Sometimes things just work out. Perfectly. A few months ago, an acquaintance alerted me to an exhibition of 50 (yes 50!) Victorian gowns. “Sounds great”, I replied, “Where is it?” “In Saco, Maine”, came the response. Gasp! “That’s a little over 3,000 miles away, but thanks for thinking of me!”, I replied and quickly filed…… Continue reading The fates align
And by little I mean whoever wore this was teeny tiny (maybe a size 2?). But here she is. A gorgeous little find that I could not pass up for a mere $10. It’s great for study and was made entirely by hand. The fabric was pintucked by machine before it was stitched together. It’s…… Continue reading The Little Blue Dress
I think Ulyana Sergeenko may very well be one of my favorite designers of all time. I love her use of historical and fantasy references and the elegant way she incorporates familiar fairytale elements in dramatic ways. I mean, who doesn’t love Slavic folklore and cunning references to paganism? So inevitably, I had to include…… Continue reading Ulyana Sergeenko
Vivienne Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire to Gordon Swire and Dora Swire in England on April 8, 1941. She moved to London at the age of seventeen to study silver-smithing at Harrow School of Art. After only staying for one term, believing she could not make a living in the arts, she decided instead…… Continue reading Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood
Lee Alexander McQueen was born on March 17, 1969, in Lewisham, London. The youngest of six children born to a taxi driver father and schoolteacher mother. Alexander, or Lee as he was more commonly known, knew from a young age that he was gay, and as a result suffered much teasing from his classmates. He…… Continue reading Alexander McQueen
Christian Marie Lacroix was born on May 16, 1951 in Arles, France. He studied art and costume history at the University of Montpellier, and after graduating with his arts degree in 1973, Lacroix went to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, hoping to establish a career as a museum curator. After moving to Paris from…… Continue reading Christian Lacroix
Lilly Daché Lilly Daché was born in France in 1904. After leaving school at thirteen, she moved to Paris where she trained under her aunt, Caroline Reboux, the “Queen of the Milliners.” Lilly remained with her for nearly five years, eventually moving to the United States and finally relocating to New York City in 1924.…… Continue reading Lilly Daché
I received a request the other day to find out where all of the excess fabric came to make the zoot suits popular in the 1940’s. To truly understand the zoot suit, it is important to understand the political and social climate of the time in which it was created and worn. Lets start with…… Continue reading Zoot Suit: the Harlem fashion trend and how it all began.
Charles Wilson Brega James was born on July 18, 1906, in Surrey, England, to an English father and American heiress mother. In the early 1920s he moved to his mother’s hometown of Chicago and, in 1926, opened his first hat shop under the name of a schoolmate, Charles Boucheron, his father having forbid him to…… Continue reading Charles James
Pauline Trigère was born in Pigalle, a neighborhood in Paris, on November 4, 1908. Her parents, Alexandre Trigère, a tailor, and his wife Cecile, a dressmaker, were Jewish. Pauline, who was proficient in sewing by the age of ten and would often assist her mother, began designing clothing for herself in her early teens. Once…… Continue reading Pauline Trigère
refashioning history 