FIDM Museum Blog

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!

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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

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.

Rudi Gernreich: Fashion Maverick

The following post was written by Christina Johnson, Associate Curator of the FIDM Museum.

FIDM Museum Rudi Gernreich Archive Storage, 2019.

Reorganizing and cataloging the FIDM Museum’s Rudi Gernreich Archive was one of the first projects I began after being hired as Collections Manager in 2003. Although at that point I was very much a nineteenth-century specialist, handling his pieces tempted me to venture a century beyond my beloved crinolines and black-and-white daguerreotypes, and onward to mini skirts, psychedelic colors, and a happening mid-century Los Angeles scene. Since then, I’ve had an abiding interest in this intriguing LA-based designer. I’ve spent hours poring over the FIDM Museum’s collections, as well as archives held by other institutions. I’ve also had the honor of connecting with people who were an important part of his world.

Los Angeles magazine, March 1968; Rudi Gernreich with model Léon Bing in pink dress surrounded by other artists; FIDM Museum Rudi Gernreich Archive, Bequest of the Rudi Gernreich Estate. 

I’m interested in the personal reasons curators decide to embark on certain exhibitions. I’m drawn to Gernreich because of his brilliant fashion designs, and the fact that many are held by the FIDM Museum. I’m also fascinated by the histories of my own backyard. Gernreich called LA home, and I was born here, as were my parents. I also tend to be mesmerized by the object trails people leave behind, and what this ‘stuff’ reveals about multi-faceted personalities. Gernreich is one of those people who left a massive amount of material for us to analyze.

Pattern sketch of dress worn by Léon Bing in Los Angeles magazine above, Resort 1967-68; Gernreich Archive, Bequest of the Rudi Gernreich Estate. 

Rudolf “Rudi” Gernreich (1922-1985) had an extensive output and his designs survive in collections across the United States. Major holdings include: the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Kent State University Museum, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and at our neighboring institutions, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and UCLA Special Collections. Shortly after the designer’s death, his estate bequeathed his private archive to the FIDM Museum. We welcome all researchers to the archive who wish to explore Gernreich’s creative life. It includes runway samples, headwear, jewelry, footwear, prototypes, and Gernreich’s personal wardrobe. It also contains ephemera such as patterns, catalogs, sketches, and the publicity scrapbooks assembled by Layne Nielson, his Assistant Designer from 1964 to 1969. I give grateful thanks to Layne for his extensive oral histories in 2017 and 2018.

FIDM Museum objects in Fashion Will Go Out of Fashion exhibition, Neue Galerie, Austria, 2000; FIDM Museum Institutional Files.

Selections from the FIDM Museum archive have been loaned to numerous exhibitions, most recently Gender Bending Fashion at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2019); The Museum of Modern Art’s Items: is Fashion Modern? (2017-2018); and LACMA’s Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715-2015 (2016), later traveling to the St. Louis Art Museum and the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Exhibitions of note focused solely on this designer’s work include: Rudi Gernreich: A Tribute, curated by Layne Nielson at Otis-Parsons Exhibition Center, Los Angeles (1985); Fashion Will Go Out of Fashion, organized by Brigitte Felderer at the Neue Galerie Graz in Austria (2000), later traveling to the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania; and the Kent State University Museum’s Rudi Gernreich: Bold by Dr. Anne Bissonnette (2008-2009).

Gernreich with FIDM students and model, California Apparel News, November 5, 1982; Gernreich Archive, Bequest of the Rudi Gernreich Estate. 

Color of the Year: Living Coral

We are now four months into 2019 - have you noticed an influx of coral hues in your social media feed, fashion editorials, or latest tech gadgets? Announced last December, the 2019 Color of the Year ‘ Living Coral’ (officially known as PANTONE 16-1546) “embraces us with warmth and nourishment”^[1] while “symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits.”^[2] A color uniquely linked to nature, Living Coral celebrates beauty found in the outdoors, while also reminding consumers of the importance of environmental preservation; though the color sparks positivity, the latest research shows that about one-fifth of the world’s coral reefs have been lost or damaged.^[3]In fact, several design houses, including Tiffany and Company, have vowed to stop working with the endangered resource, and international trade regulations restrict the exportation of red coral harvested after 1969.^[4]

Claude Monet, "Impression, Soleil Levant," 1872, courtesy of the Musée Marmottan Monet

Ironically, rather than representing nature’s vulnerability, coral was once worn to protect children and ward off evil in ancient Rome.^[5] It has been used for centuries as a prized gemstone for jewelry, from Victorian carved cameos to Art Deco pendants, rings, and hair combs; in Native American jewelry, coral symbolizes “success and social prominence.”^[6] And what would Impressionist paintings be without vibrant coral sunsets and plants? Nineteenth century artists used iron-oxide cadmium pigments to achieve the rich, saturated hues for their work - an improvement on the vermillion and minium (“red lead”) pigments used by their predecessors, and certainly safer than the ancient mineral realgar, which contained toxic levels of arsenic.^[7]

Evening Gown
Paquin, Paris, Winter 1912
Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection
FIDM Museum Purchase: Funds generously donated by Disney Worldwide, 2017.5.55AB  

Pantone’s Color of the Year is selected by the for-profit Color Institute after analyzing current trends in a variety of industries, such as entertainment, art, fashion and design, travel, technology, and even socio-political events. A brief look at the FIDM Museum Collection shows that coral has been in fashion long before Pantone deemed it the official color of 2019; in our storage, Gianni Versace's bold Miami coral lives alongside the silky coral of a couture Paquin evening gown. Here, we're sharing a few of our favorite coral objects with you - treasures indeed, no matter the year!

Hair jewelry brooch with coral bead frame
1800-1899
Gift of Andrea Tice in memory of Carmelita Johnson
2008.46.178      

Lamé and silk evening coat
Jeanne Lanvin, Summer 1931
FIDM Museum Purchase: Funds generously donated by Barbara Bundy
2010.37.2   

 

The Empire Era Silhouette

Our recent exhibition Majesty & Mystery: Saving a Napoléonic Court Gown introduced visitors to the magnificent royal court of Napoléon Bonaparte and Empress Joséphine. The gold and silver splendor seen in the court ensemble on display (currently the focus of our Operation 1804 fundraising campaign) was a marked contrast to the evening dress also shown in the gallery; this fine white muslin creation perfectly illustrated the shift towards simplicity in early 1800s fashion.

"Marie Antoinette in a Chemise Dress," 1783
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755 - 1842)
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Even before the Revolution, French fashion was gradually embracing more streamlined silhouettes and humble fabrics. Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun’s 1783 portrait of Marie Antoinette captured the monarch wearing her infamous ‘chemise à la reine,’ a layered white muslin frock that represented the queen’s love of the countryside and her idealized view of peasant life. Though the painting subsequently caused a public outcry because the queen’s attire so resembled an undergarment, members of high society eagerly adopted the gown’s looser style and lightweight fabric. Post-Revolution, this simplified silhouette morphed once again as society looked to the Democratic ideals of ancient Greece and Rome, resulting in fashions that emulated marble statues and Ionic columns. White, semi-sheer, form-fitting gowns with high waistlines directly under the bust were now worn over pale slips, echoing the casually draped garments of ancient civilizations.

Muslin evening dress, c. 1803
FIDM Museum Purchase
2009.5.6

These stark dresses became the perfect canvases to show-off accessories such as fine cashmere paisley shawls, unique headwear, and of course, eye-catching shoes. The slender cut of skirts ensured that shoes would certainly be visible, thus emphasizing the need for brightly colored and beautifully trimmed footwear.

Kid leather shoes, c. 1800
FIDM Museum Purchase
2017.5.123AB

Q&A with Costume Designer Mary Zophres

It is always an honor hosting costume designer Mary Zophres at the FIDM Museum. The three-time Academy Award nominee, four-time BAFTA nominee, and Costume Designers Guild winner for Best Contemporary Costume Design (La La Land) joined us for an afternoon at the FIDM Museum prior to the opening of our Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition. Curator Kevin Jones showed Zophres a rare 1960s man's jumpsuit inspired by the space race, and afterwards she answered questions about designing for both First Man and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, for which she received her third Academy Award nomination.

Mary Zophres in the FIDM Museum Permanent Collection, viewing a 1966 man's jumpsuit

What are your impressions of the Ruben Torres jumpsuit?

This is perfect for First Man - it’s fashion inspired by the first trip to the moon! Originally, when they first started the space program, they put the astronauts in silver because it was from the lore and the TV shows - what the public thinks of. They have to get everybody’s approval and involvement in thinking it’s a good idea. How can we make this appealing? So they did it in silver. The silver suits were for Mercury [1958 - 1963]. After that they decided to make them white because they were going closer to the moon and the reflection was harmful. They needed something that would not bake - silver attracted the sun and white sort of bounces off.

Man's silver lamé jumpsuit
Rubin Torres, 1966
FIDM Museum Purchase, 2013.5.56

The seven Mercury astronauts, 1958-1963; photo courtesy of NASA

Did you go to NASA to do research for First Man?

We did. During prep we had a day trip to go down and take a look at everything and measure, but you’re not allowed to touch them. The X15 we did get to handle, but it was not at NASA - it was with a collector outside of Los Angeles. For that visit, we had gloves on but we could handle and touch and feel it. NASA was super cooperative, they loved the movie, but the suits are fragile now. They wanted to cooperate with us because they wanted us to get it right.

Neil’s Apollo 11 suit was being restored because they’re going to display it at the Air and Space Museum for the 50th anniversary of the mission. So his wasn’t there, but we had Buzz Aldrin’s and Michael Collins’. They’re slightly different: Collins stayed in the ship, so his suit was slightly different than the ones that go on the moon.

Mary Zophres and the replica Apollo 11 spacesuit used in First Man at the opening reception for the Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition

What materials did you use for the spacesuits?

For Apollo we used Beta cloth; we had it woven for the film.

Where was it woven?

Western Costume helped us source it out, and so did NASA. It’s the same company that makes the fabric for NASA. Super, super expensive! The X15 fabric we also had made - we found something close, and that company did a special run for us. Also expensive but it was worth it.

Ryan Nagata made the X15 space suit for us. I started doing research for this film and I came upon his website. He used to make space suits as his hobby and now it’s turned into his career. He’s so good at it. He’s so knowledgeable about the space program it’s unbelievable. First we approached him about making all the suits for the film, but he’s a one man operation and it was not possible. But he made two Gemini suits for us and the X15. For the X15 we used real parts - it’s a beautifully made suit. He came with us to that collector to look at the original suit. We were striving for authenticity and he believed us. We provided the material and of course when we were making it we were back and forth from our shop to his shop, but in the end we rented it from him so he would own it. And we made the boots - Jitterbug is a boot maker in Canada. They ended up making all of our space boots.

Mary Zophres' costumes from First Man

Summer Internship Program

The FIDM Museum is excited to announce our Summer Internship Program is open for applications. Interns work closely with FIDM Museum staff and receive valuable hands-on training in museum practices. We are currently seeking talented and motivated graduate students to assist with a variety of projects.

The Museum offers two funded opportunities and several volunteer positions. All applicants should be currently enrolled in a graduate program in fashion history or museum studies; consideration will also be given to students beginning their graduate program in Fall 2019.

The Lori and Sal Santamaura Summer Study Grant is open to U.S. citizens. This Study Program will include a collections-based project, cataloging, research, and installation experience. Additionally, the student will have the opportunity to shadow each FIDM Museum staff member and participate in educational field trips to other local collections. They will work on a FIDM Museum collections-based research project of their choice; findings will be presented on the FIDM Museum Blog.

The Donald and Joan Damask Summer Study Grant is open to U.S. citizens. This opportunity focuses on collections management projects determined by collections staff. Additionally, a research project of the students’ choice will be presented on the FIDM Museum Blog.

Both the Santamaura and Damask Grants are eight weeks in duration over the summer months (35 hours per week during business hours; schedule to be arranged with supervisor) and consists of a $1,000 stipend; $500 will be paid to the student on their first day at the FIDM Museum, and the remaining $500 will be given on the day of their completed internship.

Volunteer internships (non-funded) are also available. Assignments may include exhibition installation, research, cataloging, or digitization. We accept students seeking academic credit; interns must make appropriate arrangements with their academic institution.  Summer interns must commit to working 35 hours per week for eight weeks.

Applications (cover letter and resumé) for internships are due April 1, 2019. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, and qualifying applicants will be interviewed prior to beginning the program. Applicants will be considered for all internship opportunities. On your application, please inform the FIDM Museum if you cannot accept a non-funded internship.

To submit your application or for additional information, contact us via email: info@FIDMmuseum.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

FIDM Museum interns, volunteers, and staff at the 2018 Art of Television Costume Design exhibition opening