c. 1966
Museum Purchase, Funds provided by Tonian Hohberg
2008.5.47AB

Science fiction films like 2001 and Barbarella (costumed by Rabanne) and TV shows like Space: 1999 (costumed by Rudi Gernreich) imagined a utopian future of tunics, trousers, flat booties, helmets, and mini-dresses in lunar white or bold geometric patterns. As Cardin explained: “The clothes I prefer are those I invent for a life that doesn’t exist yet—the world of tomorrow.”

Sunglasses
André Courrèges
1980s (based on style instroduced in 1965)
Museum Purchase, Funds provided by Robert Nelson
S2008.528.1A/B

These white plastic sunglasses with narrow horizontal slits suggest protective goggles--or the bulging eyes of an otherworldly being. According to the New York Times, Courrèges’ “direct, unencumbered clothes” were intended to be worn by “young, fast-moving beauties”; his clients included French pop star Françoise Hardy, socialite Lee Radziwill, and model Marisa Berenson. Rabanne dressed Hardy, as well, plus Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, and Elizabeth Taylor.

 

Mini-dress
André Courrèges
c. 1965
Gift of Mrs. Richard Gold
81.308.5

With a Space X rocket launch scheduled for today, a new Space Age is taking off, bringing its attendant fashion inspiration: Gucci's Fall 2014 ready-to-wear show paired mod shifts with patent-leather boots, while Rodarte presented a Star Wars-themed collection. Christian Dior’s Spring 2015 couture show included retro astronaut jumpsuits. But these nostalgic trips back to the future may prove to be less influential than fashions created with the same new technologies used by the current generation of space scientists. Take Slow Factory boutique founder Celine Semaan Vernon, who transforms high-resolution NASA images of Earth into printed silk scarves, or Nervous System, the design studio behind the 3-D printed dress. The results are truly out of this world.

From the Archives: Zandra Rhodes

British fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes was born on September 19, 1940! To celebrate, we're sharing a look back at Rhodes' career - make sure to scroll to the end to see pictures from her recent visit to the FIDM Museum!

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Turning the corner into our Acquiring Beauty exhibition, we often hear the ‘oohs and ahhs’ of visitors greeted with an impressive sight: a magnificent Zandra Rhodes pleated gold lamé ensemble fit for a queen. The majestic gown does indeed have a British royal background – a fitting provenance for the charming pink-haired designer who cites her home country as the inspiration behind many of her collections.[1]

Evening Ensemble

Zandra Rhodes

London, England, Fall 1981

FIDM Museum Purchase: Funds raised by the FIDM Museum Fashion Council, 2015

Pink Mane Portrait 1985: photograph by Robyn Beeche, makeup by Yvonne Gold. Rhodes wears a piece from the Renaissance Gold Collection.

Before she created her lamé homage to the Elizabethan era, Rhodes built her career on her groundbreaking textile designs, which she used to create unconventional fashion silhouettes. Born in Kent in 1940, she began sketching the picturesque countryside around her at a young age, and continued this habit throughout her career – turning chance encounters illustrated in her notebook into entire collections. She later remarked that her designs evolved “through an interpretation of my surroundings, seen in my own special way.”[2] Her mother was once a fitter at Worth in Paris and later a fashion lecturer at Medway College of Art; Rhodes names her as the biggest influence on the direction of her life, crediting her with introducing a love of design, the courage to stand out, and an unrelenting work ethic.[3]  

When she embarked on her studies at Medway College of Art (now part of the University for the Creative Arts), Rhodes focused on printed textiles rather than fashion, and later continued this education at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1964. Her textile career failed to take off immediately; she worked freelance selling her print designs, and taught two days a week at The Ravensbourne School.[4] There she met fashion designer Sylvia Ayton, and the two formed a partnership. They opened the Fulham Road Clothes Shop in 1968 – a time when London’s swinging fashion scene was awash with youthful clothing shops such as Granny Takes a Trip, Mr. Fish, and the Apple Boutique.

Detail of Zandra Rhodes chiffon gown, FIDM Museum, c. 1980.

Rhodes finally found her niche when she decided to combine her textile expertise with innovative fashion designs. A self-taught fashion designer, she relied on draping and pinning to discover new silhouettes. Ultimately, she let the fabric direct her work: “In learning to design for dress fabrics, I was involved in a special adventure, that of patterns which would not hang flat but would be cut and put together again in many different ways.”[5] Her bohemian aesthetic and brightly printed flowing chiffon gowns became her trademark. She soon outgrew the boutique, and established her own fashion line in 1969. Her first collection, called the Knitted Circle, was a series of chiffon dresses printed with a design based on a chain stitch, a reference to her mother’s knitting books that Rhodes read as a child.[6] Fortnum & Mason picked up the collection in London, and thanks to a letter of introduction from Diana Vreeland, she found further success in New York – the collection was quickly bought by Henri Bendel.[7]

Detail of Zandra Rhodes faux suede and flannel dress, FIDM Museum, c. 1975. 

Detail of Zandra Rhodes chiffon gown, FIDM Museum, c. 1972.

British fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes was born on September 19, 1940! To celebrate, we're sharing a look back at Rhodes' career - make sure to scroll to the end to see pictures from her recent visit to the FIDM Museum!

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Turning the corner into our Acquiring Beauty exhibition, we often hear the ‘oohs and ahhs’ of visitors greeted with an impressive sight: a magnificent Zandra Rhodes pleated gold lamé ensemble fit for a queen. The majestic gown does indeed have a British royal background – a fitting provenance for the charming pink-haired designer who cites her home country as the inspiration behind many of her collections.[1]

Evening Ensemble

Zandra Rhodes

London, England, Fall 1981

FIDM Museum Purchase: Funds raised by the FIDM Museum Fashion Council, 2015

Pink Mane Portrait 1985: photograph by Robyn Beeche, makeup by Yvonne Gold. Rhodes wears a piece from the Renaissance Gold Collection.

Before she created her lamé homage to the Elizabethan era, Rhodes built her career on her groundbreaking textile designs, which she used to create unconventional fashion silhouettes. Born in Kent in 1940, she began sketching the picturesque countryside around her at a young age, and continued this habit throughout her career – turning chance encounters illustrated in her notebook into entire collections. She later remarked that her designs evolved “through an interpretation of my surroundings, seen in my own special way.”[2] Her mother was once a fitter at Worth in Paris and later a fashion lecturer at Medway College of Art; Rhodes names her as the biggest influence on the direction of her life, crediting her with introducing a love of design, the courage to stand out, and an unrelenting work ethic.[3]  

When she embarked on her studies at Medway College of Art (now part of the University for the Creative Arts), Rhodes focused on printed textiles rather than fashion, and later continued this education at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1964. Her textile career failed to take off immediately; she worked freelance selling her print designs, and taught two days a week at The Ravensbourne School.[4] There she met fashion designer Sylvia Ayton, and the two formed a partnership. They opened the Fulham Road Clothes Shop in 1968 – a time when London’s swinging fashion scene was awash with youthful clothing shops such as Granny Takes a Trip, Mr. Fish, and the Apple Boutique.

Detail of Zandra Rhodes chiffon gown, FIDM Museum, c. 1980.

Rhodes finally found her niche when she decided to combine her textile expertise with innovative fashion designs. A self-taught fashion designer, she relied on draping and pinning to discover new silhouettes. Ultimately, she let the fabric direct her work: “In learning to design for dress fabrics, I was involved in a special adventure, that of patterns which would not hang flat but would be cut and put together again in many different ways.”[5] Her bohemian aesthetic and brightly printed flowing chiffon gowns became her trademark. She soon outgrew the boutique, and established her own fashion line in 1969. Her first collection, called the Knitted Circle, was a series of chiffon dresses printed with a design based on a chain stitch, a reference to her mother’s knitting books that Rhodes read as a child.[6] Fortnum & Mason picked up the collection in London, and thanks to a letter of introduction from Diana Vreeland, she found further success in New York – the collection was quickly bought by Henri Bendel.[7]

Detail of Zandra Rhodes faux suede and flannel dress, FIDM Museum, c. 1975. 

Detail of Zandra Rhodes chiffon gown, FIDM Museum, c. 1972.

From the Archives: A Look at the ILGWU

In recent years, tragedies in garment factories have made consumers more aware than ever that clothing manufacturing comes at a cost. Campaigns such as "Who Made My Clothes" put on by the activist organization Fashion Revolution asks both individuals and corporations to take more responsibility in ensuring safe and fair conditions for garment workers. In this post, we look at the history of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which throughout the 20th century represented thousands who worked in the women's garment industry. 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

In honor of Labor Day, we want to recognize one of the largest labor organizations in the garment industry: the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), representing the thousands of men and women who painstakingly made and manufactured women's clothing. The ILGWU was active from 1900 to 1995, but throughout its 95 year history it made great strides in demanding justice and fair representation for those working in an industry known for extremely hazardous conditions. 

Workers in a garment factory, c. 1910. Courtesy of the Kheel Center at Cornell University.

The ILGWU was started in 1900 during the throes of the Industrial Revolution, when employers and workers clashed over dangerous factory conditions, unfair wages, long hours, and unsanitary environments. The garment industry in particular was rife with injustice, as factory owners took advantage of the largely immigrant workforce. Employees were forced to take sewing home to their cramped tenements, or worked in overcrowded factories with no breaks. The Yiddish lament below (translated to English) was sung in clothing sweatshops at the turn-of-the-century, before reforms reached the factory floors:

Day the same as night, night the same as day.
And all I do is sew and sew and sew.
May God help me, and my love come soon.
That I may leave this work and go. [1]

Large-scale strikes in 1909 and 1910 spurred compromise between the ILGWU and clothing manufacturer associations, resulting in the Protocol of Peace agreement that established fair working conditions and standardized payment structures. After the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, in which 146 workers perished because they were locked in on the factory floor, efforts were doubled between the government, social welfare groups, manufacturers, and the ILGWU to enforce safety regulations. Soon, ILGWU local branches expanded from New York City to other capitals of garment manufacture, including Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. 

Like many unions, the ILGWU was formed with a strong Socialist ideology. The organization provided education, healthcare, housing, and even recreation for its members. The union also raised money for socialist causes, providing funds for refugees fleeing the Nazis during World War II and making contributions to the Red Cross during the Spanish Civil War. Health Centers were established as early as 1913; in addition to general medical care, they addressed women's health and cared for ailments often found in garment industry workers, such as tuberculosis and respiratory issues from poor ventilation.

Evening Coat
I. Magnin, 1955-1956
Gift of Mrs. Roxanne Wilson
S2003.1.3 

The garment industry was struck hard by the Great Depression in the 1930s - buying new clothing was not a priority in households struggling to put food on the table. President Roosevelt's New Deal and the National Industrial Recovery Act (1933) established fair trade regulations and helped the industry get back on its feet. After the NIRA was declared unconstitutional in 1935, manufacturers and union representatives voluntarily formed the National Coat and Suit Recovery Board to ensure that safe work standards and fair practices would continue to be enforced, as indicated by the label in the c. 1955 coat above.

In recent years, tragedies in garment factories have made consumers more aware than ever that clothing manufacturing comes at a cost. Campaigns such as "Who Made My Clothes" put on by the activist organization Fashion Revolution asks both individuals and corporations to take more responsibility in ensuring safe and fair conditions for garment workers. In this post, we look at the history of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which throughout the 20th century represented thousands who worked in the women's garment industry. 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

In honor of Labor Day, we want to recognize one of the largest labor organizations in the garment industry: the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), representing the thousands of men and women who painstakingly made and manufactured women's clothing. The ILGWU was active from 1900 to 1995, but throughout its 95 year history it made great strides in demanding justice and fair representation for those working in an industry known for extremely hazardous conditions. 

Workers in a garment factory, c. 1910. Courtesy of the Kheel Center at Cornell University.

The ILGWU was started in 1900 during the throes of the Industrial Revolution, when employers and workers clashed over dangerous factory conditions, unfair wages, long hours, and unsanitary environments. The garment industry in particular was rife with injustice, as factory owners took advantage of the largely immigrant workforce. Employees were forced to take sewing home to their cramped tenements, or worked in overcrowded factories with no breaks. The Yiddish lament below (translated to English) was sung in clothing sweatshops at the turn-of-the-century, before reforms reached the factory floors:

Day the same as night, night the same as day.
And all I do is sew and sew and sew.
May God help me, and my love come soon.
That I may leave this work and go. [1]

Large-scale strikes in 1909 and 1910 spurred compromise between the ILGWU and clothing manufacturer associations, resulting in the Protocol of Peace agreement that established fair working conditions and standardized payment structures. After the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, in which 146 workers perished because they were locked in on the factory floor, efforts were doubled between the government, social welfare groups, manufacturers, and the ILGWU to enforce safety regulations. Soon, ILGWU local branches expanded from New York City to other capitals of garment manufacture, including Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. 

Like many unions, the ILGWU was formed with a strong Socialist ideology. The organization provided education, healthcare, housing, and even recreation for its members. The union also raised money for socialist causes, providing funds for refugees fleeing the Nazis during World War II and making contributions to the Red Cross during the Spanish Civil War. Health Centers were established as early as 1913; in addition to general medical care, they addressed women's health and cared for ailments often found in garment industry workers, such as tuberculosis and respiratory issues from poor ventilation.

Evening Coat
I. Magnin, 1955-1956
Gift of Mrs. Roxanne Wilson
S2003.1.3 

The garment industry was struck hard by the Great Depression in the 1930s - buying new clothing was not a priority in households struggling to put food on the table. President Roosevelt's New Deal and the National Industrial Recovery Act (1933) established fair trade regulations and helped the industry get back on its feet. After the NIRA was declared unconstitutional in 1935, manufacturers and union representatives voluntarily formed the National Coat and Suit Recovery Board to ensure that safe work standards and fair practices would continue to be enforced, as indicated by the label in the c. 1955 coat above.

Opening Night: Art of Television Costume Design

On Saturday, August 17, the FIDM Museum and Television Academy put the spotlight on design for the annual Art of Outstanding Television Costume Design exhibition. This year, the exhibition’s theme is Design On-Demand. Being creative is no easy business, but the featured designers make developing their characters’ distinctive styles look effortless. How do they do it? With remarkable behind-the-scenes teamwork, in-depth research, and boundless imagination! The museum display celebrates the remarkable diversity of the contemporary television landscape, highlighting a variety of 2018-2019 Emmy Award®-nominated and fan-favorite shows. However you watch your must-see TV—on cable or network stations, streaming platforms, or even on your smartphone—you’ll be impressed when you see these costumes up close and personal. 

Now in its 13th 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, contemporary, and more. Split into four sections, the Art of Television Costume Design invites visitors to fawn over fan-favorites (Game of Thrones and Outlander, anyone?) while discovering new content to love (why not give Good Omens or Pose a try?). 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!

Lou Eyrich, Emmy-Nominated Costume Designer for “Pose” and “American Horror Story: Apocalypse."

 

From the Archives: Fashioning Fido

This week on FIDM Museum social media, we're sharing our favorite animal-themed fans painted by artist Adolphe Thomasse at the turn of the 20th century, all gifts of fan connoisseur and generous donor Mona Lee Nesseth. In this edition of Confessions of a Curator, Associate Curator Christina Johnson treats us to a history of dogs in fashion, spurred by our 1903 Thomasse puppy fan made by Maison Duvelleroy. Enjoy!

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Fan, 1903
Maison Duvelleroy
Adolphe Thomasse, artist
Gift of Mona Lee Nesseth, 2016.975.12

Anyone who really knows me knows I love dogs. I always have—ever since I was a child. Growing up, our dogs were treated as beloved family members and I was deeply attached to them. Today, I spoil my own dogs and admit to watching more than my fair share of funny dog videos online. More seriously, I consider my activities in canine rescue and advocacy some of the most important accomplishments of my life.

Les Modes Parisiennes Peterson’s Magazine
July 1869
2015.897.86
Gift of Steven Porterfield

Ok, so maybe you’re asking, “Great Christina, you’re obsessed with dogs! What does this even have to do with fashion?” Well, it turns out people have long been obsessed with their canine companions—just as much as fashion. Dogs have made their way into fashion plates, portraits, jewelry, fans—you name the fashionable accessory and I can show you a dog.

Portrait of Archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen
Johan Zoffany, 1776
Courtesy Kunsthistorisches Museum

This week on FIDM Museum social media, we're sharing our favorite animal-themed fans painted by artist Adolphe Thomasse at the turn of the 20th century, all gifts of fan connoisseur and generous donor Mona Lee Nesseth. In this edition of Confessions of a Curator, Associate Curator Christina Johnson treats us to a history of dogs in fashion, spurred by our 1903 Thomasse puppy fan made by Maison Duvelleroy. Enjoy!

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Fan, 1903
Maison Duvelleroy
Adolphe Thomasse, artist
Gift of Mona Lee Nesseth, 2016.975.12

Anyone who really knows me knows I love dogs. I always have—ever since I was a child. Growing up, our dogs were treated as beloved family members and I was deeply attached to them. Today, I spoil my own dogs and admit to watching more than my fair share of funny dog videos online. More seriously, I consider my activities in canine rescue and advocacy some of the most important accomplishments of my life.

Les Modes Parisiennes Peterson’s Magazine
July 1869
2015.897.86
Gift of Steven Porterfield

Ok, so maybe you’re asking, “Great Christina, you’re obsessed with dogs! What does this even have to do with fashion?” Well, it turns out people have long been obsessed with their canine companions—just as much as fashion. Dogs have made their way into fashion plates, portraits, jewelry, fans—you name the fashionable accessory and I can show you a dog.

Portrait of Archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen
Johan Zoffany, 1776
Courtesy Kunsthistorisches Museum

From the Archives: Maurice Levin

This week on our FIDM Museum social media platforms, we're sharing the amazing archive resources housed in our Special Collections. We've been lucky to have extremely talented students help us process those archives so they are accessible for future researchers. In this post, former intern Sandy Lu explains how she utilized her Master of Library and Information Studies training at UCLA to organize the Maurice Levin Archive, a collection of personal and professional papers belonging to a prominent mid-century California designer. 

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Think of mid-century California style, and you’re likely to think of bright and breezy leisurewear, surf culture, and the occasional Tiki motif.

Maurice Levin had something to do with that.

Maurice Levin, c. late 1940s
Maurice Levin Archive
Gift of Marsha Fagin in Loving Memory of Maurice Levin
SC2007.917.36

Born in 1926 to a dressmaker mother and a tailor father, Levin seems to have had fashion in his bones. After graduating from New York’s (now defunct) Traphagen School of Fashion in 1949, Levin headed west to Los Angeles. He enrolled at UCLA—which, at the time, did not have a design department—and graduated with a degree in Social Science with curriculum in Apparel Design. Early on, he worked in Hollywood costuming at NBC Television Studios and Western Costume Company.

Levin took one of his first professional fashion design jobs in the early 1950s, at the iconic Jantzen swimwear company. Originally hired as a womenswear designer, he eventually settled into a menswear design position at Jantzen. The popularization of the “pink for men” trend in the 1950s was one of Levin’s proudest contributions to the company.[1]

Levin continued to design men’s and women’s fashion throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s for brands such as Alex Colman of California, American Cyanamid, and, most notably, Catalina—where he was a two-time recipient of the Caswell-Massey award for design.

This summer, I had the chance to help process Maurice Levin’s personal and professional papers. Though much of his original organization was maintained, the collection was in need of some attention to help make it accessible to users.

Levin Papers as they were donated.

As an archivist in training, I am frequently cautioned against the dated, inefficient processes that some archives might cling to—simply because it’s how it’s always been done. Gratefully, I encountered none of this at the FIDM Museum.

Because the FIDM Museum is a museum (rather than a traditional archive) and because the Museum’s collecting focus is generally on clothing and accessories (rather than paper artifacts), there were no rigid procedures by which to abide. Instead, I worked under the guidance of Associate Curator Christina Johnson to develop a method for processing the Levin Archive and all future archival collections that are given to the Museum. Together, we considered the research needs of FIDM Museum patrons, including design researchers, students, and fashion enthusiasts in general. We talked through how best to arrange the papers in a way that rendered them searchable by users, but still honored Levin’s original organization. We also discussed broader questions about the types of paper records that belong in the FIDM Museum’s collection and how they fit into the Museum’s mission. The Museum is actively building up its Special Collections—which includes things like rare books, magazines, fashion plates, photographs, and archival collections.

The opportunity to help define procedures and to offer direct input is rare for a student. This has been a unique and thrilling challenge, and I am extremely thankful for the experience.

Maurice Levin Archive after re-housing.

This week on our FIDM Museum social media platforms, we're sharing the amazing archive resources housed in our Special Collections. We've been lucky to have extremely talented students help us process those archives so they are accessible for future researchers. In this post, former intern Sandy Lu explains how she utilized her Master of Library and Information Studies training at UCLA to organize the Maurice Levin Archive, a collection of personal and professional papers belonging to a prominent mid-century California designer. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Think of mid-century California style, and you’re likely to think of bright and breezy leisurewear, surf culture, and the occasional Tiki motif.

Maurice Levin had something to do with that.

Maurice Levin, c. late 1940s
Maurice Levin Archive
Gift of Marsha Fagin in Loving Memory of Maurice Levin
SC2007.917.36

Born in 1926 to a dressmaker mother and a tailor father, Levin seems to have had fashion in his bones. After graduating from New York’s (now defunct) Traphagen School of Fashion in 1949, Levin headed west to Los Angeles. He enrolled at UCLA—which, at the time, did not have a design department—and graduated with a degree in Social Science with curriculum in Apparel Design. Early on, he worked in Hollywood costuming at NBC Television Studios and Western Costume Company.

Levin took one of his first professional fashion design jobs in the early 1950s, at the iconic Jantzen swimwear company. Originally hired as a womenswear designer, he eventually settled into a menswear design position at Jantzen. The popularization of the “pink for men” trend in the 1950s was one of Levin’s proudest contributions to the company.[1]

Levin continued to design men’s and women’s fashion throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s for brands such as Alex Colman of California, American Cyanamid, and, most notably, Catalina—where he was a two-time recipient of the Caswell-Massey award for design.

This summer, I had the chance to help process Maurice Levin’s personal and professional papers. Though much of his original organization was maintained, the collection was in need of some attention to help make it accessible to users.

Levin Papers as they were donated.

As an archivist in training, I am frequently cautioned against the dated, inefficient processes that some archives might cling to—simply because it’s how it’s always been done. Gratefully, I encountered none of this at the FIDM Museum.

Because the FIDM Museum is a museum (rather than a traditional archive) and because the Museum’s collecting focus is generally on clothing and accessories (rather than paper artifacts), there were no rigid procedures by which to abide. Instead, I worked under the guidance of Associate Curator Christina Johnson to develop a method for processing the Levin Archive and all future archival collections that are given to the Museum. Together, we considered the research needs of FIDM Museum patrons, including design researchers, students, and fashion enthusiasts in general. We talked through how best to arrange the papers in a way that rendered them searchable by users, but still honored Levin’s original organization. We also discussed broader questions about the types of paper records that belong in the FIDM Museum’s collection and how they fit into the Museum’s mission. The Museum is actively building up its Special Collections—which includes things like rare books, magazines, fashion plates, photographs, and archival collections.

The opportunity to help define procedures and to offer direct input is rare for a student. This has been a unique and thrilling challenge, and I am extremely thankful for the experience.

Maurice Levin Archive after re-housing.

From the Archives: Le Quatorze Juillet

Taking a look back at our celebration of all things French fashion in honor of Bastille Day!

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What better time than Bastille Day to celebrate French fashion?  We've written extensively about French designers represented in the FIDM Museum Collection on our blog; below, you'll find links to just a few of our favorite articles. Who is your favorite designer from France? Tell us in the comments section!

Paul Poiret

Tunic
Paul Poiret
c. 1913
Purchase 
2008.25.4

Boué Soeurs

Girl's dress 
Boué Soeurs 
c. 1924-25 
Gift of Lloyd Costen 
2006.876.3AB

Madeleine Vionnet

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

Jacques Fath

"St. Charles" afternoon dress
Jacques Fath
Spring/Summer 1953
Museum Purchase
2010.5.26

Christian Dior

"Virevolte" 3-piece suit
Christian Dior
Fall/Winter 1955
Black and white wool twill
Gift of Mrs. Herbert Lawrence
81.443.1A-C

Coco Chanel

Two-piece suit
Gabrielle Chanel
Spring 1964
Transfer from the Museum at FIT
2004.291.24AB

André Courrèges

Mini-dress
André Courrèges
c. 1965
Gift of Mrs. Richard Gold
81.1965.008.1

Hubert de Givenchy

Evening dress
Hubert de Givenchy
Autumn-Winter 1968-69
Silk velvet, cockerel feathers
77.116.14
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale

Yves St. Laurent

Evening dress
Yves Saint Laurent
Autumn-Winter 1979-80
Silk velvet, silk satin
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
2006.116.54

Thierry Mugler

Thierry Mugler
S/S 1998 Ready-to-wear
Museum Purchase
2005.5.22AB

Taking a look back at our celebration of all things French fashion in honor of Bastille Day!

**********************************************************************************************************************************

What better time than Bastille Day to celebrate French fashion?  We've written extensively about French designers represented in the FIDM Museum Collection on our blog; below, you'll find links to just a few of our favorite articles. Who is your favorite designer from France? Tell us in the comments section!

Paul Poiret

Tunic
Paul Poiret
c. 1913
Purchase 
2008.25.4

Boué Soeurs

Girl's dress 
Boué Soeurs 
c. 1924-25 
Gift of Lloyd Costen 
2006.876.3AB

Madeleine Vionnet

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

Jacques Fath

"St. Charles" afternoon dress
Jacques Fath
Spring/Summer 1953
Museum Purchase
2010.5.26

Christian Dior

"Virevolte" 3-piece suit
Christian Dior
Fall/Winter 1955
Black and white wool twill
Gift of Mrs. Herbert Lawrence
81.443.1A-C

Coco Chanel

Two-piece suit
Gabrielle Chanel
Spring 1964
Transfer from the Museum at FIT
2004.291.24AB

André Courrèges

Mini-dress
André Courrèges
c. 1965
Gift of Mrs. Richard Gold
81.1965.008.1

Hubert de Givenchy

Evening dress
Hubert de Givenchy
Autumn-Winter 1968-69
Silk velvet, cockerel feathers
77.116.14
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale

Yves St. Laurent

Evening dress
Yves Saint Laurent
Autumn-Winter 1979-80
Silk velvet, silk satin
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
2006.116.54

Thierry Mugler

Thierry Mugler
S/S 1998 Ready-to-wear
Museum Purchase
2005.5.22AB

Empress Joséphine's Coronation Ensemble

Empress Joséphine of France lived an extraordinary life, and it all began on June 23, 1763 on the island of Martinique. She was born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (she was called Rose until Napoléon bestowed her with the name Joséphine) to wealthy French Creole sugarcane plantation owners. Before meeting her future husband Napoléon Bonaparte, she had already been married (her first husband died at the guillotine), given birth to two children, and survived her 1794 imprisonment during the Reign of Terror. Just one year later, she met Napoléon and became his mistress. He was intensely infatuated with her, and the two were married in March 1796. As Napoléon rose politically, it became increasingly important that Joséphine present herself as a worthy partner of France’s newest leader; she quickly became an arbiter of taste in the upper echelons of society. 

Baron François Gérard, "Joséphine en costume de sacre," 1807-1808. Château de Fontainebleau.

At the turn of the 19^th century, fashion was in flux; simple neoclassical silhouettes dominated, representing a commitment to democracy and a rejection of the Ancien Régime and its excessive grandeur. Yet unadorned garments made of humble fabrics hurt France’s once flourishing textile and fashion industry, which diminished greatly after the Revolution. Napoléon saw his return to court as an economic opportunity to revive textile manufacturing, and in 1802 he mandated a formal dress code at all court functions – thus instilling a need for skilled dressmakers, Lyon’s sumptuous silks, and lavish embroidery. Muslin garments were no longer allowed at court, as they came to France from India via England, a rival European textile center.

Determining what exactly constituted court dress was still in question. Combining contemporary styles with the necessary splendor of court was a difficult balancing act post-Revolution. Eighteenth-century royal attire was steeped in the past, but France’s new society demanded fashionable silhouettes while maintaining the requisite luxury. Napoléon’s coronation in 1804 provided a singular opportunity to define court dress for all of France – in fact, Joséphine’s costume at this momentous event would influence European court fashions for years to come.

Jacques-Louis David. "Fragment: the coronation of the Emperor Napoléon I and coronation of Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame de Paris, 2 December 1804," 1807. Louvre Museum.

The stakes of the coronation were high, as it was essential for Napoléon to legitimize his fledgling regime. Both Napoléon and Joséphine’s ensembles incorporated symbolism to associate their reign with France’s great history and traditions, while also introducing original iconography to signify a new era of imperial rule. Jean-Baptiste Isabey designed Joséphine’s gown, and Louis Hippolyte LeRoy, Joséphine’s favored marchand de modes, created it. It followed the favored high-waisted, slim silhouette of the day, but the fabric and embellishment were pure opulence: silver and gold embroidery on the finest French silk, studded with gemstones.

Fall Internship Program

Are you passionate about fashion history and curious about what goes on behind-the-scenes in a busy museum? We welcome you to apply for a Fall Internship with the FIDM Museum! Interns and volunteers are an integral part of our ongoing success; through matching your skills and interests with a specific project, we are committed to offering a dynamic and enriching experience. Interns work closely with staff and receive valuable hands-on training in museum practices. Assignments vary depending on museum needs, but may include research, cataloging, or digitization.

Fall interns must keep a weekly commitment of 15 – 40 hours for at least 12 weeks. We accept interns seeking academic credit for graduate level or above; interns must make appropriate arrangements with their academic institution.  Applications (cover letter and resumé) will be reviewed upon receipt, and qualifying applicants will be interviewed prior to beginning internship. Applications for the fall internship are due on July 1. To submit your application, email info@fidmmuseum.org.

For questions or additional information on our internship opportunities, please contact the Curator’s Office at 213.623.5821.