The Fashion Culturist

The Advantages and Ethics of Museum Technology

2010-10-28T15:20:00.003-04:00

Museums have always struggled to compete with the draw of emerging technology. Prior to the internet explosion, objects found in museum collections were once only accessible in two forms: viewed in person, or in print publications. Yet people no longer have to rely on these mediums when websites like Artstor and Wikipedia hold in-depth information at their fingertips. Technology, as always, rapidly changes the ways in which people learn. Is its implementation in exhibitions vital to the survival of museums as we know it?

Many institutions are slow to take on new technology for several reasons. Funding is the main issue, but older administrations wish to preserve the traditional sense of museum collections - their physical selves put behind glass or secured displays, to educate and entertain the public. The installation of technology into this arena is a scary feat for those who take care of the same exhibition displays their grandparents enjoyed (a la the American Museum of Natural History). This ethical dilemma, although valid, is hurting arts-related industries around the world.

Luckily, visionaries like Valerie Steele at the Museum at FIT have begun to change the way exhibitions serve the public. The latest installment at the New York facility, Japan Fashion Now, holds contemporary pieces from Japanese designers ranging from haute couture to streetwear - a brilliant move diversifying the Western sense of Japanese dress. The exhibition design is overwhelming as well. Actual photos taken by Steele's husband on their trip to Japan run floor to ceiling, and are meant to convey a feeling that one is standing in Tokyo's busy metropolis.

The most eye-catching feature however, is undoubtedly several high-definition television screens separating each section of the exhibition. These act as didactic labels, inter-spliced with cultural subjects such as language, music videos, interviews and more photos of Japanese fashion. This clear, fast-paced display holds the viewer's interest and allows a plethora of information to be introduced without cluttering the exhibition area.

MFIT has also undertaken several web advancements to generate interest and study. Their newest endeavor, an interactive website in collaboration with Synthescape Art Imaging, creates a competitive edge in the museum PR world. Web surfers can view three objects from the exhibition more intimately than if they were to visit the actual locale. The amazing photographic technology allows visitors to zoom-in incredibly close to view object details (an important aspect of Japanese fashion), both front and back (provided by the rotation button). Not only is the site fun and interesting, but fashion students around the world get a chance to study every stitch, knit and detail of these objects whenever, wherever.

Several museums have introduced items like interactive television displays, phone-based audio tours, high-definition films, video/computerized labels and PC education stations, but none that I have been to thus far have melded the relationship together as well as MFIT has. Perhaps it is because technology and Japanese Fashion share the common concept of "cutting edge," but I believe MFIT is on to something here. The needs of museum-goers are quickly changing with every instantaneous internet application that is developed. If they can't compete with home-based art and science education, they might as well join 'em.

What are some other examples of the interesting and effective uses of technology in museums? Is this sort of technology suitable for all kinds of exhibitions, or just contemporary-based ones? Should institutions work harder to cater to this age of technology, or are the objects still enough of a draw on their own? I'm highly interested in hearing your thoughts and relevant examples.

Photos courtesy of DNAinfo: Manhattan Local News.

Job Opp: Textile Analyst for the US Government

2010-08-26T21:36:00.003-04:00

Although fashion studies may seem like a limited career field, if you are willing to look outside of the box you will find many unique and applicable opportunities. I'm posting this one because I know many people would qualify for it and the benefits are really good.

Job Title: Textile Analyst

Department: Department Of Homeland Security

Agency: Customs and Border Protection

Location: Newark, NJ

Job Announcement Number: IHC-376345 BWS DE

Salary Range: $43,738.00 - $84,146.00 /year.

Job Description: You will analyze and test samples of imported textiles, natural and synthetic fibrous products (e.g., flax, polyester) non-fibrous products (e.g., fur, hair, feathers, footwear), and related items submitted in conjunction with regulatory and enforcement activities of the agency. Specifically, you determine the proper approach to the analysis; perform assigned tests on identified samples using wet laboratory procedures or advanced analytical instrumentation; and write reports of findings, interpretations, and conclusions. You will also provide expert advice to other analysts and officials on sampling and instruct other laboratory personnel in analysis techniques. You will attend technical meetings, read relevant reports and publications and may provide technical assistance to U.S. Attorneys preparing court cases. Finally, you may participate in mobile laboratory field operations.

Basic Requirements:

A) Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in textile technology.

-OR-

B) Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in textile technology that included at least 20 semester hours in textile technology and closely related subjects, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation.

*YOU MUST BE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION*

Click here for more information.

Facial Hair and Hairstyle Evolutions of The Beatles

2010-08-01T12:28:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine sent me this cute little time line about the Beatles and their changes in hairstyles over the span of their career. It's accurate for the most part, and incredibly fun to analyze. Enjoy!

From the blog, Alligator Sunglasses.

Textile Science and Friendship Bracelets

2010-07-25T19:50:00.009-04:00

Arrived home from a trip to Canada on Friday, and although I don't have time for an in-depth post this week, I thought I'd give you all some nice summer "fluff" which, interestingly enough, is quite relevant to my studies in the most fun of ways.

Friendship bracelets are a traditional summer camp past time. On long bus trips, I usually break out the string box, have the kids pick their colors and either teach them the patterns, or macrame them myself. If it had been any other summer, I wouldn't have regarded the bracelets with any sense of wonder other than "wow, those colors look cool together." A summer after my first year of grad school however, has caused me to examine even something as simple as a Chinese Staircase - how would the great textile scholars classify this adolescent form of art?

Looking back on my notes and materials, I discovered that these patterns are not woven or knit structures. According to Irene Emery's The Primary Structures of Fabrics: An Illustrated Classification, macrame consists of "...inter-working the free-hanging elements of a single set into a fabric" it is considered to be inter-knotting, not inter-looping (as in knitting or crochet, which uses a continuous element) or regular weaving. Macrame is also different because it is formed "...by knotting elements round adjacent elements, first to one side and then to the other."

For those unfamiliar with Emery's work, elements are objects used in the process of weaving, knitting or knotting. Typically these are threads, but can be anything - hair, metals, plants, etc. These often form the base of textiles; things like beads, sequins, and embroidery are considered "applied elements" because they are added post-process and are not integral to the weave, knit or knot structure.

The pattern I use the most often is the Cobra, which happens to be your typical macrame knot all the way through. From this closeup, it is clear how this pattern is inter-knotted, not just looped (as many often think).

Friendship bracelet enthusiasts have developed their own patterns very similar to those Emery and her contemporaries use to visually describe structures. Again, knotted and woven patterns should not be confused; rather, these are examples of how people interpret these techniques.

Todd's Knitting Blog

Fiber to Fabric (Potter and Corbman).

This is why I love grad school; I readily apply knowledge from the classroom to simple, everyday activities such as making bracelets for campers. I never call them out if I over hear them say "and then you weave it like this" - they are too young to really comprehend the difference. But it does make me feel intelligent to know and recognize the difference (insert smiley emoticon).

______________________________________
Further Reading

Alderman, Sharon. Mastering Weave Structures: Transforming Ideas into Great Cloth.

Earnshaw, Pat. Identification of Lace.

Watson, William. Advanced Textile Design.

Friendship-bracelets.net (just for fun!).

Fashion as Art: Footwear Designs of Marloes ten Bhömer

2010-07-09T16:11:00.004-04:00

It's been a busy summer so far! I've been non-stop working since the school year ended, with the CSA conference and some of my own independent research churning along (yes, I'm still on the Czech denim kick). It's been a while since I've had the luxury to write a post however, so here is a little something to mull over until I can get back on a normal schedule.

One of the reasons I became interested in fashion studies is so that I could explore the divide (or is there one?) between fashion and art. Growing up, I recognized that fashion was a form of art - after all, the methodologies of designers are similar to those of artists. They have inspirations, they sketch or conceptualize their craft and most of all, they create. Yet despite the increase of fashion, dress and textile exhibitions in museums both art historical and non, many people deny fashion as an art form in favor of its capitalistic, seemingly vapid industry image.

Guilty as charged, there was a time when I criticized the work of runway couturiers. I couldn't fathom why someone would create an ensemble that couldn't - and wouldn't - be worn by the average person, or even the celebrity at that. But when I looked at each piece like it was a painting or sculpture, it made more sense. Fashion doesn't necessarily have to be worn - it has to be seen, it has to be innovative, and it has to make the viewer think, just like any other work of art.

I'm sure I could dedicate another post to theorizing about "what is couture?" - but I won't do that now. However, I would love to bring to light the designs of Marloes ten Bhömer, who's pieces blew me away. I'll be the first to admit that I am not "up" on the fashion couture fashion scene, but Bhömer is clearly a woman who can be understood by fashionistas and art enthusiasts alike.

Her collection consists mainly of unique shoe designs that challenge the viewer to process the design and wonder, "can people really wear those?" Not to the same extent as Alexander McQueen's outlandishly gawdy chopine-like footwear - Bhömer uses geometry, physics and utilitarian materials like paper, fiberglass and steel to create shoes that are actually functional and visually captivating. She is constantly experimenting with technology, producing unconventional accessories without overwhelming buyers, curators and the common person.

Bhömer, in my opinion, has successfully straddled the line between what makes fashion, fashion, and what makes fashion, art. Below are some of my favorites; I'd love to find more designers like her, so if you know of any good ones, please comment below.

Rotationalmouldedshoe. Materials: Polyurethane rubber and stainless steel.

Noheelsleathershoe. Materials: Leather.

Carbonfibreshoe #1. Materials: Carbon fibreShoes constructed from carbon fibre.
The heels are placed on the side of the shoe, forcing the weight of the body to distribute of from side to side when walking.

All photos courtesy of marloestenbhomer.squarespace.com

CSA Symposium 2010 Criticisms - Do You Agree?

2010-06-17T14:25:00.000-04:00

I've been non-stop traveling since getting back from the the Costume Society of America's National Symposium, so pardon my erratic posting schedule. Future posts will include inspirations from these trips, but I wanted to address some things I hope will help those interested in attending next year's symposium. I've been in talks with many of the CSA big-wigs so improvements are definitely in the works. And despite these little criticisms, I am actually very much looking forward to next year's conference.

Things I learned:

-I found it very hard to locate and socialize with fellow students. There is so much we can learn from each other - ways to improve existing programs, exchanging current research interests, even discovering the specialties of their university collections. I also know that student attendance was lower than normal, not only for the symposium but for CSA membership as a whole. This was a concern addressed to me by several CSA members, so it is good to know that they recognize the problem and are working on a solution.

How to fix this: there needs to be a student committee of some sort. One of the CSA's main goals is to garner new student membership. This can only be done if there is a proactive group dedicated to recruitment and student-related events. Most other organizations have student liasons, and CSA should be no exception. It would be great for next year's conference to have some more student meet-and-greets and excursions. It would also be a great place to mediate student's concerns and needs.

-The cost of this conference was inappropriate for these economic times, and definitely not student friendly. This was a major deterrent for many people, who wanted to come to the conference but could not justify the price tag.

How to fix this: the cost of the conference basically pays for the use of the venue, along with breakfasts, two lunches, your chance to hear wonderful research and some additional activities. It did NOT include transportation to/from the venue, additional meals, and accommodations, or cultural activities. So it is easy to see why people would decline attending, especially if they are struggling to make ends meet as it is. This can be remedied with a few changes in comfort - find a cheaper venue, with cheaper catering, in a location that is accessible and close to a cultural center. The perfect combination of all these things? A college campus. Housing could be offered in the dorms (most make their students vacate by the time the conference is scheduled) or at a nearby hotel with a shuttle service (for those who seek comfort over quality). Not to mention, it would be a great way to see the campuses and collections of sponsoring cities, because many of the presenters are professors and local museum curators.

-In my opinion, it is only worth investing in this conference if you are presenting a paper. Although the research exhibition component is important, participants get hardly any face time because they are placed at the end of the conference, when most people are either leaving or attending concurrent sessions. Also, the annual meeting ran late, giving us only about an hour to discuss our work with those few who were interested in checking out the research exhibitions. I'm glad I got the opportunity to "present" but the amount of time and effort spent on putting it all together didn't feel worth it without criticism from attendees.

How to fix this: have the posters up for the entire conference, with special discussion times throughout the schedule. Most events ended at 6pm, there is definitely a lot of time for short chats. The few people who came to the research exhibitions seemed to enjoy the content, and I'm sure that the ones who left would have liked an opportunity to see and discuss them as well.

-I could do without Kansas City. The city's layout was very disjointed and there is virtually no public transportation, making outside excursions costly and time-consuming to plan.

How to fix this: although regional fairness must be considered, it would have been helpful to have had a tour of the city as an activity, or even a packet of notable sites, places to eat, go dancing, etc. The next two conferences will be in Boston and Atlanta, so attaining these goals will be a little easier. This is not merely a youthful response, either; I ran into many older attendees who wanted to go out, but had no idea as to where to go.

For those of you who attended the conference, do you agree/disagree with any of my statements? What do you think were the highs/lows of this year's conference? The members I have been talking to are very concerned with how to improve future symposiums, and all questions and comments are welcome!

Brief Course of Events - CSA National Symposium 2010

2010-06-01T13:32:00.009-04:00

I wanted to give a brief write-up of the Costume Society of American's Annual Symposium, for those of you who were unable to attend. Overall, I'm very pleased to have been in Kansas City for the conference; I met a lot of great people, and had a lot of stimulating conversations with professors, curators and dress enthusiasts. You can read more about who presented and the topics discussed here.

Wednesday, May 26th: My first taste of the symposium began with the opening reception. I recognized very few people, but was able to meet and greet the likes of Anne Bissonette and the legendary June Burns Bove, as well as chat with some first timers about their goals, schooling, job offers, etc. I met up with Monica Sklar (editor of the blog WornThrough) after the award ceremony, and talked fashion studies with some really cool ladies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, who run the Fashion Resource Center. I was inspired by their school's promotion of contemporary fashion and encouragement of their students to touch, drape, and interact with their extensive collection. Something to think about, for future endeavors...

Thursday, May 27th: After breakfast, the juried paper sessions began. I especially liked seeing Monica Sklar's (University of Minnesota) presentation of her research on punk dress in the workplace. She provided a great model for future dress studies, and her presentation layout was also eye-catching and effective. I also really enjoyed an analysis by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) on a French Revolutionary-era gilet (vest/waistcoat). She presented a lot of interesting research on the fascinating tongue-and-cheek designs of bourgeois fashion.

I also attended a professional development seminar based on utilizing primary sources other than extant garments for research purposes. I was interested in this seminar particularly because I do not have access to many existing garments pertaining to my interests. It turned out to be a really enlightening seminar, where attendees shared their knowledge as well as their desire to have researchers come to their institutions. I was glad to hear this, because I've been a bit jaded by the near impossible access to collections in New York City. The fact that there are museums and historic societies that are dying to have people come research their garments makes me feel better about my chosen professional (aka I thought we had to keep our treasures under lock-and-key).

Friday, May 28th: Although I missed out on the Teaching Dress History discussion panel, I was able to catch a few more paper sessions such as Nadine L. Stewart's (FIT) Master's thesis on Millinery life and Clarissa Esguerra's extremely thorough analysis of a dress in LACMA's collection that had been made in the 1830s and then refashioned in the 1840s. I was very impressed by how she was able to recognize the patterns and cuts of the dress and draw her conclusions based on its construction.

After lunch I sat in on a concurrent paper session, where I was able to hear Katalin Medvedev's (University of Georgia) field research on grassroots fashion development in Cambodia. It was wonderful to meet her because she has done similar work regarding Communist dress in Hungary. Also during this session were enlightening presentations on progressive fashion photography of the 1930s and 1940s, wardrobe stylists who use original craft techniques for period films, and a biographical "introduction" of Muriel King, a 20th century designer that had been the focus of a senior exhibition at FIT in 2009.

Saturday, May 29th: The day started out with the Stella Blum Student Grant awardee's paper presentation. Katie Knowles, a PhD student at Rice University, did extensive research pertaining to slave clothing in the United States. I was very impressed by her knowledge and the amount of research she was able to uncover because there are so few slave garments available. It was also nice to hear that many of her items came from the Charleston Museum (thanks for helping her out, Jan Hiester!). This grant was definitely well deserved, as "plain" clothing is vastly under researched and hard to find in museum collections.

Then came the research exhibitions. I must admit, this was probably the most disappointing part of the entire symposium, even though I was presenting. First of all, the annual meeting ran 15 minutes over schedule, and we only originally had about an hour an a half to display our work. Secondly, they placed the session on the last day, when many people leave the conference. The session also ran concurrently during a seminar hosted by June Burns Bove on dressing mannequins, and come on, you can't compete with Ms. Bove! She's just so fabulous. I was able to interact with a few members who graciously stopped by, but in the end I felt like I had put in a lot of effort for very little face time.

Attending this year's symposium made me excited for future CSA events. I look forward to next year's conference in Boston, where I plan on presenting a paper on Douglas Millings, as well as possibly hosting a professional development seminar. My next post will discuss specific critiques of the symposium, as well as new suggestions (from both peers and myself) that may benefit the promotion of the CSA's goals and future endeavors.

Follow me on Twitter!

2010-05-25T12:09:00.004-04:00

For those of you on Twitter, I'll be tweeting from the Costume Society of America's National Symposium starting tomorrow, May 26th. Although it's been somewhat taxing these past few weeks, I think overall it's going to be a worthwhile experience.

So look out for my updates! You can follow me here. I'll also be updating for the blog, WornThrough. Check out their Twitter here.

See you in Kansas City!

The New Curatorial Generation: What Do We Need to Know?

2010-05-24T00:49:00.007-04:00

Exhibition case from the 2010 Graduate exhibition, "Scandal Sandals and Lady Slippers: A History of Delman Shoes"

At FIT, upper level graduate students get the chance to develop and execute an actual exhibition, staged in the graduate galleries at MFIT. This has always been a challenging but rewarding experience, mainly because it is the first time (for many) that students get to put their studies into practice. Students act as curators, conservators, registrars, public relations people, and many other positions that are meant to emulate those available in any given museum setting.

I'm excited to see who will serve in each position, because I know our class is strong. I have a few inklings as to who will get what, and I think that those people are very appropriate choices. There are certain jobs which I know I'd be good at because I've done them before, but I'm compelled to apply for a position that would broaden my skill set and make me a more well-rounded job candidate upon graduation.

Museums were particularly hit hard by the recession, but employment progress is slowly starting to regain strength. Still, many over qualified people have to fight for small positions that require more responsibility, experience and skill requirements than probably are needed. For example, I've worked in museums before where several jobs were crunched down into one because of budgetary reasons. Having a lot of experience in one field is, of course, beneficial, but anyone who's worked in a museum before can tell you that unless you're at the Met or a Smithsonian institution, a curator is never just a curator.

I've interned at the Charleston Museum and the New York City Police Museum and can tell you first hand how many hats a curator can wear. The curator of textiles at the Charleston Museum was also the registrar, and was responsible for designing and installing her own exhibition layouts, ordering supplies, handling and conserving the objects. The collections manager at the NYCPM also worked on the museum's development, archival materials and collections database entries. Most museums don't even have area-specific curators. With this ever shrinking field, we need to be prepared for any task that comes our way.

For those of you who currently work or have worked in museums before, what has been your most valuable work-related experience? Are there any positions you particularly enjoyed? And what kinds of new and interesting positions do you foresee developing in the near future? Post your thoughts and advice!

Who Dressed The Beatles?: Pierre Cardin, Douglas Millings and the Collarless Suit of the 1960s

2010-05-18T00:36:00.013-04:00

Douglas Millings with his biggest fans, The Beatles.

Below is a little snippet from a paper I just wrote for my History of 20th Century Fashion class. The paper is a comparison of the collarless suits created by Pierre Cardin and Douglas Millings, tailor for The Beatles. In my research I've often come across statements like "Pierre Cardin designed the iconic suits of The Beatles" and that "The Beatles made Pierre Cardin's suit fashionable in the 1960s" but I don't believe that Cardin deserves so much credit for this accomplishment. Although Millings is well known to Beatles fans, he is often only an afterthought when it comes to analysis of Beatles fashion.

I've included a section which compares the historical context and designs of the two suits. They are very similar, but I think their differences allot enough distinctive qualities. Let me know what you think...

SUIT COMPARISONS

It is important to realize that the collarless suits of Pierre Cardin and those rendered by Douglas Millings are similar, but not identical. It is highly likely that Millings drew his inspiration from Cardin's initial design. However, careful research reveals that the Cylinder style and the suits worn by The Beatles are unique enough to distinguish themselves apart.

Cardin's design of the 1960s are the epitome of simplicity. Part of the reason his designs were not favored by the fashion press initially was because they lacked the familiar features of menswear from that time – boxy, rigid jackets, stiff white shirts with angular collars, and broad trousers that were pressed so hard, they gave off the appearance of finely sharpened razor blades.[i] These suits of the 1940s and 1950s made young men look old, and old men look even older. This made for an even more apparent contrast between youth dress influenced by the edginess of Rock 'n Roll, and their fathers and grandfathers who still abided by a very formal style of dress.

Cardin’s final product was a slim, sleek design which had never been seen before from a menswear couturier. Cardin's models buttoned all five jacket buttons to the neckline, displaying just a peek of their tucked-in shirt collars and straight-form ties. Autumn ensembles were made of corduroy, with one breast pocket and two hip pockets on the jacket, and the spring ensembles were made of cotton, without pockets. The sleeves were purposely cut short to reveal the cuffs of the shirts underneath, highlighting Cardin's penchant for cufflinks.[ii] The trousers were pressed, but hung loosely on the hips of the student models.

Cardin's designs created a balance between the worlds of old and new. Still honoring the art of the tailored suit, he utilized his skills to soften the overall appearance of the male form. By removing bulky embellishments like lapels, tails, collars and cuffs, and tapering the trousers, Cardin created an outfit that literally “suited” a younger, hipper and burgeoning intellectual type of man. By using materials like corduroy and cotton, he also revoked the stereotype that men's clothing should be uncomfortable and stiff – Cardin, always looking to the future, knew that his suit was designed for a progressive generation.

Cardin's "Cylinder Style" suit (left) and Millings' Beatle suit (right). Notice the differences in design and construction.

Millings too could see this shift in the way the younger generation responded to fashion. Whether or not he studied Cardin's designs intently - or even followed the fashion press at all – is unknown, but he must have been somewhat in-touch with fashion enough to realize that his suits would truly set the standard for menswear of the time. An employee of Millings by the name of Tom Gilbey once remarked, “I think it’s fair to say that they [The Beatles] did steal that look fro Pierre Cardin. But their look did evolve from that.”

Millings never (publicly) admitted to where his inspiration came from regarding his collarless suits. In an interview he once said, “…I dreamed up the round-neck collar. I make no claims I invented it, but we did add individual touches - the bell-shaped cuff with the link button; this strange collar with the four buttons.”[iii] Indeed, Millings' design was strikingly similar to that of Cardin's. But obvious details make the collarless suit of 1963 different from the collarless suit of 1960.

The original suits from DA Millings and Son were made of gray wool mixed with mohair and came in several colors, some of which The Beatles never wore.[iv] This material was luxurious but comfortable, durable but flattering and the design proved easy to replicate for Millings once public demand for “Beatle suits” arose. The original suits also had mother-of-pearl buttons, which changed to more conventional materials after Epstein ordered several other sets for the band.[v]

Millings varied his construction from that of Cardin's suit. The most obvious detail was that he outlined the edges in black piping. The jackets have slit pockets angled at the hips – only some of Cardin’s suits had pockets, and when they did, they were patch-style. Millings’ suits also only have three buttons, which are buttoned to the neck in the same fashion that the Cylinder suits are shown. But the neck of Millings’ suits have an opening that slightly wider in circumference than Cardin's.[vi]

Millings also beveled the sleeves and added working buttonholes. The back of Millings’ jackets have 2 small, vertical slits that allow for comfort and ease of movement during performances – also a non-constrictive benefit when running from crowds of teenage girls. Scrutinizing these unique details shows that Millings created a “variation on a theme” that proved to be more successful than Cardin’s original designs.

[i] Joshua Sims, Rock Fashion, (London: Omnibus, 1999), 22-23.

[ii] Richard Morais. Pierre Cardin: The Man Who Became a Label, (Bantam Transworld LTD, 1991), 96-97.

[iii] Paul Gorman, The Look: Adventures in Pop and Rock Fashion. (London: Sanctuary, 2001).

[iv] "Liverpool Museums - Beatles Suit." Liverpool Museums - National Museums Liverpool. Web. 12 April 2010. .

[v] Douglas Martin, “Dougie Millings, 88, the Tailor for the Beatles,” New York Times, October 8, 2001, Obituary section.

[vi] Russ W, Lease, "Cardin vs. Millings Paper." Telephone interview. 29 Mar. 2010.

Americans in Paris: FIT's Graduate Student Symposium

2010-05-06T19:54:00.003-04:00

No new post for this week, I've got two papers to write this weekend: one on traditional Czech dress under Communism, the other comparing the collarless suits of Pierre Cardin and DA Millings. I've got a good start, but I still have a lot of work to do...

Anyway, for those of you in the Tri-State area, please come out and support the graduating MA students from FIT! A few of them are presenting some really cool papers pertaining to fashion correlations between America and Paris. I'll be there, and you should be too!

Check out the lineup here.

CSA Conference 2010 - Anyone Going?

2010-05-02T19:47:00.002-04:00

As a cross-reference to Worn Through, who is planning on attending the Costume Society of America's National Symposium this year?

This is my first year as a member, and my first year presenting as well (I'm doing a research exhibition on Blue Jean Culture and Transformation in 20th Century Czech History). I know a lot of people who usually attend are not going this year, and to be honest, I'm not very surprised. The location is new for me but doesn't have the same kind of "vacation" attraction appeal that some larger cities do. The overall conference price - even at the discounted student rate - is also a bit of a reach for those suffering from the economic downturn.

I plan on tweeting during the conference, so be on the lookout for those updates. I'll be there from Wednesday, May 26th to Saturday, May 29th (my birthday!), presenting that Saturday morning. I'm excited to meet the other members and hopefully stir things up a bit. I've heard from many people that they are looking for ways to build up younger membership, and I've got a few ideas...

So, who is going? If you're not going, what has prevented you? I'm willing to address any issues or concerns - from both members and non - with the higher-ups of the CSA. They are no-doubt concerned about this year's low attendance and would welcome any feedback or ideas you have.

See you there!

Shameless Plug: Americans in Paris: Designers, Buyers, Editors, Photographers, Models and Clients in Paris Fashion

2010-04-29T08:41:00.004-04:00

The MA program in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory and Museum Practice is hosting their annual Graduate Studies symposium on May 8th, 2010. Each year, the Advanced Professional Seminar class spends a semester researching, writing and planning this unique Fashion Studies event, learning the skills needed to write and present a professional paper in front of an audience. The symposium's theme is generated by exhibitions held at The Museum at FIT; this year, the theme centers around Americans in Paris, coinciding with MFIT's latest exhibition, American Beauty.

Many of the presenters are accomplished students at FIT. All have previously worked on the Graduate Studies exhibition on Delman shoes, and many hold internships in costume or conservation institutions around New York.

If you are in the New York area, I encourage you to come out on Saturday afternoon for what will be a most enlightening event. The schedule is listed below (click to enlarge it):

Hope to see you there!!

Fashion and Field Work: An Effective Case Study

2010-04-25T21:26:00.012-04:00

I often have conversations with peers about how to garner more credibility for fashion studies. The difficulty lies mainly in the fact that there is little to no "defined" methodology for our field - I've run up against this wall several times during my experiences at school. For example, my approach to fashion studies as an anthropologist is different than, say, a historian, a chemist, even a designer's own approach. Of course, a set methodology takes years to develop and until collaboration between disciplines is more concrete, this goal may be even farther out of reach.

In my case, the future of anthropology relies on practicing field work, generally set up within two categories - archaeological, and ethnographic. The latter concerns cultural anthropology, for it is developed based on interactions with and observations of people, not just things and places.

Much ethnographic research within the field of fashion studies pertain to indigenous cultures, who's traditional uses of dress are still practiced today. Although intriguing, this research only benefits our understanding of a specific cultural practice, not fashion studies as a whole. In order to legitimize our field, there needs to be a reform in the way ethnographic fashion research is carried out.

Frances Ross' field research on the "bespoke" and "demi-bespoke" tailoring industry in present day London is an excellent example of progressive ethnographic research in the field of fashion studies. Utilizing such research approaches as participant observation and qualitative interviewing, Ross (Course Director at the London College of Fashion) investigated "what is currently happening in the industry in terms of textiles, colour, style and manufacture" (Ross, 281). Her article published in The Journal of the Textile Institute (2007:i. 98:n. 3) maps out a perfect methodology for future studies that would be taken seriously by any anthropological expert.

Ross introduces her topic with a brief history of the London tailoring districts, many of which became subjects of her study. She continues with a list of publications concerning "Men's bespoke and ready-made tailoring texts" to support her project (Ross, 283). Her study rationale explores the concept of "phenomenological research," her decisions to use qualitative over statistical data and a relative definition of ethnography which may not be so easily understood by those outside of the field of anthropology (Ross, 283). She includes her sampling and interview methodology, and provides a chart of participating establishments, their location, date and time of interview and other establishments that were subsequently recommended to her by each interviewee.

Table 1 from Ross' article, Refashioning London's bespoke and demi-bespoke tailors: new textiles, technology and design in contemporary menswear.

A lengthy section is dedicated to actual interview snippets which support her research. The tailors featured discuss topics such as definitions of "New English Tailoring," fabric choice innovations, technological advancements and how they are implemented within the tailoring industry, and stylistic influences upheld by current tailors.

Ross' study is intriguing and incredibly well put together. Other similar studies have been attempted but none have resulted in such a smooth presentation as "Refashioning London's Bespoke and Demi-Bespoke Tailors." I'll keep Ross' methodology and approach in mind for future studies. I'm also interested in finding similar studies to keep on hand as examples. I'll be applying for a Fulbright fellowship soon and will need all the polished ethnographic field research I can get!
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FURTHER READING

Breward, Christopher. "Cultures, Identities, Histories: Fashioning a Cultural Approach to Dress." Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, 2.4

Browne, Ray B. and Pat Browne, Eds. Methodologies in Archeology, Anthropology and other Fields.

Geertz, Clifford. The Interpretation of Culture: Selected Essays.

Gott, Suzanne. "Asante High-timers and the Fashionable Display of Women's Wealth in Contemporary Ghana" Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture,13.2

Prown, Jules David. “Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Methodology.” Winterthur Portfolio 17 (Spring 1982).

Responsible Fashion: Africa

2010-04-20T16:42:00.000-04:00

Global Mamas employees pose for a picture during batiking.

Since entering into the world of fashion studies, I have longed to combine my love for dress with another passion of mine - community outreach. If academic fashion fails me in the end, my backup plan is to establish sustainable, responsible fashion production centers around the world.

Time Magazine predicts that "green" technology and various related occupations will pull the world out of this economic rut. But of course, not everyone has the background or capital to start a non-profit from the ground up. That's okay - this is the perfect time to begin supporting fair-trade fashion organizations. Part of contributing to a green economy is by purchasing its products. It is only until people start buying sustainable and fair-trade fashion that it'll make an impact on the entire industry (aka it will get cheaper).

To create awareness, I'm going to produce a series of posts dedicated to various geographical regions hosting fair-trade or sustainable fashion and textile production centers. In light of a recent grant I proposed, I'm going to start with Africa.

Global Mamas

Interns accepted? Yes
Can you visit? Yes. They have workshops in Ghana, including a retail store in Cape Coast. Many fair-trade shops in America host their products.

Global Mamas is a subdivision of the Ghanaian non-profit organization, Women in Progress. Founded by Peace Corps volunteers Renea Adam and Kristin Johnson in 2002, Global Mamas has provided opportunities for women to increase their personal revenue and create localized, woman-owned businesses across Africa. Adams and Johnson believe that “helping women gain economic independence is the most effective way to reduce dependence on foreign aid and steadily create a prosperous society.”

All Global Mamas products are created by Ghanaian residents in workshops across the country. Traditional methods such as batik, bead making, weaving and soap production are used to create clothing, home goods, jewelry and bath items which are then shipped to fair-trade distributors in Europe and America. (Click to expand post)

SUNO

Interns accepted? Unknown.
Can you visit? Generally, yes. Send an inquiry to Max and he can let you know.

The success of SUNO is proof that fashion, sustainability, responsibility and fair-trade can work together to create competitive products in a global fashion economy. Max Osterweis, an American designer and film maker, created SUNO after realizing that the textiles he collected on various trips to Kenya could be used to create marketable clothing in the Western fashion industry. Osterweis took into account the political and economic situation in Kenya when he began his company, employing locals at workshops in Nairobi and Nakuru. SUNO allows employees to not only showcase their talents and artistry, but provides them with a chance to rebuild themselves financially after recent political unrest decreased capital from foreign tourism.

SUNO also utilizes locality on the domestic front as well. All design concepts are conceived in New York City's garment district, where patterns and sample pieces are drawn up and sent back to Kenya for their final construction. NYC's garment district has seen a revival in recent years, with many designers returning back to the area's warehouses to produce clothing and accessories, instead of outsourcing. Osterweis connects charity and couture, spreading awareness of fair-trade practices through his high-end designs.

Amana

Interns accepted? Unknown.
Can you visit? Unknown. Their collection can be purchased online or in stores in the UK.

Amana's initial philosophy is "to make beautiful clothes with ethical origins and to illustrate that environmentally and socially responsible fashion can equate to exquisite design and quality." Launching their first collection in 2007, London designers Helen Wood and Erin Tabrar employ the services of women from a village called Ain Leuh in the mountains of Morocco to manufacture their designs. They source materials such as organic cottons and silks, and work with companies in the United Kingdom to produce low-impact dyes for their gorgeous collections.

The word "Amana" is Arabic for "delivered in trust," a trust that can be upheld through the company's choice of eco-friendly materials and methods of production. They even provide a list of their credentials on their website, to prove their legitimacy and commitment to responsible fashion. They also offer their products at competitive prices, acknowledging the fact that sustainable fashion can only do its job if it is available to the masses, not a privileged few.

Please check out these companies, and the role they play in supporting fair-trade practices within the fashion industry. If there are some other companies working in Africa that you know about, please pass them along! I'd love to take a look at them and possibly work with them in the future.

NYC Fashion Studies Symposiums - A Chance for Collaboration?

2010-04-07T12:36:00.008-04:00

Graduate programs across the 5 boroughs have sent out invitations for their end-of-the-year symposiums. It is my goal to attend as many of these as possible, to see what others in the field of costume, fashion and textile studies are up to. Many of these symposiums consist of final-semester student papers, but it does get me wondering - if all of these schools promote their own symposia, is there any chance there could be a city-wide collaboration? It seems silly that I should have to schlep all over town just to hear a few relevant papers at each institution.

Presenting papers or projects at conferences is vital for scholars of fashion studies. The field's visual nature warrants exposure of intriguing topics. These events build up academic credibility and look fabulous on resumes and CVs. They also allow established experts to provide feedback and/or collaboration, which means support for your research. These experts may also lead you in new directions, such as further education and even occupational opportunities.

Of course, academic calendars vary institution to institution, and not every graduate program emphasizes fashion and textiles in their curricula. Even so, there are enough people out there - professors included - that could benefit from mutual exposure in a setting such as a symposium. NYU had four presentations (which were really well done and enlightening!), and there will be six presentations for the symposium at FIT. There are at least three relevant presentations from the Bard Graduate Center's symposium and one from the Cooper-Hewitt/Parsons consortium - and I'm only referring to student works here. That's more than enough people to represent a full-day fashion studies symposium.

Time and dedication to organization is most likely the culprit. Any event consumes personal time - something many scholars have little of to begin with. People need enough time to solicit participation, review submissions, find a space, schedule a keynote speaker and formulate some kind of entertainment. There also needs to be a significant budget for renting a space, advertising, publications and refreshments. All of these factors I'm sure have contributed to lack of city-wide university collaboration.

Clear notification of events open to public submissions must be established as well. Although the CH/P conference was open to outside participants, I received the invitation two weeks prior to the deadline - whereas those graduate students had about a semester or so to work on their submissions, it gave myself little time to formulate a topic relevant to the theme. Part of the work I do for Worn Through is to sift through websites like H-Net for relevant conferences, and CH/P never appeared until a CH insider sent me the criteria.

There has been a lot of animosity between graduate programs lately, which may contribute to the separation of events (although that seems like an immature notion on the academic system's part). Professors wish to exhibit their students in the highest way possible - it looks bad if student representation ratios are uneven, not to mention the intellectual content structures of one institution may be totally different from another. I don't really buy MA-program competition as an excuse for non-collaboration, but I also don't rule it out.

For those of you who study/teach in the NYC area, what do you think about the possibility of a combined symposium for those involved in academic fashion studies? This could eliminate the need for separate events, or occur on top of curriculum-based ones. Are there any points I might have left out concerning this topic (aka is this an unrealistic goal?), and most importantly, are there people out there who would be interested in organizing, presenting and attending an event like this?

Those from out of state with relevant advice, please chime in as well! I am definitely interested in collaborating a more consistent exposure setting for fashion studies work and a conference - even a small one - sounds like a good idea to me.

Scholarly Writing: Primary Sources

2010-04-06T15:35:00.000-04:00

Sketch by Madame Gres for Bergdorff Goodman, from FIT Special Collections

In light of my recent Midterm assignments and spring break hiatus, I think it's appropriate to dedicate this post to scholarly writing for fashion studies. It's also a personal reminder that I have two research papers due at the end of May...oops.

Once you've developed your thesis, finding evidence to support your claims is necessary. You may have a brief list of titles or inspirations used to define your topic, but most research papers typically benefit from bibliographies of five pages or more. Seem like a lot? You'd be surprised how much you can find.

PRIMARY SOURCES
The easiest way to define a primary source is to figure out the context from which it was written. Is it in first person? Does its words or construction define a time period? Is it a commentary or written from a modern viewpoint?

Examples pertinent to the field of fashion studies include:

Tangible objects - fashion scholars have the advantage of studying surviving objects in order to support their research in a way that, say, a war historian or a medical anthropologist can not. Looking closely at the cut and construction of an object, analyzing its materials, and researching any distinguishing stamps or labels provides excellent evidence for our field.
Photographs - these provide pictorial evidence of garments and accessories as they were meant to be worn. We visually see how a dress falls on the body, the kind of event it would have been worn at, and what types of people it was worn by. They can also be helpful with dating - other objects featured provide clues. Photograph technology - daguerreotypes, Polaroids, glossy, etc. - help narrow down time-frames as well.
Sketches and Fashion Plates - A sketch or fashion plate can reveal oodles of information. If you are lucky, you'll find a signature of the illustrator, a date, the name of the object, technical notes, etc. Fashion plates, the precursor of fashion magazines, are abundant in many collections. Although human features are often exaggerated, they provide insight as to what was fashionable at the time.
Newspaper and Magazine Articles - these usually have dates attached to them. Useful for charting the progress of designers, style changes and important events in fashion history.
Advertisements - ads are great for placing research contextually. Trends, constructions and designs can be dated if they are found within newspapers, magazines, even commercials. You can tell by an ad what kind of audience it is trying to reach, what companies were producing certain styles and who endorsed them.
Historic Documents - these are most useful for scholars interested in pre-modern dress (when actual objects are scarce and photographic evidence does not exist). Many personal accounts, such as Antoine Furetière's descriptions of 17th century court dress in Dictionnaire Universel, help historians and theorists "visualize" clothing and accessories. (Click to expand post)

BE WARY OF THESE PRIMARY SOURCES:

Paintings - although they are the "photographs of the past," paintings are not always historically accurate. This is especially true for commissioned paintings, where the artist was at the mercy of the patron's requests. Many portraits, for example, depict elaborately rendered textile patterns that may have never existed (ie: the portrait of Eleonara di Toledo and her son, painted by Bronzino, features a dress fabric that was probably inspired by a panel or curtain).
Diaries/Autobiographies - while these provide wonderful personal insights into the minds of, say, fashion designers and enthusiasts, they have the problem of being biased and/or exaggerated. Personal quotations are better sought out from newspapers or magazines to ensure accuracy of statements and opinions.
Film - some people use movies to study costume, but documentaries because feature real-life representations of how clothing sits on a body, and how it is used in action. Films can be tricky; costumes can be exaggerated or designed with an artistic "vision" in mind. Some costumes are also used based upon what will work for the film, as opposed to what is actually fashionable or regularly worn. Also keep in mind, a film released in 1961 does not necessarily represent 1961 fashions - larger gaps may exist between film production and when it's released to the public.
Novels, poems and songs - although generally fictional, inspiration for these works are can be drawn from feelings for or during a certain time period. However, the way in which an author, poet or song writer uses aesthetic imagery may be allegorical or used to emphasize character qualities, not illustrating what might have actually be worn in the time and place of the literary work. Some descriptions of dress and fashion are sensory and help readers visualize how a garment or accessory would sound, feel, smell, but scholars should always proceed with caution when using them to support a thesis.

PRIMARY SOURCE LOCATIONS:

Museums - most (if not all) museums have some kind of costume or textile collection. If you'd like to look at a garment or accessory up-close, make an appointment. Most museum staff members are happy to accommodate these requests and provide any other information you may need.
Archives - Photographs, documents, sketches and advertisements (basically anything paper-based) can be found within the archives of a museum, company or private collection. These too are usually appointment-based, however more and more institutions are willing to scan items and send them via email if you know exactly what you are looking for.
Libraries - many museum, university and local library collections can be accessed by the public. Places like the Library of Congress or the New York Public Library have facsimiles of rare books, manuscripts and scholarly publications that may aid in your research.
Historic/Personal interest societies - members of these are knowledgeable about their specific topics. You'd be surprised how willing they are to help out! For example, a film society may point you in the right direction when in search of documentaries featuring daywear from the 1950s. An easy internet search will bring up this information.

The Ohio State University's History program has compiled a list of institutions with significant costume and textile collections. I suggest bookmarking it for future reference!

Photo Essay: Lace in Translation

2010-03-09T00:50:00.020-05:00

Apologies, dear readers, on last week's lack of post; I was in Philadelphia, PA for the weekend and although I brought my computer intending to update and such, opportunities were scarce to do so. The Mid-Atlantic branch of the Costume Society of America had a nice little get-together Saturday, March 8th, and I enjoyed meeting the other members as Jane Likens, Professor at Philadelphia University, organized a close-up tour of the Design Center's "Lace in Translation" exhibition followed by a meet-and-greet with Jay McCarroll, Alumni of Philadelphia University and the first winner of Project Runway.

The exhibition is really cool and different; as a tribute, I created a photo essay.
CLICK TO OPEN PHOTO ESSAY

This is actually a photo from the "Lace in Translation" website. Dutch design house Demakersvan (translates simply as "The Makers of...") created this on-site installation and has donated it to the Design Center. It is the first thing one sees as they drive into the Design Center parking lot, and it makes a strong first impression.

Inside the museum, Dutch artist Tord Boontje encapsulates the first room with darkness. Boontje used lace-making techniques with utilitarian materials like this rope to create a seating arrangement. Boontje's inspiration came from an African fable about a Princess who falls in love with a spider. Spiders have long been associated as "Earth weavers and spinners of thread";Boontje's pieces in the black room reflect the complicated yet beautiful nature of arachnid webs.
The next room is filled with raffia sculpture, utilizing the same concept of lace techniques to create contemporary objects. The raffia connects nature, balance and complication within the theme of "Lace in Translation."

Metal played a large role in the exhibition's overall theme. The idea of welding and cutting such an industrial item to create something as delicately beautiful as lace was a very nouveau concept for me.Lights were inserted into raffia-lace lamps, accentuating the features of the room and creating a sense of warmth lacking in the black room.

A school-wide call for artists was sent out to help with the construction of the largest raffia-lace piece, strung in front of the window. Students from all backgrounds were involved based on the ambiguity of "construction" - studio art, architecture and fashion design students volunteered their time to make this piece a reality.

Models of the lace techniques used on the wall hanging. Some took as many as 40 hours to complete.

The white room housed prototypes of the black lace couch, along with a display case of raffia jewelry and these hand-stenciled, white bark curtains. It was a bright transition to the outdoor garden where the exhibition continued.

Canadian artist Cal Lane uses welding to provoke new ideas and dimensionalize art from discarded objects such as dumpsters and oil tanks. In warm weather, a fountain surrounded by a pool highlights the barrel's strange beauty.

These are fragments from the oil barrel welding process, delicately arranged as a large design.

Lane's inspiration for her oil tank design came from a piece of Quaker lace from the Design Center's collection. It's wonderful to see such a modern execution of an age-old craft.

"Lace in Translation" will close on April 3rd. Because of budgetary reasons, the University will be closing the Design Center until further notice. This is problematic because many objects are housed in the Design Center and on-campus storage is not easily found. The space is also architecturally important; a wonderful example of 1950s architecture, the former home of Goldie Paley sets a modern backdrop to any exhibit. Without this unique space, the University does not have an opportunity to display its collections, student projects or invited artist works such as those who donated their time to "Lace in Translation. Hopefully the University's administration will realize its importance and continue to produce innovative exhibits in the future.

Lolita vs. Lolita - Dismissing Sexual Connotations Associated with Japanese Streetwear

2010-02-28T11:00:00.002-05:00

Angelic Pretty look, from Tokyo Fashion Festa

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to model Japanese street fashion in a show called Tokyo Fashion Festa, held at the Museum at FIT. This show capped off New York Fashion Week but was also a promotional tool for MFIT's exhibit on contemporary Japanese fashion, to be staged in the fall. Japan has always been a place of interest to me, but in the back of my mind because a) it's too expensive to visit on a student budget and b) it's so developed and freakishly beyond my technological comprehension, I think I'd have to spend a lot of time there (not just a week or two) in order to really grasp how their culture relates to their environment.

Mixed opinions on the fashions presented raised some questions for me. Some people were fascinated by the layers of clothing, accessories, sparkles and pink displayed (my press on nails were a big hit); others were put off by the seemingly "infantilized" message Lolita clothing sends. "Doesn't it seem odd that a forty-year old woman is dressing like a little girl?" "Don't you think it gives men the idea that it's all right to fantasize about women in such a juvenile way?" "How many pedophiles were in the audience?"

Look at them crazy nails! Like someone glued Lucky Charms onto acrylic tips.

Ethnocentrism stems from the idea that another culture's practices are wrong in comparison to the practices of your own country. Naturally, people from America would think this style of dress is a bit disturbing, because we don't walk around looking like babies and sexualizing youth.

Oh wait, that's not true. Miley Cyrus' 9-year old sister wants to start a lingerie line for children. My 5 year old cousin just bought her first "bra" because everyone else in her kindergarten class has one. I see children dressed better than I do, in mini-skirts and low-cut shirts, tights and Ugg boots, everyday. Tell me that's not disturbing, and I'll let you say whatever you want about the Japanese.

So it's important to understand the concept of Lolita fashion, because the claims made above do not fit with its overall philosophy. For starters, Lolita fashion has nothing to do with the novel by Vladimir Nabokov.¹ It is easy to assume the connection because at first glance, the fashion is almost like Westernized role-playing; people get off sexually by dressing up as scantily-clad maids, nurses, businessmen, even full-blown monkey suits. Who's to say that Lolitas don't dress up for the same reason?

Yet Lolita followers do quite the opposite, actually - modesty is key, and the aim is not to look "sexy" or "desirable", but to look "cute" "elegant" or "youthful." The Western association with the novel's concept can be explained through the Japanese concept of wasei-eigo or "Japanese-style English" by which there are some words in Japanese do not translate.² This is true for many languages, and is key evidence against any associated sexual connotations...(click to expand post)

Lolita fashion actually began as any subcultural trend is conceived - as a reaction. In this case, Lolitas react against the contemporary need to reveal the body as much as possible in order to be considered attractive; in an age where "less is more", Lolitas maintain a Victorian ethos regarding clothing.³ When analyzed carefully, Lolita fashion is not meant to be seductive - most if not all outfits consist of a fully buttoned blouse, pantelets, petticoats, stockings or knee highs and dresses that never traverse above the knee.⁴ It can be argued that there is a subversive side to Lolita style in that "what lies beneath" is alluring and stimulating, but Lolitas in particular disregard those sentiments in favor of what their clothing truly represents.

Gothic Lolitas in Japan. Wikipedia Commons.

I'd gone with a friend to the initial model call for the fashion show, where we were given outfits to try on in lieu of runway walking or posing. I seemed to fit the bill - 5'1", the chubbiness of my youth still visible in my face, chest flat as a pancake - whereas my friend was not cast, despite the fact that she looked amazing in the outfit the designers chose for her (she rocks the Gothic look).

"I saw them whisper something," she told me later on. "I think they said that I was 'too busty.' I mean yeah, the dress looked awesome, but there was no way my 'girls' [breasts] were staying put in that thing."

If Lolita fashion's ultimate goal is to seduce through dress, Jessica would have been the first model on the runway. I, on the other hand, am not a desirable object (and I am by no means offended by that) and therefore, I was able to strut the stuff appropriately.

More importantly however, the Japanese do not always associate clothing and sexuality as Westerners do. Japan is known for its androgynous dress practices, as evidenced in their Kabuki theater, history of uniforms , even to the basic design of the kimono. This often confuses Western tourists into thinking that Japanese males are metrosexuals or drag queens.⁵ Accordingly, Lolita fashion is not limited to women. Ōji is known as the male version of Lolita dress, compromising of fashions emulating Victorian boys. Interestingly enough, this style is worn by both men and women, downplaying any associated sexual contexts as well.⁶ Many young men adopt Steampunk styles of clothing also, spending as much time perfecting their hair, makeup and accessories as their female counterparts.

Example of Ōji fashion, Spooky Couture.com.

This quotation from a practicing "Gothic" Lolita has been cited many times, but I think it is a succinct representation that separates this unique fashion culture from associated sexual notions:

"We certainly do not do this for the attention of men. In fact, the fashion frequently alienates them. Frequently, female sexuality is portrayed in a way that is palatable and accessible to men, and anything outside of that is intimidating. Something so unabashedly female is ultimately kind of scary—in fact, I consider it to be pretty confrontational. Dressing this way takes a certain kind of ownership of one’s own sexuality that wearing expected or regular things just does not...It’s not, as some commentators have suggested, some sort of appeal to men’s expectation that women should be childlike, or an attempt to pander to pedophiles. Pedophiles like little girls. They don’t like grown women who happen to like dresses with cakes on them. I’ve never been hit on by a pedophile while in Lolita. We don’t get into it because it is some sort of misplaced pedo complex or anything..."⁷

Many "looks" lie beneath the umbrella of Lolita fashion, as were portrayed at Tokyo Fashion Festa. There are some sub-fashions that do base clothing choices around promiscuity, but these are definitely the minority. Compared to the Gothic, Punk and Classic Lolitas, as well as the Lolitas who combine their outfits with traditional elements of Asian dress (such as the Waloli or Qi), it is easy to see that Lolita fashion is an expression of deeply inert feelings representing personal identity in several forms.

I'm surprised that Lolita fashion has not been analyzed by social scientists or fashion theorists in-depthly. There is a lot going on here - gender, power, identification, traditional costume usage, reactionary clothing, etc.- that is worthy of more research in order to be fully understood as well as debunk the myths involved. I scoured the internet for articles or literature but could only find self-published prose by Lolitas or Wikipedia information. Even the newspaper articles I found associated the fashions more with sexuality and less with the actual cultural meanings and reactions originally intended.

If you have any further information regarding the role Lolita fashion plays in society and within the wearer, send them my way. I'd love to develop further research and definitely need more reliable sources.

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CITATIONS

1) Jimenez, Dabrali. "A New Generation of Lolitas Makes a Fashion Statement". The New York Times. (26 September 2008).

2) Y-N, Ken. "English words, but Japanese meanings". What Japan Thinks. September 24, 2007.

3) "Lolita fashion." Wikipedia.org. Link to page here.

4) "Anatomy of a Lolita Outfit." Lolitafashion.org. Link to page here.

5) Robertson, Jennifer. "The Politics of Androgyny in Japan: Sexuality and Subversion in the Theater and Beyond," American Ethnologist, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Aug., 1992), pp. 419-442 and same author, Takarazuka: Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan. (University of California Press) 1998.

6) Seagrave, Amber, "Style: Kodona," La Vie en rose, vol.2, p.18

7) MacDonald, Heidi (1 October 2008). "A Gothic Lolita Speaks". Publishers Weekly.
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Further Reading

Evers, Izumi, and Patrick Macias. Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook. New York: Chronicle, 2007.

Godoy, Tiffany, and Ivan Vartanian. Japanese Goth: Art and Design. Universe, 2009.

_________. Style Deficit Disorder Harajuku Street Fashion--Tokyo. New York: Chronicle, 2007.

Lane, Dakota. Gothic Lolita. New York: Atheneum for Young Readers, 2008.

McVeigh, Brian J. Wearing Ideology State, Schooling and Self-Presentation in Japan (Dress, Body, Culture). New York: Berg, 2000.

Airline Art Shipping Fiasco

2010-02-19T10:55:00.001-05:00

Blue fur-lined coat during shipment process.

According to a recent NYTimes article, airline standards pertaining security handling of art and museum objects will soon become as mainstream as those procedures used to evaluate your (overpriced) checked-luggage.

As if the airline isn't in enough trouble budget-wise, officials say that due to rising security threats, museum, gallery and private dealer shipping procedures must be changed. Art handlers and registrars had it relatively simple in terms of sending objects across the country and around the world. Intricate housing of objects occurred prior to being dropped off at the airport, without airline security personnel needing to reopen crates and evaluate package contents.

Now however, airline security has the authority to go into a courier package and check for breached items. Although the nation's security is the number one priority, the whole point of packaging a museum or gallery object in the way it is packaged is so that it will not be disturbed or stressed in-transit. Also, arts personnel are trained to unpack valuable objects once their destination is reached - airline personnel, aren't. Placing an object back in its crate even slightly out of place can prove detrimental in the long run. What's more, airline security are not required to fill out condition reports, so if an object is damaged upon arrival, there is no documentation to prove its mishandling.

Larger institutions who are fortunate enough to develop travel plans years in advance will not be as affected by these newly implemented measures as smaller museums, galleries and private dealers will be. Many times, priceless artifacts are shipped overnight or the day of an exhibition - these new security plans will certainly present a challenge concerning time management.

Object mishandling is a greater threat concerning historic costumes and textiles . Even the least trained of security officials can recognize the fragility of an ancient vase. Society is brought up to disregard the value of clothing however; we fold our clothes, stuff them haphazardly into suitcases, crumple them, place heavy objects over them and even get them dirty when the shampoo bottle accidentally explodes due to cabin pressure - all because clothing is replaceable, clothing is cheap, and clothing is probably the most pliable object carried on board...(Click here to expand post)

Thus, I fear for costume and textile museum exportation. To untrained personnel, who's to say they won't treat a rare dress or suit the same as they treat their dirty laundry? A 13th century Nordic weapon is made of materials that hold up well, even under the clumsiest of hands - a 16th century silk gown, already in fragile condition, will crumble under the slightest touch. Registrars pack their possessions with a purpose, recognizing the risks that come with travel. Will these new regulations cause their shipping methods to be all for naught?

This is exactly why specialized advanced degree programs began - to train people in the correct handling of garments and rare, fragile pieces of textile art.

Perhaps this is one solution to the uneven ratio of trained museum personnel-to-available jobs. It would make sense for airlines to staff one or two skilled art handlers, in order to deal with situations such as this. Conservators and others familiar with artifact housing methods would be able to recognize an object's needs, efficiently check for security breaches and rehouse the object in a timely manner, keeping up to pace with customer security checks occurring simultaneously.

Airlines have little money as it is these days, how are they going to hire more people to work for them? Well, maybe it's the federal government's job to instill a certification and contract system. They could either recruit existing specialists or train new ones to visit facilities before the item is shipped, watch the packing and crating process, and provide official documentation to bypass any further handling until the object has reached its destination.

This would be a huge initiative, but would save time, money and damages in the long run. The goal would be to certify personnel already employed by the museum, gallery or private dealer, to avoid contracting costs and ultimately, speed up the process even more.

But of course, why would the airline industry do something sensible? They will probably end up charging public and private art industries for this extra (unnecessary) examination...

Although national security is top priority, there has to be a better way of handling these procedures. Putting valuable pieces of art into the hands of novices is not the answer. With enough backing from the art industry, I hope these security measures will be regulated enough to ensure the safety and security of not only those flying within the cabin, but below it as well.

Photo Credit:
Blue Velvet Wrapper, in a sling ready for shipping. From Mary C. Baughman's, Slings and Arrows: Safe Costume Transport

Battle of the MA Degrees: the Question of Parsons' New Fashion Studies Program

2010-02-12T15:04:00.016-05:00

First, there was NYU. Then came FIT. A dozen or so other universities have also adapted their curriculum to include courses exposing students to the world of fashion, on a scholarly level. Now Parsons The New School will debut a Master's program in Fashion Studies in Fall 2010 - and it's creating quite a buzz.

So far, many outsiders have used the words "competition", "rival" and "copy-cat" in reference to its conception. An upcoming symposium entitled Workwear seems to be the most recent threat to similarly established MA fashion studies programs. With lectures featuring world-renowned designers, conferences exposing the work of fashion studies professionals, and even an exhibit, is there really room for such a specialized program in a developing field?

To some, the answer is "no". People studying the cultural side of fashion, museum curatorship, conservation, publishing, and teaching know that the post-grad world is a battlefield. Many jobs are contract or part time, if available at all. What makes Parsons' Fashion Studies program different and unique? What do they think has been lacking from other programs for them to create this new addition in an already concentrated geographic area?

The MA program at FIT in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory and Museum Practice exposes students to conservation and curatorial methodology, with classes in fashion and textile history to round out their experiences. NYU's Visual Studies program focusing on Costume Studies concentrates more on fashion history, culture and theory. Many students from both universities go on to become fashion historians, curators, collections managers, conservators, archivists, teachers and researchers, but both provide different strengths, suiting specific student needs. These differences have allowed the two programs to work harmoniously together for the past twenty or so years, creating cooperative competing for available positions.

The conception of Parsons' Fashion Studies MA seems to combine the philosophies of NYU and FIT. According to their curriculum description, the core courses include introductions to fashion history, theory and culture, with electives in museum studies, media studies and culminating in advanced thesis development. There does not seem to be an internship component; there does appear to be increased exposure to professionals affiliated with Parsons, as described in the topics of study (especially as lecturers), and there is a strong emphasis on thesis development.

All in all, it seems that those graduating from Parsons will receive extremely similar training formerly composed by NYU and FIT's Masters programs.

How bad is competition when it comes to fashion studies? In a field which struggles to gain acceptance amongst academic society, there is something to be said about establishing similar programs. It provides more opportunities to show the world just how important fashion culture and history really are. By establishing their program, Parsons is adding to a list of reputable universities aiming for the same goal - to be taken seriously as a form of academic study.

The Fashion Studies degree will invite more people to study fashion in a scholarly way, increasing the field's credibility, as well as allowing under-researched topics to surface and be explored. The more people become aware of fashion culture, theory and history, the more we can discuss and promote its study.

Not to mention, New York has some of the greatest costume and textile collections in the world. It can't be helped that The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, the Cooper-Hewitt's collections and exhibitions, and various designer archives - not forgetting the world renowned Fashion Week(s), leading fashion publications, designer showrooms - are all located in the Big Apple. Even though there are already two Masters programs in New York devoted to a greater understanding of fashion culture, there still is much left to be discovered.

I hope that Parsons will influence fashion studies development in other parts of the United States, however. Programs are slowly creeping into universities in LA, Chicago, Atlanta and Boston, and it will be enlightening to watch them develop over the years.

What do you think of Parsons' new program? I'd be interested to hear your opinions on this hot-button issue, whether you are thinking of applying, how you think it'll stand out from previously established programs, etc. Even though it may pose as a "threat", I think that collaboration will strengthen the world's understand of scholarly fashion, in the long run.

Scholarly Writing: Formulating your Topic

2010-02-05T17:39:00.010-05:00

Examples of Pantoufles from Boucher's, La Toilette (1742)

In light of my professors emphasizing the need to start developing our writing and conference presentation skills, I thought it would be helpful to create a regular column devoted to writing for fashion studies. And presenting at conferences is a great way of exposing your work to people who could potentially support it.

CHOOSING A TOPIC (Developing a Thesis)

Some consider this to be the most daunting task of scholarly writing. The more you practice thesis construction however, the easier it becomes to formulate them.

First, find something you like, something that has always piqued your interest. It will not only make the process enjoyable and provide motivation for research, but will broaden your knowledge of a subject in a scholarly way.

Then try to narrow down the topic as much as you can. As you do so, try and think about if you have come across those ideas before, either in readings, class presentations, etc. Those thoughts will help you ascertain whether or not the topic has been "done" before.

For example, say you love shoes. "Shoes" is the broad topic - you can come to something more specific by asking yourself some basics: What kind of shoes are your favorite (platform, stiletto, mule, sneaker...)? Who is your favorite shoe designer or manufacturer (Louboutin, Choo, Nike...)? If you could go back in time and wear any kind of shoe, when would that be (Victorian, Renaissance, 60s...)? Is there a region of the world that wears an interesting pair of shoes you don't find where you live (Chinese foot binding shoes, Turkish slippers, Inuit Mukluks...)?

All right. So you're really interested in 18th Century French pantoufles - That's a good start. Now start asking yourself questions about the social contexts of the shoes. Who wore them? What role did they play in society? Who made them? What materials were they made out of? How long did that style of shoe last for? Who started the "trend"? What did people think of them at first, and how were they viewed by those who did not wear them?

It may also help to ask yourself what else was going on in the world during that time. What wars were fought? How was trade and commerce handled? What was going on within the government at the time? How were global relations with other countries? These questions help you set a frame for relating fashion to other areas of study, beyond mere aesthetics.

So now you would like to write about the role of pantoufles during the French Revolutionary War. Perfect. It's specific, and it's contextual.

Your next question is, "Has this been done before?" If the answer is "yes", ask, "How can I expand on this idea, what angle can I view it so that the information appears fresh and innovative?" If the answer is "No", that's an easy one - just get cracking!

Of course, fashion studies goes beyond just socio-historical research. Most areas of social science and the humanities are good places to start (Psychology - "Emotional Responses Regarding Pantoufles by Lower Class Members of French Society"; Theology - "Members of the Clergy Who Wore Pantoufles"). And don't rule out areas like Economics, Marketing, or Natural Science either - you could do a study about the economic impact of pantoufles sales, or look at pantoufles construction derived from fiber analysis.

Professionals from many fields attend conferences, and are looking to collaborate with you or publish interesting work. New ideas increase your chances for such opportunities; for example, there are a million books and articles about the corset, what makes your research different and desirable?

Any research begins with a question, even if it's merely, "Why hasn't this been written about before?" If you've got writer's block, asking questions may lead to the content you're looking for.

Fashion Studies Skills 101

2010-02-01T20:12:00.005-05:00

An advertisement for a women's rabbit skin coat and a green wool suit, available at Eaton's College Street.

My seconds semester of Grad school beings tomorrow. To help me stay focused this time around, I've made a list...

GOALS FOR THE SPRING:

1) Start assignments as soon as you are given them.
I'm no procrastinator. And usually, my projects and papers are finished well before they are due. This year I underestimated my time management abilities and I believe my papers suffered because of it. Knowing the academic standards of my professors also helps, and now I can prepare assignments ahead of time based on the amount of time it takes to put everything together.

2) PRIMARY SOURCES, PRIMARY SOURCES, PRIMARY SOURCES!
Much of anthropology is based discovering new challenges and theories within cultures, whereas history relies on the old to enhance what has already been published. AKA before last semester, I never had to actually use primary sources, let alone know where to find them. I'm a little more comfortable with locating resources, but I need to sharpen my sense of smell. I also need to develop a better sense of what constitutes a reliable primary source.

3) Go to more lectures.
This is something I'm sure many of my schoolmates hope to accomplish this semester. There are so many wonderful (free) lectures in the City that I need to start taking advantage of. My schedule is more open this semester and hopefully I'll be more energized than I was last semester (I only have to wake up at 6am for one day!)

4) Dress better.
I believe that going to a fashion-related school means identity development via clothing is essential. How are people supposed to take me seriously in this field when I look like a garbage dump? In such a visual culture, a signature style is key. Expect to see fewer jeans and better kept hair.

If you are in school, what are some of your goals this year? What have you learned to do this time around that you wish you had known before?

Even if you're not studying, there may be things you hope to accomplish within the realm of fashion studies. Mentioning them might be helpful to others.

Male Corsetry: a Contemporary Introduction

2010-01-25T16:58:00.012-05:00

In searching for new site content, two pieces of media attracted my attention on the same day. The theme of the media is not totally new, but still disputable, and is especially of interest within the realm of fashion and gender. I'm talking about male corsets, folks. My colleagues have probably stopped reading this post by now (I practically jammed its history and theories down their throats last semester) but perhaps this topic is of interest to others, specifically those who didn't even know male corsets existed.

Male corsetry is actually more of a common practice than many believe. I'm always met with shock and disbelief when the subject arises. "Men never wore corsets!" people vehemently declare. "I've never seen a male corset before, and I don't believe any exist." I first tell the non-believers to check the trunks of their grandfathers and/or ask them personally. Because well up until the 1950s, many men wore girdles, wide belts and other waist-restricting devices. They may not have called them corsets (due to the association with the feminine garment) but they performed the same function. People may say "panties" versus "boxers" but both are essentially "underwear" - just because they are gendered does not mean their purposes are vastly different.

I hope to develop the history of male corsets in future posts. But I think it is interesting to work backwards and focus on contemporary sightings for now.

John Galliano's Fall 2010 collection is definitely inspired by the past. Tailored suits, bowler hats, hounds tooth fabrics, canes and vests all made an appearance at some point during the show. And then came the corsets, bending the gender lines and exposing the world of undress in a very effective manner. What was Galliano's ultimate goal in doing so? Perhaps he is trying to make a statement about how fashion is not always as it seems... (Click to read more)

Corsets and girdles create a false illusion for many, squeezing in undesirable spots, tightening "loose ends", forcing erect posture. People go to great lengths by which to hide their enhancements, especially when it comes to sexual encounters (how many of us have undressed in the dark or popped into the restroom, so that our significant other is not privy to silicon breast inserts or "stuffed sock" codpieces? This is a topic in need of analysis in and of itself). Perhaps Galliano wanted to play with the idea of fashion as camouflage, literally exposing the truth behind our bodies and emphasizing the idea that natural, bodily perfection is not an option for even the most attractive of people.

Another theory is that Galliano has really done his homework with this collection. Noted by viewers as his "tamest collection", his runway is an ode to the past. To be true, many of the historically-based outfits would have been worn with waist-restricting devices which match exactly those that Galliano designed. The model on the right exudes this theory; socks held up with garters, a girdle worn as a bottom, a button-down shirt tucked into the girdle and an overcoat being the only semblance of a normal outfit. Did Galliano know - and try to explain to his audience - that these garments actually existed for men as they did for women?

The other piece of media that caught my eye was a video of a famous male ice skater, Johnny Weir. At the US Nationals 2010, he performed to Lady GaGa's hit, "Poker Face", with an outfit to match her unusual, thought-provoking style (click above to view his performance). His suit is designed with a corset in mind - doubtful that he actually wears one, given the activity, but it makes you wonder about the costume designer's choice.

Photo: Figureskatersonline

Photo: Male corset, RAINAL FRÈRES, 1907

Weir's sexuality has been on the minds of the media and remains cloudy; his penchant for high fashion has caused many to label him, despite his protestations and ability to shrug off the accusations. He may be toying with GaGa's cross-dressing themes, how they radiate in society, may want to cause controversy about the role fashion plays when dealing with sexuality. His choice of clothing sends the message he has touted for so long - it should be about the sport, and nothing else.

Or maybe, he had an "in" on Galliano's collection and is merely projecting a hopeful trend.

Further reading on contemporary male corsetry:

"John Galliano Delivers Man Corsets" - The Cut, fashion blog for New York Magazine

John Galliano Fall 2010 Menswear runway photos

Fetish: Fashion, Sex and Power - Valerie Steele

Fashion and Fetishism: a Social History of the Corset, Tight-Lacing, and Other Forms of Body-Sculpture in the West - David Kunzle

Male Corsetry - blog dedicated to male tight lacing

Design ReVamp! and Design Blok Praha c.2008

2010-01-22T23:21:00.001-05:00

After viewing my site from different computers, I realized my desktop publishing skills were quite rusty and that my blog looked really unprofessional, so I switched things up a bit. I wanted to put a photo of a dressform in the background, but I couldn't bear with the fact that nothing I'd find would be my own. So I searched through my photo collections, and found the background you see now. I think it works quite nicely, don't you? Things are more clearer to comprehend.

The photo is not photoshopped to look as such; yes, I enjoy photography but I don't have the proper equipment (sadly) and this was taken on a simple point-and-shoot. It's from a collection shown during Prague Fashion Week 2008, by a designer named Jaroslava, for whom I wasn't a huge fan of. I like the way the photo came out, there are a couple more like this as well. It's very Fashion, Culture and Identity-esque, which was what I was going for - simple silhouettes that capture the essence of fashion, which is truly undefinable.

On a separate note, fashion shows are of a particular interest of mine because they are breeding grounds for fashion culture field research. There is so much to be learned from attendees, designers, producers and stagehands. What kinds of people attend certain collections? How do they react to what is displayed before them? Do designers create their performance themes based on what best expresses the collection's image, or based on what they believe their viewers will enjoy?

I've included a few more of my favorite pictures from that event. All in all, Design Blok is a very interpretive event. I like the different ways in which the designers choose to display their collections. Many of them bridge the gap between performance and fashion very well.

Zuzana Sedmidubská created a beautiful white and green collection. I wish I could own her stuff but she wasn't selling at the designer's market that night.

333 Fashion Studio. They had a live beatboxer and covered the catwalk with astroturf.

Navarila created beautiful knits based on her time spent in the Middle East. She was also a personal friend of my classmate's host mother, who used to be a designer herself.

Modrá's collection was very unique. Every piece was sewn for versatility; dresses, like the one shown here, tied up together at the shoulders for a dramatic block effect, or could be tied into pants, etc.

Chi-Chi. The models were actually dancers, who performed lyrical dances on the catwalk to emphasize the flow of the clothing. This was my favorite show.

Guidance

2010-01-20T19:38:00.002-05:00

Forward: This post has been edited slightly based on any drowsy accusations I may have made over the course of its editings. It is important to keep in mind that my successes as a graduate student are because of my independent endeavors which, as someone very wise reminded me, are based on the fact that graduate students should possess maturity, not entitlement. I by no means support opportunities being "handed" to me - I suppose what I ask is that they be mentioned at all, so that people like my peers realize they even exist and can take the necessary steps to their own successes. I am very lucky to have been admitted to such a reputable Masters program; I guess, I always feel the need to prove my point in being there when compared to others with far more experience. It's hard. Life's hard.

But if it were easy, it wouldn't be this rewarding.
-K

At approximately 4:32pm, I emailed my final abstract to the organizers of the CSA symposium happening in May. Writing is my strength but I felt extremely stressed concerning this project. I know it's my first time running with the Big Leagues, yet I can't help but feel absolutely alone on this one.

I don't have a mentor, as of yet. There are a few people who have provided excellent guidance, but some of them don't really specialize in what I want to do. I mean, I know that there is not an expert on Czech fashion, well, anywhere, but the people I would hope to follow in-step with - fashion theorists, historians, sociologists - are hard to approach. I had so many questions that I've never had to address before this, and I tried my hardest to find the answers to them on my own. But where do you go when you need information on copyright permissions? Or who can you turn to when it comes to proofing an abstract?

I feel like the resources I thought I'd obtain by going to grad school aren't panning out as well as I hoped.

My professors aren't very approachable. I understand that they have lives outside of the classroom, that they have their own projects to work on and their own knowledge to build upon. Even so, I feel that part of their job is to ensure the enrichment of their student's minds, and this means supporting their academic endeavors. Not providing the opportunities, not taking us by the hand and writing out the details, but encouraging us to push the envelope as far as we can. Maybe I'm just naiive, spoiled by the overwhelming support I received at my undergrad university, but I thoroughly enjoy the teacher-student partnerships that develop based on mutual interests and further exploration garnered from them.

But grad school, it's truly a dog-eat-dog world. Professors are meant to provide you with book smarts and that's it.

All right, I can take that. It sucks, but what else can I do? I can't feel defeated if a professor is not interested in my work or care that I am involved outside of the classroom.

So maybe I should create a repertoire of resources for students like us to turn to in a bind. What kinds of things do you think I should include?

If there are websites that have helped you in the past, send them this way. They can be anything - academic resources, crib sheets, policies that come in handy for field work or publishing, journals of interest, memberships and societies, etc. Anything to build up a virtual resource center for those interested in fashion studies.

EDIT: I picked up my bootstraps and decided to make the website. Google's site templates are so easy to use! Will keep you posted with previews and such, it's going very well so far.

The Question of Student Publishing

2010-01-05T19:48:00.000-05:00

The past five or so months can be summed up by one word - editing. Writing is both a pleasure and a strong point of mine, but this does not mean it comes flawlessly. I was unfortunate not to have been exposed to copious amounts of research and paper writing as an undergraduate, seeking out these opportunities on my own. This has since increased during graduate school, and I'm luckily keeping afloat despite my lack of experience. I have again sought out independent opportunities for getting my research and my words out there, and am fortunately realizing early on that getting published is a long, hard road to traverse.

Publications based on fashion and dress culture are few and far between. The only reason I even know they exist is from working at FIT's library in the periodicals section. Dress, Fashion Theory, Costume and Textile: Journal of Cloth and Culture are the big four, followed by some up-and-coming publications such as Fashion Projects. Fashion Theory especially publishes works by leading fashion historians and theorists, mostly in connection to Dr. Valerie Steele. Although this is hopeful for the future, it is a bit discouraging to know that elements of my work may not be exposed until a much further time in the future.

I wonder if there are any student-based publications out there relating to this field? It seems like every other section of the Social Sciences has a student publication dedicated to nurturing pre-doctoral research, why shouldn't we? I know my fellow FIT students have found some amazing things over the course of their studies, and although their academic merit can be questioned (ie, do we really know anything as a Master's student?), I still believe there should be a collective forum out there for us to test the waters, at least.

So are there any relevant publications? If so, please let me know! If not, how difficult is it to start one? Surely FIT, NYU, Pratt and the CUNY graduate center could collaborate enough to begin such an endeavor.

Here are my thoughts:

-To be published bi-annually, once for each semester.

-Highlight four articles (perhaps a contribution from each school, to begin?) based on original student research. Can be thesis tidbits, class-specific papers, conservation projects, etc.

-Have an "alumni spotlight" where a significant alumnus is showcased, describing their academic contributions and the path they took to achieve their current occupational goals.

-An annotated "book review" section could be helpful, documenting the kinds of things fashion culture students are reading, whether or not they are conducive to our overall field of study, etc.

-And perhaps, most importantly, a resource list at the back of ever publication, listing things like graduate universities, internships, scholarships, societies, etc.

That's all I've been thinking about for now, comments appreciated!

Exhibition Review: 200 Years of Fashion in Saratoga Springs

2009-11-17T20:47:00.000-05:00

While visiting a friend in Saratoga Springs, New York, I was fortunate enough to have stumbled across the local Historic Society and their delightful museum collection. The permanent display houses exquisitely kept examples of costume dating to the early 19th century, including several original Worth gowns. But it was the 200 Years of Fashion in Saratoga Springs exhibit that truly caught my eye and made me proud as well as excited to be a museum studies student.

Housed in the former Canfield Casino (built in 1870, no longer a working casino but displays beautiful casino artifacts, for those interested in that field of study), the Historic Society of Saratoga utilizes their space wonderfully for temporary exhibition. A walk up to the second floor landing puts you face to face with three generations of Saratoga dress: 1809, 1909 and 2009 welcome you to the exhibit to your right...(READ MORE)

Upon entering the space, one is taken aback by the incredibly creative exhibition design. Examples of costume flood the eyes in all directions; hats and accessories placed on shelves and in display cases make guests feel as though they are window shopping in an old-fashioned department store. Antique coats and dresses hand on a circular clothing rack, next to a mannequin glancing at herself in a three-way mirror. The layout of the space does not include barriers, and guests are invited to examine objects close up; visitors are encouraged to become lovingly intimate with the past.

Mannequins are henceforth placed on settees or surrounded by period furniture, providing excellently sourced exposition for each costume. Visitors are invited to seat themselves on brocaded couches and take in the atmosphere.

The only concern of the exhibit is its openness and lack of security. Perhaps it is because I am a museum studies graduate student recently exposed to the throws of object handling, but my most active thought was, “How do they keep people from touching the costumes?” Barrier systems not only keep people out, but also keep harmful objects from coming in, becoming a conservation as well as safety issue. Each piece is so immaculate as it is, it would be such a pity for something to go awry or to be stolen because of such a unique setup.

Featured objects include a Delphos pleated Fortuny gown, an Emilio Pucci dress suit and several Dior evening ensembles. Every piece is representative of Saratoga’s rich socialite history, and those not belonging to the Society’s collection are on loan from supporting institutions or Saratoga residents themselves. The exit hallway is lined with dresses from famous Saratogians, such as Julie Bonacio and Michelle Riggi.

Curator Michael B. Levinson, Director of Empire Historic Arts, does a wonderful job setting the mood for a fashion-focused exhibition. “He is very creative,” remarked a docent at the museum. “For the next exhibit, he hopes to incorporate smells somehow.” It will be interesting - and innovative - to see how that turns out.

Photos property of The Fashion Culturist

Analysis of the Corset: Early Corset History

2009-10-11T20:46:00.000-04:00

The corset receives innumerable amounts of criticism

The origins of the corset go far back to the beginnings of dress as we know it. Many samples of what appear to be archaic corsets consisted of pieces of leather laced together with the intention of being tied around the ribs and waist. In essence, this was used as a primitive form of "armor" - the lifting of an arm above the head to throw a spear or wield a sword makes the torso of the body extremely vulnerable to sneak-attack piercings. Leather was often used as a tough barrier between the skin and the elements. Although we now know how veritably useless a leather corset for protection is these days, it was all ancient peoples may have had.

This early form of corsetry kept everything in place as well. In a time without bras, girdles, braces, belts and Sealy Posturepedic mattresses, these two pieces of leather laced in front and back came in very useful.

It is stupid to think that the corset was created merely for the sexual appeal we associate it with today. Erogenous zones come and go and while the corset ultimately becomes a symbol of sexuality (primarily in the female domain), it never began as such. Early forms of the corset were not nearly as painful to wear or constrictive as some of the later versions (Elizabeth I never had a 17 inch waist). Although many metal corsets have been found, these were definitely the exception to the norm, and may have even been worn for ceremonial purposes (such as family representation on the battlefield) over a woman's dress.

Corset cutting, c. 1650 (courtesy of Artstor.org)

Iron corset, c. 16th century, courtesy of wikipedia.org

In my history of fashion class, my professor went in-depth on the concept of clothing as armor back in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The idea of everyday clothing being "segmented", slashed and puffed and tailored separately to create the pieced look of armor, as if to make one look strong on and off the battlefield. A woman's equivalent to armor is the corset - it protects her core, forces her to look stiff and rigid, not slouched and weak. It is a symbol of wealth, privilege and authority. By its wearing, a woman asserts her position as a person of high rank, not to be mistaken as someone who toils in the fields. As my professor so aptly put it, "The corset is about power, not sex".

And let's not forget, the corset was androgynous at first. Many evolutions of chest and torso armor emulate that of the corset. Indeed, torso armor is more difficult to maneuver in than corsets of the time, being pure metal as opposed to the softer materials women wore. When off the battlefield, it was also known for men to wear corsets to obtain straight posture - if not a corset then a looser fitting material wrapped several times to get the same effect. In the early 19th century, Dandies made the corset more fashionable for men to wear than women (many women of the time shed their corsets altogether, as men began to cinch their waists instead). Even up until the 1920s, men wore braces eerily similar to corsets for "medical" reasons.

Courtesy of janeaustensworld.wordpress.com

So think twice before criticizing the corset and what it has done to demean femininity (or exploit it, or enhance it, etc, etc...). Its origins are not so captive, as it may seem.

Blue Jean Culture and Transformation in 20th Century Czech History

2009-10-03T23:02:00.000-04:00

I know, it's been a while. But it's been a BUSY while in that respect, I hardly have time to myself anymore. Actually, I've done a couple of things worth posting but I never seem to have time to sit down and like, sort everything out into readable structures. Here is one of my latest endeavors, an oral research proposal for the Costume Society of America's national symposium in March. Let's see if they like it, I hope you do too!

Blue Jean Culture and Transformation in 20th Century Czech History

CSA Abstract Proposal: Blue Jean Culture and Transformation in 20th Century Czech History

Blue jeans have remained symbolic in the Czech Republic throughout recent history, especially during times of particular turbulence. Under the harsh Communist regime, denim garments and accessories provided a source of hope associated with Western European values (Hlaváčková, 2007: 38). During the 1960s, jeans were difficult to obtain for Czechs and were often sold on the black market in exchange for foreign currency, or used as a barter item by Western tourists. In the 1970s, hardline Communist leaders tried to ban the jean production and the wearing of jeans however, these laws were quickly dissolved by the collaborative efforts of demanding Czech citizens(Jarošová and Kybalová, 2002: 6).

In the 1980s, blue jeans represented not only the ideas of youth and freedom but were also considered the unofficial uniform of those against the newly reformed Socialist government. (Roberts, 2005: 141-42). Significant Anti-government activists, most notably future President Vaclav Havel, were known for wearing blue jeans during protests. Some scholars even believe that the manufacture and distribution of denim contributed heavily to the ultimate collapse of Communist and Socialist governments of Europe in the late 1980s. (Hershberg, 2004: B01). This theory also applies to Czechoslovakia’s “Velvet Revolutionary” Socialist fall in 1989; many witnesses described students, artists and intellectuals demanding political change while clad in indigo trousers (Horn and Kenney, 2004: 120-124).

Since the creation of a democratic Czech Republic in the early 1990s, the international denim industry has played an integral part in the stabilization of the country’s economy. Low property taxes and a fresh, new culture of consumerism have made it easy for overseas manufacturers like Levis, The Gap and Diesel to market jeans in several Czech cities, and the demand for Western denim imports continues to rise (True, 2003: 109.) Revenue from blue jeans and other consumer goods has put the Czech Republic in a difficult position however; independent distributors are being shut down, thereby foregoing much of the country’s textile manufacturing traditions. Without these foreign investors however, the country cannot recover from Socialism’s economic oversights (Havlik, 2000: 29-35). By making a once inaccessible product like blue jeans available on the market in mass quantity, the Czech Republic is slowly pulling itself up capitalistically by its own denim belt loops.

Through interpretation of primary sources such as newspaper articles, photographs and print ads, thorough analysis of secondary research along with interviews recounting the significance of blue jeans, there is no doubt that blue jeans have helped shape the Czech Republic’s national, cultural and political identity in the 20th century.

ProSeminar Round-Up

2009-08-30T12:44:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure that graduate school is going to be one of the best experiences of my life.

It's exactly what I've been craving my entire college career - a rigorous program focused heavily on writing and analytical skills. Not to mention, all I deal with is fashion and culture. I've learned more about Czech fashion in the 1960s in one week than I did my entire time in Prague. Why? Because I had the person with the resources pushing me to do so.

Everyone else feels overwhelmed, or if not overwhelmed, over tired. I don't know what it is - it could be the fact that I don't have a job and basically do nothing all day - but I feel energized when class is over. I take each assignment with pride and glee, and it pays off. I got an A- on my first assignment, which I was expecting a lot worse. The Dean even read my paper, not entirely sure why (Professor French* said he was "helping her grade papers" but that mine was the only one...) but it was pretty cool that he saw a piece of my work.

Monday starts actual classes. I purchased a netbook for the ease of being able to take notes, finish papers and cruising the internet on my downtime without lugging around my $1400 macbook. I look forward to the days ahead and the welcome work load they will bring.

First day has come and gone...

2009-08-25T13:08:00.000-04:00

I got through orientation and first day of ProSeminar. I know I have my work cut out for me, but I also know that the people I share my classes with aren't total geniuses who know what they are doing either. Most of the people in my class don't know why they are in the program, which I was a little surprised at. I thought that was the point of going to grad school, because you knew what you wanted to do? Anyway, most of them want to be conservators which I think is pretty cool. Textile conservation is definitely an interest of mine but I don't think I'd be able to make it my life's work. We'll see, I guess.

There are so many perks to being a Grad student at FIT. We get access to basically every library ever imagined not only in NY, but across the world. This includes research facilities at museums and archives as well. We also get free goodies like lockers, lab coats, and invitations to galas (I think I'll be going to one at the NYPL soon...). Not to mention, we have one of the highest post-graduate success rates and institutions practically beg for us as interns. The Museum at FIT is run almost entirely by alumni because of that reason. I thought I'd be screwed careerwise, but it turns out, I'm gonna all right.

There is also a fridge, microwave and couches in the Graduate lounge. Needless to say, my locker will become my second home.

We have a slew of assignments due, oh, tomorrow, which have only been clarified as of yesterday, go figure. But as I research them I am discovering that this really is my calling. I am usually a fast paper writer because my skills are pretty good, and it helps so much when you are discussing a topic you actually enjoy. Not to mention I have to give two presentations about a visual and literary source relating to my topic. Bing and Bang, already covered. This has been an easier process than I thought it would be.

I'm also surprised with how much prior knowledge I have coming into this program. We were discussing accession, handling and photographing techniques and I knew most of the information and processes. I really did learn a lot from the Charleston Museum during my internship - props, J Hiester!

The next hardest thing is the bibliography. But I think we're going to cover that more later.

So all in all, the first day jitters have gone away. My commute is fine, I need to purchase a netbook so I'm not lugging my laptop around all too often, and I discovered a Subway around the block from campus that will get to know me very quickly. Aside from actually living in the city, this graduate thing is pretty perfect.

I can't wait until classes actually START!

Pre-1st Day Jitters

2009-08-23T16:36:00.001-04:00

And so, it's here, I've reached the turning point. I made it through the summer in one piece and had a great one at that, experiencing so much and meeting so many new people. It's a summer I'll never forget, but I have no time to reminisce about it.

Tomorrow, I start Grad school.

I'm about halfway through my readings, and I think I'll be all right as the students organize and pick which readings they get to lead. That way, I don't have to feel so bad about not finishing, as I do better when the information is presented to me in such a guided fashion. The things I'm REALLY scared about are the assignments for the coming week - a few papers, presentations and a 5 page bibliography, all due on according dates.

I'm not worried about that so much as my actual topic. I had the unfortunate luck to receive the topic email while I was away, without internet access. My topic in mind was slip dresses of the 1990s - I'm interested in recent fashion history (being that I've lived through it) and figured that FIT's collections would provide ample amounts of information regarding the subject based on their designer collection alone.

30 minutes later I am shot down, for a couple of reasons. 1) Apparently, recent history is not really "history" because it hasn't been analyzed yet (isn't that my job though?), so it's best to veer away from anything post-1995. 2) The topic was too specific in its own right. I was then bombarded with a slew of analytical questions regarding the slip dress as a whole, its origins, derivatives, couldn't this be this and that be thats, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not pissed at my professor. If anything, it was a great reality check in the sense that, for lack of better words, fuck - I have my work cut out for me.

So I emailed her with the possibility of Clothing under Communism during certain decades of choice, being that it seemed like she wanted a broader field of study. She hasn't replied back, but I don't expect her to. We're all meeting up tomorrow at 3:30pm and I'm sure any questions or clarifications I need will be answered. I'm sure I'm not the only newb as well.

It's so crazy. In a way, I'm glad I didn't have a break between camp ending and this beginning, because I'm going straight into something exciting once more. In another sense however, it would have been nice to have like a week or five days in between - my home life is totally nuts and nothing is organized. It's so overwhelming, I'm even procrastinating right now.

I am excited to be in the city for a prolonged period of time however. I hope to get a job on campus at the library, and a possible internship is in the mix. I'll talk more about that later.

So yes, I'm nervous, excited, curious, prepared and unprepared all at the same time. I have no idea what to expect, I haven't had time for this to sink in and I'm mentally exhausted from all of the worrying and frustration that led up to my acceptance, I just want to start and keep moving.

I just hope I have what it takes.

Analysis of Hipster Fashion: I

2009-07-14T19:32:00.000-04:00

The Hipster.

The Hipster's origins are derived from a long line of fashion subcultures, including the Beatniks, hippies, punk rockers, grunge rockers, goths, emos and indie rockers. Although a fairly recent emergence, it is one that quickly has caught on in the mainstream public eye. Everyone knows a hipster, everyone knows the sub castes of the Hipster pyramid. For the Millennium generation, I think it's fair to say that the Hipster will be one of the most influential fashion movements during this time in history.

Although there is much along the lines of research to be conducted, I have the advantage of living amongst the Hipsters, their culture and access to hipster leaders in the industry. I think this endeavor is going to prove very interesting and topical.

Some Hipster sub categories:

The Vintage Hipster - this Hipster shops at the Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other reputable thrift shops scoring the racks for clothing from the 1980s (and sometimes, 1970s or early 1990s). You can recognize them by their donning of Cosby sweaters, large, wire-framed glasses, corduroy pants and boat shoes or loafers. For the girls, it is similar but spandex leggings, waist belts and pointed flats make the female equivalent. Some females will even go as far as to wear pouf dresses or metallics.
The Lumberjack Hipster - these Hipsters are commonly seen wearing flannel, no matter what time of year it is. Plaid flannel shirts along with slim, dark denim and converse sneakers, or other flat shoe are usually worn. This look is a combination of Punk and Grunge Rocker. Ray Bans are also a prominent feature. Think of any movie John Cusak has been in, his looks closely emulate the Lumberjack Hipster. Also have an affinity for neck scarves.

The Tight Hipster - wears the tightest of clothing, usually in the form of pants. Only works when the wearer is slim, but larger people attempt this look as well (and fall short entirely). Tight, mid-thigh length shorts (usually cut-offs), hunting vests, muscle t's and Keds, topped off with a trucker hat completes the most common look. Skinny jeans are also a staple, in sizes that cut off circulation from the waist down.The Neon Hipster - perhaps the most common of Hipsters, or should I say, the most common of Wannabe Hipsters, as this look is easy to obtain, pull off and discard when bored with it. Influenced by Kanye West's Graduation album. It's all about the sneaker with these Hipsters - the flashier, more colorful the sneaker, the more of a Hipster you are considered to be. Brightness is not limited to footwear - anything obnoxiously florescent is up for grabs, especially fanny packs.The Urban Outfitters Hipster - wears clothing bought at Urban Outfitters, but is largely vintage, folk or art-and-crafts inspired. These Hipsters spend hundreds of dollars perfecting their look, which could easily be replicated by cheaper means. But then again, that would take some effort to accomplish - the antithesis of the Hipster's demeanor.The "Carny" Hipster - Reminiscent of hawkers at a Mid-Western carnival. Suspenders, pinstripe pants, Doc Martin's, plugs, horn-rimmed glasses (prescription or non) and Fedora hats accompany this Hipster's apparel. These are usually the Hipsters that make heads turn. The hardest look of all to pull off, by far. Sorry, no free rides.
A universal characteristic of any Hipster is their lack of attention to hygiene. Unwashed hair, tobacco stained teeth, smudged eyeliner, body oder and unshaved legs are the order of the day. This allows them to create the wispy hairstyles commonly seen - a hand run through the hair and they're ready to roll. Many hipsters also possess a number of piercings, tattoos and colorfully dyed hair, dating back to their punk rock predecessors.

An interesting point to note as well is that technological trends often accompany the outfits of a Hipster as well. Mp3 players, touch screen phones, complicated watches, wireless headphones, and the like are important accessories for many Hipsters. Tripped out bikes are also trendy and eco-friendly.

Mind you, these are just some of the more common Hipster looks, which certainly several carry over to form combo fashions. My fascination rides on the idea of identity and what it means to be a Hipster, especially through clothing - are all Hipsters alike? Can a Neon Hipster be just as intellectual as the Vintage Hipster? Or are we judging a book by its cover, as fashion so forcefully causes us to do? Does fashion play out into any other part of Hipster Ethos?

Think about it. I'll be over here, playing with my Iphone.

(Photos courtesy of latfh.com)

I need a break...

2009-06-30T20:11:00.000-04:00

All right, folks, I'm on temporary hiatus until things smooth out a bit more. Just started my job as a camp counselor and we just GO GO GO alllll day and alllll night (my bus broke down today and it's only the second day of camp woo?). I am officially working 12 hour days and don't get paid for shit BUT it's entirely too much fun (I do get paid to go to Six Flags and stuff like that, so I guess there is a trade off). Needless to say, I wake up at 6:30 am and come home exhausted. Sorry, dear readers, but it's not going to happen for a while.

So sad too, because I've been working on some great stuff about Czech fashion in movies, and hipster identity. And working on some article submissions. We'll see how it goes.

Tak cao, for now!

Slipdresses of the 1990s

2009-06-20T15:38:00.001-04:00

I own a wrap dress. And the tricky thing about them is, when you sit down the dress opens up smack dab in the center, revealing a very unflattering side of any woman in a casual setting. I have worn this dress before sans slip but today, I decided to try it. I only have a half slip but moral of the story is, I must invest in more.

And then it got me thinking - why don't women wear slips anymore? I remember going to Walmart one time looking for a cheap full length slip, thinking I'd be overwhelmed by the colors, designs and varieties I'd procure (I wanted something sexy for the after party, folks). Instead what greeted me was one of two varieties: the beige tone girdle slip (HELLZ NO) and the polyrayon blend, virginal white with rosettes disaster (rosettes have never been sexy, ftw). I left, dismayed - did this mean I'd have to wear someone ELSE'S underwear in order to achieve a throw-back-in-time design?

The answer, is yes. The only decent slips are the ones you find in a thrift shop.

Now this goes without saying, you don't want to pick up your slips at the Salvation Army. Granted I did my research and will soon be trotting off to Midtown to some shops that specialize in vintage lingerie. These places dry clean or wash by hand personally last decade's skivvies. I think I'm in the clear.

But this also got me wondering about the evolution - and ultimate death - of the slip as a practicality. The 90s made a comeback of the slip dress and I am very interested in this topic. Thus, potential topic of study:

Slipping into something more comfortable: Critical usage of the slip dress in film of the 1990s.

Think about it: Clueless, Scream, Wild Things, even the Naked Gun moves. All used the slip dress mainly as a form of seduction.

I think I'm on to something here.

Neve Campbell, Wild Things, CO IMDB.com

Alicia Silverstone, Clueless, CO leavemethewhite.com

Review: Bravo's The Fashion Show

2009-06-01T19:52:00.001-04:00

Bravo! recently debuted their newest fashion-reality-tv show endeavor, The Fashion Show and I must say, I've been watching but not loving. It kind of feels like my relationship with Real World Brooklyn - I watch because the topic is relevant but in reality, it's just not a good show. True, there have been only 4 episodes to date but at the same time, something just doesn't sit right with me and this series.

Host Isaac Mizrahi is perfect for the show - he's bubbly, knowledgeable about the industry (he's a fashion designer, albeit for Target but a well known fashion designer all the same) and keeps it interesting, he's one of the reasons I feel I should watch it. Co-host Kelly Rowland on the other hand, was a poor choice in my opinion. I don't know what her connection to fashion is, other than the fact that she wears it, but even her style on the show looks frumpy and off the target rack. Plus she doesn't sound genuine about anything at all unless asked her opinion on whether or not she'd wear something a designer made. Her presence confuses and annoys me. Isaac could - and should - hold the show on his own.

I enjoy the challenges, it's great to see what people can come up with in a matter of a few hours and see the process as it comes along. However as a whole, there are very few talented designers. My favorite is Reco, followed by Anna. Why? Because both know how to sew and execute their designs well. Both I have been impressed with as far as their designs go, they are professional and know their craft. Least favorites? Haven - can't sew and has ugly ideas. Merlin - crazy, annoying, does well at sewing but his pieces are too circus-y for my tastes. James Paul - annoying as well, way too avant-garde and his pieces are NOT wearable, although I will give him credit in that he is innovative and can pull his items together. I am also coming to my wits end with Daniella - she causes drama and her designs look trashy to me, but the judges don't think so.

The show is obviously edited - poorly at that rate - and when the judges deliberate it is obviously scripted and predictable as well. What's worse is how the final decision is made - completely on marketability. It is said that who wins each round is based off of the audience vote and the judge's final decision. My reality television instincts say otherwise. The winning piece has a "version" (of which I also don't appreciate) sold online at Bravotv.com. All of the pieces that have one so far have been simple enough to be marketed to viewers but are by no means high fashion nor fashion-forward. What's more, the purchaser doesn't even get a copy of the actual garment - it's a version that doesn't even resemble the original most times. If I am going to be paying top dollar for a designer piece, I want it to look exactly like what the designer made, not some copy thought up by a no-name.

Even the quality of the surroundings and filming are not up to par. I am not an avid watcher of Project Runway but the few episodes I've seen, The Fashion Show desperately pales in comparison. There is a classier air to PR that lacks in TFS, especially in its contestants. What I also don't understand is that the goal of the show is to end up with a line of clothing as the winner. Yet many of the contestants already have their own fashion line and businesses. What's going to change? Promotion? If you can afford pattern makers, seamstresses and drafters then you don't need to be on this fucking show, honey. You've already GOT your own line going.

Overall, I've got a lot of questions for the fashion show and I'm not getting the best answers. My assumption is that Bravo lost one of its highest rated shows to Lifetime and is trying to overcompensate with this mediocre knockoff. I'm hoping in the coming weeks it gets better - but that's what I said about Real World Brooklyn, and look how that turned out.

You're telling me I should pay Bravo $200 for that piece of garbage?

Quickie for the weekend

2009-05-29T15:22:00.000-04:00

Apologies to you all, I know my blog looks like a mess lately but I'm done with classes and so trying to spice things up a bit internet-wise.

I've been working on an article about Czech consumption, not coming along so well but this gives me a lot of practice for future articles, about planning and editing and finding sources and such. I'll post it if anything comes about well enough.

Also, it's my birthday weekend. Don't hate, celebrate.

Some things to look forward to in the coming season:

-Comparisons of "Project Runway" versus "The Fashion Show" and "America's Next Top Model" vs "Make Me a Supermodel".

-Thought on "What Not to Wear" and how it diminishes personal identity.

-Review of Albertine designer and her methods.

-There's going to be a lot dealing with television's portrayal of fashion and how this affects us.

Book Review: Fashion, Culture and Identity - Davis.

2009-05-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

Fred Davis' Fashion, Culture and Identity serves as a thorough introduction to the idea of fashion as a culture. His analysis of various topics under the fashion culture umbrella are mostly broad concepts, but they do give rise to ideas the reader might not have contemplated about the fashion world otherwise. Truth be told, Davis ambitiously crammed a lot of information into 210 pages but to reiterate, he covered a lot of ground and provided enough sources (the book is almost entirely cited from other theorists and historians) for the reader to take up further investigation on specific topics later.

The first two chapters are difficult to get through, as Davis provides an overdrawn, ambivalent introduction of fashion culture, but he makes the point that part of fashion's problem is its ambivalence, which is true in itself. But his emphasis on ambivalence and ambiguity, comparing at times using them interchangeably and then differentiating, is almost too ambivalent of a concept itself and causes the reader to lose interest.

But plowing through to the next chapter reveals more specific topics, such as reflections on gender specificity, androgyny, sex and erotica, fashion cycle analysis, and an in-depth look at the fashion process, something that few non-designers (and I could even include a few in that) never think about nor comprehend generally. These topics raise questions and are incredibly thought-provoking on a basic level. Davis does a good job to take the most specific and explainable pieces of a broad spectrum to help answer the question of what fashion says about its wearers.

Another problem however is Davis' inability to draw sufficient conclusions and answer his own question, however. This is a bit forgivable as his is an introductory book on a relatively nouveau topic and therefore, he is merely providing bulk theories that provide forthcoming theorists to build upon and come up with their own conclusions. He does well not to be biased when analyzing other theorists, by providing high and low points.

Fashion, Culture and Identity gives readers a fascinating view on the outer limits of fashion culture. I recommend this to any fashion student as an introduction and to provide a base from which to develop their own theories, ideas and specialties. Davis only touches on some of the things fashion culture encompasses. Everyone needs a place to start; Davis does just that.

Every T-shirt has a History

2009-05-20T12:56:00.000-04:00

I've been cleaning out my closets lately, preparing for the summer months and getting rid of, well, anything I'd never wear again. Surprisingly, my biggest accumulation of clothing lies with my pjs. I know, I was surprised too, especially since I really only wear the same thing to bed every night. I have a collection of shorts and baggy t-shirts, stuff you'd never be able wear on the street lest you should welcome cock-eyed glances and prejudgments as to the credibility of your wardrobe.

The weird thing is, I haven't been able to part with a single one of them.

Some of them I have gotten rid of, like from High School gigs that I really have no attachment to anymore. It's the most recent batch of tees that I can't seem to get rid of. This is going to result in an overflow of surplus sleepwear as I will no doubt collect more in the future.

Most of them have been free, which is the main problem. I've had to decline gifts from friends and family when they go on vacation because they bring me back shirts labeled with places I've never been. Or shirts handed out at college functions, mainly feminist related ones, shirts that have great messages and I'd hate to just send off because I believe in those messages.

I also know, I'm not alone. Go to any college, especially one with a sorority, and you'll see folks wearing event t-shirts like it's the latest trend. "I wear them because they are free," those people will say, but I know there has to be a deeper connection because if you're in a sorority, you're rich, and if you're rich, the combination of keeping up appearances plus affordability of clothing in the first place should not pose a problem. What it is most likely the case is that there is attachment to the event or place - you scuba dived for the first time in Puerto Rico, you met the celebrity of your dreams at the Cancer Run, you tried hard drugs for the first time in your college dorm or you kissed your first boy/girl that year at summer camp. I know I can't toss these shirts aside for certain reasons. I'd assume it's the same for others as well.

Every t-shirt has a story.

Here are some of my faves, and why I simply can't part with them at this time:

I got this for free from a Czech director when I was abroad. We were invited for a private screening and discussion with him and afterwards he gave us the shirts. The movie was actually really good but the shirt is huge. I should probably wear it as a dress.

I did some volunteer work in Ghana with a women's group, which was definitely a life-changing experience. On the back it says "SUPPORT WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT". How could I give something like that away?!!?!

While in Ghana, my parents decided to take a family trip to Puerto Rico sans moi. To compensate for the loss, they bought me this t-shirt. My mom always gives me a hard time about never wearing or using things she gives me so I reluctantly gave it a purpose. The best part is the two randomly places seashells on the upper shoulder and mid-back.

I used to volunteer for People Against Rape and we had to wear these t-shirts for the Take Back the Night event. Look at all those hideously placed sponsors! It's also like, mad huge.

I made this shirt in a small arts town in the Czech Republic. It was cool to actually make something in this famous textile shop and take it with me. I love when stuff like that happens, when you can be like "Look what I made, look what I brought back with me". But yeah, it's really ugly.

This also has a good message, I got it when I was working on the Vagina Monologues at Uni. It's supposed to support V-day, which is a day of Non-Violence. I want my kids to find this in the attic and ask questions. Or wear it because it'll be "vintage".

Totes my favorite, by far. I wear this like, everyday. The message makes a splash and is certainly an icebreaker, and my donation went to my Uni's NOW chapter. That logo is badass, how could I pass it up?

Clothing of Subcultures

2009-05-16T20:24:00.000-04:00

I always seem to update this thing when I'm exhausted. And it's not just at night, either.

I've realized that the topics I enjoy discussing most pertain to the fashion of subcultures - nerds and geeks, laymen, indie/hipster, feminist, communist, etc. Pretty cool.

Whenever someone asks me what I study, they don't seem to understand exactly. "So are you like, a designer?" "No, not really." "What do you think of this spring's new lineup?" "I haven't even seen it, to be honest." "Oh my God, don't you love the new Dolce and Gabana JLo wore to that event?" "Doesn't Dolce and Gabana produce fashion ads that submissively advocate sexual abuse?" These are the things I contemplate on a daily basis.

Because to be honest, I'm not interested in couture. I'm not interested in design aesthetics, unless they pertain to the feelings of the viewer and why they feel that way. I think that the fashion collections of the rich and famous are pretty to look at, but really don't say much about fashion except for the fact that everyone tries to imitate certain looks because of what they deem is "in style" (why don't they just decide for themselves what they are doing to wear?).

"We have a lot of things like ball gowns and fancy clothing, because that is all that has survived," remarked Jan Hiester, curator of textiles at the Charleston Museum. "Old, rich people save their clothing. Regular people like us, don't."

But it's the clothing of regular people, and people who set themselves apart from the rest, that I really enjoy and think are interesting. How their individual style has shaped the way people think of them based on their clothing, this eternal identity, is really very cool. I think it's the clothing of the everyday wearer that expresses the most information about ourselves that is the kind of stuff people should be talking about.

Phrase association - Republican. Sportsfan. Toddler. White Trash. Valley Girl. Nerd. Maid.

We can all picture the kind of outfit associated with these stereotypes. What does that say about the message those kinds of people want to send out? And more importantly, what does it say about us as a society for making assumptions like those?

The gears are clicking...

Brüno on Fashion

2009-05-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

"Fashion is ze lifesavingest of all ze sciences. NOT 1 suicide bomber has ever blown zemselves up vearing Marc Jacobs. U do ze mathematischer."

You know, it's true. I don't really know what he means by the first part but I would agree that you won't find too many villains wearing designer clothing. You think Kim Jong-Il carries a Fendi wallet ? Does Osama Bin Laden don Calvin Klein undies beneath his sheath? The suits of George W. Bush never made the catwalk. And Cruella DeVille only wore her own fashion line.

Good news, folks: there is no such thing as being "fashionably bad".

Let them wear pants.

2009-05-11T18:29:00.000-04:00

We discussed significant female actresses in fashion history today, and their roles as trendsetters in American society. I never realized how many famous ladies enjoyed the look of men's clothing. Katherine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrech, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford...all of which apparently have questionable sexual orientation but nonetheless, they wore pants. Even Audrey Hepburn is most noted for her khakis, turtle necks and loafers look.

Let's look at this contextually. The 30s, 40s and 50s were not the most masculine times as far as ladieswear is concerned. The 30s did not allow for creativity and sweeping trends to be economically benign (unless you were in Hollywood), the 40s went a bit more masculine because the boys were not home but hemlines were still in style, and forget about the 50s. These women were dressed glamorously all the time, when they were off the set they probably wanted to be comfortable, be anything BUT glamorous. We see that with celebrities even today. It takes a lot to look good, and when you work 10, 12 or 16 hour days even, who has the strength and the patience to put on makeup and a fancy dress?

Unlike celebrities of today, these women did not set out to be trend setters. In fact, I would say most of them had no impact on the fashion of the day at all; they are viewed as being polished and stylish in their own right but look at the photographs of normal people, none of them wore the wide-leg trousers of Hepburn or the tuxedo of Dietrech. If they did, it was a merely passing fad over all. This was a time when the celebrities looked incredibly good, but did not dictate fashion like they do today.

What does this say about our current fashion culture then? Are we so underdeveloped that we rely on a few key famous people to tell us what to wear? If Beyonce walked around with a pineapple on her head, would others follow suit? Were women back then so radically different in fashionable thought that they could think and wear for themselves? Or was it another source telling them what to wear? Perhaps the massive ready to wear lines displayed and accessible to the overall working class population?

It can be sure that women of the times wore clothing probably based off of costumes, not the everyday clothing choices of celebrities. So technically, film producers set the trends, not celebrities themselves.

More on this later.

I'm a terrible blogger with a good excuse.

2009-05-09T14:54:00.000-04:00

I know, I've been super bad with updates. I'm in the middle of finals however and it's hard to have a life. I promise, I'll be better very soon.

Topics you should be excited to hear from me about:

-Trend analysis as seen in the movie "Clueless"

-Evolutions of summer fashion

-American Vintage: Our obsession with the old

Yay!

Also, I have received my schedule for FIT:

Monday: History of Western Textiles 6-9pm.

Tuesday: Collection Management Skills 9am-12pm
Common Hour 1-2pm
Fiber and Fabric 2-6pm

Wednesday: History of Fashion through the 19th c. 12-3pm

I also apply for FWS so I'll have a job on campus (or at least relevant to something I'd like to do) and I also plan on getting my NY tour guide license. This schedule gives me a lot of free time to do just that.

Museum of Fashion, Closer than you Think

2009-05-04T19:33:00.000-04:00

Interesting possible paper topic:

The Mall: Fashion's New Museum.

I was walking around the mall today and noticed how many storefronts are verging on theme park-esque displays. Some storefronts don't even look like stores displaying clothing anymore; Hollister, RULE and Anthropology all put up fronts that resemble houses or buildings, mysterious entries made to lure a customer in because they can't merely judge the product from the sidelines anymore. The mall is becoming its own version of Epcot, over-exaggerating details to make their store more than just a display, it's a whole other world.

I'd like to investigate company motives to understand why they would invest so much money into display. Have sales risen because of it? Are these kinds of displays difficult to manipulate otherwise? What have the responses been? What kinds of people do they hire to construct and conceptualize?

Too tired to really go into detail on this one. Be on the lookout though.

The Trend: Part II

2009-04-30T11:02:00.000-04:00

"How could you tell what a woman looked like under that thing?"

Quoth a young man in my fashion history class as we discussed and viewed pictures of the Late Victorian exaggerated hourglass figure.

Historical context must always come into play when discussing any trend, which is what a lot of people don't realize. What dictates the trend is often not so much an inspiration from a designer, but what is going on in the outside world as well. Nowadays, the erogenous zone is based on how much skin can be revealed; back in the 19th century, things were different.

People associate "marriage" with "love", "love" with "sex" and "sex" with "being naked" in present times. This wasn't always the case however. It was more like this: "Marriage" "Money" and "Sex" "Prostitutes". People didn't marry for love back then - I know, this is an inCREDIBLY nouveau concept, believe it or not. They married for bank accounts and familial alliances. Marriages weren't so much arranged as they were encouraged - a woman or a man really could have his pick of any woman, as long as she fit the monetary standards desired by the family.

So really, it didn't matter if a man could tell the shape of a woman despite her Gigot sleeves and sickeningly cinched waist - it was the size of her reticule that mattered the most.

Which is why during the 19th century, the trend shifted and changed much more rapidly with women than it did for men. From the 1830s, we see a plateau in menswear with the popularity of the three piece suit. There are of course, variations on a theme - inseam, hem extensions, the length of the frock coat and the pattern of the vest. But comparably to women's clothing, men have been wearing pretty much the same trend since.

Women did not have as many work-related responsibilities as men during these days, and especially wealthier women had too much time than they knew what to do with. Drawing from Marie Antoinette's frivolous use of her time spent creating outlandish designs based off her own boredom (Think: Le Triomphe de la Liberté), once it was cool to be lavish once more women followed suit. They were bored and wanted to see what they could get away with.

Once they started wearing these items of clothing, the brains of men functioned to find other articles of the body desirable. In the early 1800s, it was the scoop of the dress exposing the breasts. In the 1830s, it was the ankle and the neck. 1850s-60s, the waist and 1870s-90s, the ass. The erogenous zone shifts dependent on what's in style at the moment. Simple as that.

Manhattan Vintage Trade Convention, Spring/Summer

2009-04-26T00:20:00.000-04:00

First time attending this acclaimed Vintage convention. Must say, I am impressed at the amount of vintage clothing people can acquire and sell at outrageously inappropriate prices. Also to add, you'll never find objects of higher quality, so I guess you get what you pay for.

Vintage dealers can be placed in two categories:

1) Cunning and crotchety old Jewish ladies who got into the business because their grandmother's closet overflowed with designer junk good enough to be sold to the uneducated vintage enthusiast but not good enough to be sold at auction.

2) Upstarting 20-something hipsters reveling in the past's perfections. These vendors often have the best prices because they are just starting out.

I saw a lot of the same thing: Bright, floral 60s shifts, ruffled maxi prom dresses of the 70s, psychadelic scarves and 80s suit separates. The jewelry was subpar and either extremely expensive and ghastly, or junky and not worth purchasing no matter how low the price. I realized that this kind of convention is only good when you know exactly what you're looking for (I was idly browsing), know exactly what you're looking at (maybe if I'd known a few more designers, the price tag would have made more sense) and have the bank account to justify spending hundreds of dollars on gently-used clothing.

Pros
Sizes: There was a large variety of clothing in my size, a size small, which is hard to come by in other vintage arenas. Much of the clothing I saw, and liked, would have fit nicely.
Variety as a whole: Clothing ranged from Edwardian slips and tea dresses, to early 90s couture. Looking for a particular period of the 20th century, you'd most likely find it. Lots of dresses, separates, shoes, bags and menswear as well.

Cons
Prices: Although I will say, the more educated vintage shopper might have spotted a bargain or been able to bargain down some clams. To me, anything used should be treated like a car; the price drops dramatically from the day it's purchased. But, what do I know, really?
Little specification: For a convention like that, where competition runs rampant because everyone has the same thing at every stall, setting yourself apart is key. I'd like to see some more specialization in goods, even if that's not your whole collection. A booth selling only small sizes, or only clothing from the 70s, selling just shoes, just hats, etc. Some of those kinds of booths caught my attention the most; a woman arranged several necklaces according to color and metal as her only booty. Even though I didn't buy anything, I still looked around.

I did come out with one purchase, a blouse from the 1970s NWT and matching cherry blossom neck scarf, $28. The shop owner was super nice, a 24 year old startup and didn't even have a website, she was so novelle, I couldn't bring myself to haggle. I probably could have gotten it for $25, but whatever. I know I made her day. Business was definitely slow for everyone today, and I know a lot of the stalls were hurting.

"We're very negotiable on our prices," one stall told me right off the bat. "Ignore the price tag."

Something told me the red, pink and purple swirl maxi dress costing $425 would go no less than half. And even at that, it was expensive (not to mention, the chestal area sagged too much on my flatness).

Definitely cool to witness though, and I look forward to going back. A lot of these places are set up as "archives" and maybe they'd like some free labor for internship credit?

Analysis of the Trend: Part I

2009-04-23T15:49:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about the idea of the "trend" lately. There are several components integral to the creation of the trend, and I don't think people tend to realize this. I speak of the average person, anyway, the consumer, not the anthropologist. People take clothing for granted and they never stop to think of why they wear what they wear.

How long do trends last?
These days, open any magazine and you'll see more than a dozen new trends pasted on any one page. This is not a one time occurrence - each month, each magazine scrambles to produce "the next big trend" so that its readers will keep buying their publication. Back when modes of fashion were first considered fashionable, trends would last up to decades at a time with variations on a theme. Nowadays, if you are really trendy, you adhere to the rules governed to you by the media considerably every week.

Who creates these trends?
Marie Antoinette. Charles Frederick Worth. Calvin Klein. These names are synonymous with trend setting throughout the ages. Even as little as ten years ago, the common person could trace a trend to its creator. Calvin Klein developed the slip dress, and although others copied the idea, it is still associated with him. In current times however, can we truly trace the origins of the Hobo Bag trend? The skinny jean? Ugg Boots?

Some say celebrities begin these trends. Then what inspires them? The designer? If so, why haven't they been given the recognition they deserve?

It could be that this world is getting considerably smaller and smaller each day, and it is not easy for creativity to thrive. Because of the internet's host of blogs, live media feed and variable search engines, if one designer creates something new and innovative, there is not enough time between the original design being showcased stand-alone and another company snatching up the idea for themselves. Designer's are being lumped together trend wise as their work is showcased on the catwalk. "Gucci, Prada, Valentino and Dior all displayed bright hues this season". Surely, these houses of fashion are not collaborating in a friendly manner. Is their originality fading, or is technology working against them?

TBC

Explanations on a Theme

2009-04-18T22:03:00.001-04:00

Most people have never heard of my line of work. Most people don't even really understand what I do. "What's a fashion culturist?" they ask. True, "culturist" is not a word. Nor is "culturalist", but the dictionary defines the suffix "ist" as being a few things:

-ist |əst; ist| |ɪst|
1 denoting an adherent of a system of beliefs, principles, etc., expressed by nouns ending in - ism:: hedonist | Marxist.
2 denoting a member of a profession or business activity : dentist | dramatist | florist.

I study the culture of fashion. Therefore, I am a fashion culturist.

I do not study the design of fashion. Although that would be cool, and I do have a whole crop of designs stuck in my head, I have no formal training and therefore am not a fashion designer.

The closest I come to that, is the effect aesthetics of fashion have on its wearers.

People don't really understand what I do. Maybe I don't articulate it well enough, but I think there is something deeper to the matter.

Everyone wears clothes. People taking wearing clothes for granted, just like we take driving a car or owning a computer. People don't seem to understand the underlying meanings of clothing because the media and consumerism have blown it so out of proportion, the only semblance of understanding people associate with clothing is what the magazines tell us. And the magazines tell us "BUY BUY BUY or you won't fit in!". We associate fashion with money, and with looking good.

Oh, people, there is so much MORE TO IT.

Have you ever stopped to wonder, why you look so good? Or how that trend developed? Or where in history it might have been inspired from? Or who you become when you slip on a little black dress, a baseball uniform, a bikini?

That's where I come in.

It's fashion culture people.

It's why we wear, what we wear.