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April 10, 2012Chains of Chanel

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Gilt chains are a recurring visual theme in the Chanel lexicon. Beginning in the 1920s, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel promoted costume jewelry as an alternative to jewelry made of gold and studded with pearls and precious stones. Chanel didn’t just promote costume jewelry, she also wore it herself, pairing bold necklaces of faux pearls, gilt and glass stones with her straightforward daywear. In a famous 1937 photo by Horst P. Horst, Chanel casually reclines and her necklaces fall to the side. Who cares if they are real or faux? In 1938, it was said that her ” “gold” necklaces were the biggest and most flamboyant in Paris.”1

After 1953, when Chanel emerged from retirement, she applied gilt chains to her garments and accessories for both decorative and functional purposes. The now iconic quilted leather Chanel bag with a chain strap was first introduced in 1955, and is often called 2.55 because it was released in February 1955. Based on a bag Chanel used in the 1920s, this modest rectangular bag has a chain handle that can be slung over the shoulder, or carried at the elbow. A Chanel suit also features a gilt chain, though it is frequently hidden from sight. The jacket always features a lightly quilted lining with a gilt chain hand-stitched to the interior hem of the jacket. The appearance of chain is echoed in braided trim that is often used to reinforce and decorate cuffs, collar and pockets of the suit jacket.

Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld
1985
Gift of Barbara Bundy
2006.37.4

In his designs for Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld has often reworked the iconic signatures of Coco Chanel. In this black wool dress, Lagerfeld pays homage to Chanel by layering trompe l’oeil chains at the waist of a sleeveless black wool dress. A mix of leather, gold embroidery and bugle beads, the chains reference Chanel’s love of costume jewelry and the casual, carefree way that Chanel wore her own jewelry. The simple silhouette and black ground serve as the perfect foil for the richness of the appliqued belts.

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1 “New Costume Jewelry” New York Times30 Jan. 1938: 80.

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FIDM Museum Blog: Fred Astaire’s dancing shoesFIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

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? Chains of Chanel |Main| FABULOUS! catalogue wins Best of Show award ?

April 17, 2012Fred Astaire’s dancing shoes

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Tap Shoes
Worn by Fred Astaire, c. 1930s
Suede, leather & metal taps
Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles/FIDM Museum
L88.1.125AB

By the time he first appeared in a Hollywood film in 1933, Fred Astaire was already an experienced and popular performer. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1899, Astaire first encountered dance classes as a toddler, when his older sister Adele was enrolled in ballet classes. Their parents believed that Adele might be talented enough for a performance career, so when the children were only 5 and 7, the family moved to New York. The family (still using their original name Austerlitz) had no connections in New York, very little money, and the name of a dance academy recommended by Adele’s Omaha dance teacher. Whether by design or happenstance, once the Astaire family settled in New York, Fred and Adele were both enrolled in dance classes. Fred and Adele’s teacher felt that the children had some talent, and developed a brother-sister act for the siblings. Changing their last name from Austerlitz to Astaire, the siblings began performing a comedic dance act on the vaudeville circuit.

The duo worked at their career for many years before appearing on Broadway in 1917. Their act consisted of dance and light comedy, and received acclaim in both the United States and Europe. Steadily gaining in popularity, the Astaires continued their partnership until Adele retired from the stage in 1932. Though both Astaire siblings were talented, Adele was often considered the more talented and vivacious half of the pair. Her retirement allowed Fred’s reputation and career to grow tremendously.

Almost immediately after Adele retired, Fred Astaire moved to Hollywood and began a long career in film and television. In 1933, he had a bit part as himself in the Joan Crawford/Clark Gable film Dancing Lady.That same year he had?a larger role in Flying Down to Rio. This film featured the first onscreen pairing of Astaire and Ginger Rogers; they would be a famous performing duo. In this clip from Flying Down to Rio, Rogers and Astaire interpret a Latin-style dance. Their dance begins at about three minutes.?

L88.1.125AB

This pair of brown suede tap shoes worn by Fred Astaire date from the 1930s. We are still working to determine exactly when and where they were worn. Several biographers of Fred Astaire have noted his perfectionist tendencies. He reportedly practiced, practiced and practiced again to achieve his fluid, elegant dance persona. These well-worn shoes bear witness to this effort.

Even today, Astaire is considered a style icon. He is often remembered in elegant formal dress, as he wore in the 1935 film Top Hat. In his 1959 autobiography, Astaire admitted his dislike of formal wear, writing, “At the risk of disillusionment, I must admit that I don’t like top hats, white ties and tails.”1 He?was fastidious about his wardrobe and had strong ideas about how men should dress. In an extensive GQinterview from August 1957, Astaire detailed his style preferences, including his taste in tie width, shirt cuffs, and tailoring. Most notable is Astaire’s preference for using silk handkerchiefs instead of belts! To get the full story on Fred Astaire’s personal style, read the interview here.

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L88.1.125AB

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1 Astaire, Fred. Steps in Time.New York: Harper & Brothers. 1959: 8.

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Danstar taps!

Of course, you’ve heard about the legend, that Astaire’s first screen test generated the comment “Balding. Can’t sing. Dances a little.”

Posted by:Kara |April 17, 2012 at 11:11 AM

Yes! I came across several variations of that quote while researching this post. Quite an underestimation of his talents!

Posted by:Rachel |April 17, 2012 at 01:40 PM

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FIDM Museum Blog: Balenciaga hat, 1960FIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

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? Embroidered bodice, c. 1905 |Main

May 08, 2012Balenciaga hat, 1960

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Throughout the 1950s, etiquette dictated that women wear hats for everything but the most informal occasions. Whether running errands, meeting friends for lunch, shopping for a new frock, or attending a meeting, the hat was a necessary accessory. A complete ensemble also included gloves (usually white) and matching handbag and shoes. By the end of the decade, increasing informality in dress and the popularity of larger, more elaborate hairstyles meant that hats were no longer strictly required. In 1960,?Voguenoted this shift: “In another generation, we heard “you’re not?dressed?if you don’t wear a hat,” but the obvious truth is that many smart women are now beautifully, though, hatlessly, dressed, wearing marvellous hair as a substitute.”2?Instead of wearing hats because they were socially necessary,?Vogue?encouraged its readers to wear hats because they were an opportunity for “chic women to acquire extra chic.”2?By end of the 1960s, however, women’s hats had become largely irrelevant to mainstream fashion.

Cristobal Balenciaga
Fall 1960
Museum Purchase
2003.5.45

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Dating from 1960, this Balenciaga hat marks the beginning of the end of the hat era. As a haute couture designer, Balenciaga wasn’t interested in dramatic changes simply for the sake of novelty. He never jumped from silhouette to silhouette in pursuit of a new shape.?Instead, Balenciaga focused on perfecting the cut, fit and proportion of each garment he created. Accessories, including hats, shoes, belts and handbags, were essential to the overall composition. In pursuit of a balanced ensemble, Balenciaga always developed accessories along with the primary garment. A complete day outfit consisted of a dress, coat, belt, hat, handbag and shoes.

Though Balenciaga certainly had oversight of each hat bearing his label, the details were managed by a design assistant. In the late 1950s, hat design was overseen by Balenciaga’s?assistant Ramon Esparza. Once designed, hats were completed in one of two millinery workrooms at Balenciaga’s Paris atelier. When designing hats, Balenciaga often looked to the regional and ceremonial dress of his native Spain. In the same way that Balenciaga’s garment designs often influenced the direction of fashion, his hats had the same affect. In October 1960, Voguenoted that Balenciaga’s recent introduction of small hats had suddenly called into question the large-brimmed hats shown by other designers.

2003.5.45

Like other examples of Balenciaga hats from 1960, this hat is small, not too much larger than the doll-size hats popular during the 1930s. Period imagery suggests that it would have been worn tilted forward over a smooth twist or chignon hairstyle, and secured with a matching hatpin. Made from heather gray tweed, it would have been paired with a matching or complementary day suit.?The self-fabric roses are a witty touch, a reference to the more naturalistic flowers that usually decorate a woman’s hat. Unlike fragile real or silk flowers, these sturdy wool roses will always remain fresh from Balenciaga’s atelier.

2003.5.45

1 “The Truth About The Hat Situation.” Vogue15 Feb 1960: 75.
2 Ibid.

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FIDM Museum Blog: Bubble silhouette, 1958-59FIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

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? FABULOUS! catalogue wins Best of Show award |Main| Monies jewelry ?

April 25, 2012Bubble silhouette, 1958-59

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Cocktail dress
1958-59
Gift of Steven Porterfield
S2007.897.8

In March 1958, Vogue?lauded the new variety in fashionable silhouettes: “a whole lovely flight of new forms–winged, floating, or held slightly away from the body in some mysterious way. It is the variety of shapes that marks these Paris collections.”1 In the accompanying 20-page editorial, readers were introduced to St. Laurent’s A-line trapeze dress for Dior, Cardin’s bubble hem skirt suit, Madame Grès empire-waist chiffon day dress, and Chanel’s slim, two-piece wool suit.?The hodge-podge of silhouettes presented in the article suggests that Christian Dior’s 1947 New Look silhouette was finally being surpassed by new approaches to the body. The 1958 Voguearticle credited the availability of varied silhouettes to the body-skimming?chemise dress,?which had become popular the previous year.

Also pictured in the 1958 editorial were sheath dresses made voluminous by overlayers of organdy or tulle. As is true of the dress featured in this post, the addition of transparent overlayers made simple sheaths more complex and intriguing. Though inherently fragile, the overlayer suggests a protective cocoon, or an insect’s exoskeleton. In the black cocktail or evening dress pictured here, the sheer overlayer is a voluminous bubble with diagonal pleats at center front. A wide velvet band holds the transparent bubble in place. To make walking easier, the front of the skirt is fashioned from two overlapping panels.?Sitting would deflate the exaggerated silhouette, so a fashion-conscious wearer would have spent the evening on her toes.

S2007.897.8

The bubble silhouette was something of a fad in the late 1950s. Both Pierre Cardin and Hubert Givenchy had already experimented with the inflated silhouette, in 1954 and 1956 respectively. By the late ’50s, it had become a popular choice for evening, cocktail and prom wear. In 1958, the New York Timescalled the bubble skirt “one of the prettiest dance fashions for evening, ” especially when paired with sheer stockings and evening gloves.2

In the 1980s, a decade that witnessed numerous resurrections of 1950s style, the bubble skirt made a comeback. Also designed for evening, this early 1980s Yves Saint Laurent haute couture design features a dropped waist and bubble skirt. Today, the bubble skirt makes occasional appearances on the street and the runway. Most recently, Miu Miu’s 2012 resort collection featured 1980′s inspired bubble skirts, which you can see here and here. See the full collection here.

Evening dress
Silk velvet and taffeta
Yves Saint Laurent
1980-81
Museum Purchase
2003.5.20

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1?Daves, Jessica. “Paris Fashion: Paris Collections: Skirts Rise Waistlines Rise New Shapes Fascinate.” Vogue1 Mar. 1958: 105.
2?”Skirting the Issue.” New York Times 1 Nov. 1958: 16.

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Beautiful. And that shape is quite popular today now again (I think so anyway! Or it was a couple of years ago?)

Posted by:textilehistorIE |April 26, 2012 at 10:23 AM

Variations on the bubble definitely make regular appearances! Here’s a very recent image of a bubbled skirt worn by Rihanna: http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2012/04/rihanna-tried-out-pretty-and-pink.html.

Just more proof that fashion is a series of cycles…everything goes out, but will (almost always) come back in. And a demonstration that contemporary fashion is really about personal preference, not style rules. Any silhouette is fair game!

Posted by:Rachel |April 26, 2012 at 12:29 PM

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FIDM Museum Blog: Fortuny textilesFIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

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? Down Under! |Main| A docent’s view of the 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition ?

March 29, 2012Fortuny textiles

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“Many a room has been “made” by a single panel of Fortuny fabric. As furniture coverings and curtains these prints are infinitely rich and adaptable. And the superbgesture is to hang entire wall surfaces with Fortuny stuffs.”1

? Textile panel detail
Mariano Fortuny
c. 1915
Gift of the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
87.1010.1

Mariano Fortuny’s interest in the past influenced all of his work. His most iconic garment, the finely pleated silk Delphos dress, was based on the pleated garments portrayed in ancient Greek sculpture. To complement the Delphos, Fortuny created loose-fitting coats, capes and wraps and patterned with rich designs. Fortuny’s tastes were varied and his textile patterns referenced a wide array of artistic traditions. The Italian Renaissance was a consistent inspiration, but Fortuny also borrowed design elements from sources as diverse as the pre-Columbian art of Central and South America, Chinese brush paintings, Coptic textile designs, and Arabic calligraphy. Fortuny’s first encounters with historic textiles were through his family. His parents collected historic textiles, and Fortuny continued this collecting tradition, amassing a large collection of historic textiles that were kept in trunks at the Palazzo Orfei, Fortuny’s home in Venice.

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Fortuny’s historically-informed textile designs graced his timeless garments, but they also embellished living spaces. In 1921 or 1922, about 15 years after designing the first Delphos dress, Fortuny opened a small textile factory geared to the production of home furnishing textiles. Unlike his garments, which were usually made from silk velvet, crepe or lightweight silk chiffon, Fortuny’s interior textiles were made from durable cotton. Still, the interior textiles featured the rich patterns and luminous colors that distinguished Fortuny’s printed velvet and silk garments.

As the opening quote suggests, Fortuny’s interior textiles were well received, and soon graced homes and luxury hotels in Europe and North America. The blue patterned textile seen above is a detail from a panel that once graced the walls of townhouse on New York’s Fifth Avenue. Despite their rich pedigree, Fortuny’s cotton interior textiles were considered somewhat affordable. A 1927 Voguearticle titled Economy in Decorationdescribed the appeal of Fortuny’s textiles: “even at close range they give all the feeling, as well as the colour charm, of those wonderful old damasks that one would love to own and can’t afford.”2 According to the article, Fortuny fabrics ranged from $5 a yard to just under $3 a yard. In today’s dollars, that is about $65 to $40 a yard.

Textile
Mariano Fortuny
late 1920s
Gift of Nancy Riegelman
2003.602.2

This textile features the metallic pigment that Fortuny often used in his textile designs. Though this image doesn’t quite do the colors justice, the ground is a peachy-orange and the design of grape leaves, bunches and vines is stamped in a light metallic gold. Fortuny’s textiles rarely featured a solid, unvarying background. Instead, natural dyes were layered, brushed or sponged onto the fabric, creating a base color with depth and variation. Metallic pigments added richness to the designs, and were a hallmark of both his garment and interior textiles. Early patterns were block-printed, though Fortuny later developed a printing process that allowed him to produce interior textiles in volume.

Fortuny passed away in 1949, but his interior textiles are still produced at the original Venetian factory. Contemporary Fortuny textiles are based on Fortuny’s original designs and new patterns designed in the spirit of Fortuny. The current owners (not related to Fortuny) are very aware of Fortuny’s legacy and reputation. Visit the Fortuny website here.

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1 “Advertisement.” New York Times.20 Feb. 1931: 8.
2 “Economy In Decoration” Vogue 15 May 1927: 134.

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Wow very nice textile!

Posted by:Tacloban Hotels |March 29, 2012 at 06:37 PM

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FIDM Museum Blog: Mae West objects on displayFIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection Fundraiser

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? A docent’s view of the 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition |Main| Chains of Chanel ?

April 05, 2012Mae West objects on display

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Originally posted in 2009, this post explores Mae West’s larger-than-life persona. Visit the 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition to see one of Mae West’s corsets and a pair of her platform shoes on exhibit. The exhibition closes on April 28, 2012.

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Mae West’s (1893-1980) most famous attribute was her figure. Buxom, rounded and held in place by rigid corsets, West’s silhouette provoked a degree of outrage, while also serving as her best publicity. Her hourglass shape was immortalized in 1937 when the couturier Elsa Schiaparelli used West’s silhouette as the basis for her Shocking perfume bottle. Hired to design costumes for West’s 1937 film Every Day’s a Holiday, the Paris based couturier would not travel to Hollywood and West could not travel to Paris. A solution was reached whereby a torso based on West’s measurements was sent to Schiaparelli’s Paris workshop. The resulting perfume bottle serves as an iconic representation of both Mae West and Elsa Schiaparelli.

Shocking by Schiaparelli
c.1937
Gift of Annette Green
F2005.860.820A

West was very savvy?in regard to her?physical self-presentation. After many years as a vaudevillian and stage performer, in 1928 West wrote and acted the starring role?in Diamond Lil,?a play?about 1890s New York.?West’s costumes in the play were?in the style of the 1890s;?form-fitting floor length dresses with flaring skirts,?worn over corsets which?accentuated?her hourglass figure. Realizing that this style of dress flattered her natural body-type, West adopted a similar style of dress for both public and private appearances throughout the rest of her life.?

Extremely petite, West was only about 5 feet tall. To increase her stature, West usually wore shoes with extremely high-heels, both onscreen and off. Though the shoes were usually hidden by the long dresses she wore, West made sure her footwear was glamorous, as demonstrated by the platform heels below. Together, the heel and platform measure?9 1/2 inches!!

Mae West performance shoes
1950-59
Gift of Kevin Thomas in Memory of Dolly Dempsey
2007.919.1AB

Side view of 2007.919.1A

We have yet to pinpoint exactly when West wore these shoes, but they were perhaps worn in Las Vegas, where West performed throughout the 1950s. These shoes were received by the FIDM Museum as part of a large donation of footwear and Jule Park undergarments worn by Mae West. The donation even included the footprints below, used in creating Mae West’s?striking platform shoes.

Mae West’s left and right footprint!

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Mae West’s footprints
1950-59
Gift of Kevin Thomas in Memory of Dolly Dempsey
2007.919.19AB

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Leider, Emily Wortis. Becoming Mae West. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. 1997.

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FIDM Museum Blog: Embroidered bodice, c. 1905FIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

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? Monies jewelry |Main| Balenciaga hat, 1960 ?

May 02, 2012Embroidered bodice, c. 1905

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Bodice
Silk net with embroidery
Gift of Deane Funk
87.286.1

Made from ivory silk net embroidered with an allover floral pattern, this elegant bodice gives the impression of being completely sheer. Actually, the bodice is lined with a layer of ivory silk, thus preserving the modesty of the wearer. Though the bodice itself is made from a fragile, insubstantial textile, it was worn over a rigid foundation: the S-bend corset. This corset, with its flat front and steel busk, forced the hips back and the bust forward into a distinctive S-shape. The resulting silhouette idealized the body of a mature woman, featuring a full monobosom, tightly cinched waist, and full, rounded hips. This silhouette dominated women’s fashion from 1900 until about 1908, when it was gradually replaced by the unarticulated, upright lines of the empire silhouette.

In the photo below, note how the front of the bodice was created to allow for a generous monobosom. Excess fabric drapes slightly over the waist of the bodice. When worn, the shape of the bodice would fill out, becoming rounder at the bust. To achieve the desired silhouette, many women resorted to padded bust improvers. This type of bust was sometimes called the pouter pigeon, as it resembled the full, puffed chest of a pouter pigeon.

87.286.1

During the first decade of the 20th century, fashionable dress favored soft, pale colors. Pale pinks, soft blues and a variety of white and off-white shades dominated women’s dress. The popularity of soft colors may have been a reaction to the late 19th century craze for the bright, intense colors produced by synthetic aniline dyes. Compare the color of this?two-tone purple c. 1872 day dress?to the soft color of the bodice pictured here.?

Transparency was another important theme, and many women’s garments from this period feature sheer layers of fabric accented with lace, embroidery or other trim. This c. 1903 raspberry pink day dress by?Jacques Doucet features transparent layers and the same sleeve seen on our bodice. The leg o’ mutton sleeve (full at the shoulders and tapered to the wrist) pictured here was popular, but shared the stage with other sleeves. Bishop sleeves and puffed sleeves restrained with ties or bows are also seen in garments from this decade.

This bodice was probably once part of a two-piece ensemble. Two-piece dresses were common, with bodice and skirt usually made from matching fabric. In an era when strict rules dictated appropriate dress for time of day and specific events, the high collar and long sleeves indicate when this bodice would have been worn. Ball gowns, the most formal level of dress, usually featured short sleeves and a revealing neckline. Dinner gowns usually featured a high neckline and elbow length sleeves. Day dresses were the most conservative, with high collars and wrist-length sleeves. Because of its high collar and long sleeves, we can make an educated guess that this bodice was once part of a two-piece day ensemble.

Though its highly unlikely we’ll ever find the matching skirt, we do know where this bodice was made. A green and ivory label inside the bodice reads:?Mmes Aubrejeac & F. Bonnesseur, 113. Rue Réaumur, PARIS. Early 20th century Paris was home to the most famous garment makers in the world. American women who could afford the journey travelled to Paris one or two times per year to refresh their wardrobes. Women who couldn’t afford the trip to Europe depended on local shops to import a selection of Parisian garments for sale or reproduction. This system allowed women of varying incomes access to the latest fashions. Though we don’t know who purchased this bodice, we can assume that the wearer was a woman with the means and interest to obtain high-quality fashion direct from Paris.

The makers are also a bit of mystery. Initial research uncovered almost no information about?Mmes Aubrejeac & F. Bonnesseur. If you are familiar with these names, send us a message. We’d love to find out more about this Parisian duo and see other examples of their work.

87.286.1

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FIDM Museum Blog: Monies jewelryFIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection Fundraiser

Visit the FIDM Museum Shop

? Bubble silhouette, 1958-59 |Main| Embroidered bodice, c. 1905 ?

April 27, 2012Monies jewelry

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Bracelets
Mother of pearl
Monies
1990-2000
Gift of The Muriel Pollia Foundation
2006.868.9A-C

Since the early 1970s, Gerda and Nikolai Monies have used?fossils, petrified wood, animal bone, seeds, beach stones, jute and other organic materials to create dramatic, sculptural jewelry. Based in Copenhagen, their eponymous jewelry house produces two collections each year: Production and Unique. Based on seasonal themes, Production is a line of handcrafted multiples, while Unique (as the name suggests) is a collection of one-of-a-kind jewelry. The organic materials that give Monies jewelry its character are globally sourced and then crafted into jewelry that enhances the innate characteristics of each material. The mother of pearl bracelets pictured above show evidence of this philosophy. Though mother of pearl can be polished and tinted to a uniform appearance, each bracelet varies slightly in color, texture and shape. The variations suggest the organic processes that created the mother of pearl while also enhancing their visual appeal

Necklace
Jute and rock crystal
Monies
1990-2000
Gift of the Muriel Pollia Foundation
2006.68.17A

Not for the conservative dresser, Monies jewelry is definitely statement jewelry. Each piece comprises dramatic forms that catch the eye and demand attention. This necklace combines jute cord with irregular shards of polished rock crystal. Approximately 21 inches long, it isn’t going to disappear under the collar of your shirt. And it’s HEAVY. Because it incorporates dense natural materials, Monies jewelry tends to be remarkably weighty.

It would be fascinating to know more about the inspiration and design process for Monies jewelry. Unfortunately, there’s very little information available on the designers or the firm. A blog promoting Copenhagen suggests that Gerda and Nikolai Monies approach each piece of jewelry as if it were a sculpture. It also notes that they’ve collaborated with fashion designers, including Donna Karan, Christian Lacroix and the house of Chanel. Have you seen evidence of these collaborations? If so, let us know!

This bracelet might be our most impressive piece of Monies jewelry. Any guess as to what it’s made from? It actually incorporates two different materials.

Bracelet
c. 1995
Gift of the Muriel Pollia Foundation
2006.868.12AB

Mammoth bone and ebony! We had this bracelet examined by the staff of the George C. Page Museum at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits.?They informed us that the fossilized bone is actually a femur from an Ice Age mammoth excavated in Siberia. The other portion is ebony, an extremely dense wood, harvested somewhere in West Africa. The two materials were merely shaped, polished and oiled to create a remarkable bracelet.

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The mammoth fossil and ebony bracelet is really unique. It is an unusual combination and would take an artist to envision the potential of the pairing.

Posted by:Sharon Breshears |April 27, 2012 at 08:52 PM

These pieces are exquisite. I do not see many mother of pearl pieces in museum collections or even in personal collections!

Posted by:Joy D. |April 27, 2012 at 10:40 PM

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FIDM Museum Blog: FABULOUS! catalogue wins Best of Show awardFIDM Museum BlogFor all the latest news from the FIDM Museum About the FIDM Museum Learn more about FIDM Archives Categories Links

Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection Fundraiser

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? Fred Astaire’s dancing shoes |Main| Bubble silhouette, 1958-59 ?

April 19, 2012FABULOUS! catalogue wins Best of Show award

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We are delighted to announce that the?FABULOUS! catalogue?was awarded Best of Show at the?2012 Print Excellence Awards.?The catalogue was printed by Clear Image Printing, who went above and beyond in their execution of the catalogue. Clear Image worked closely with exhibition co-curators Kevin Jones and Christina Johnson, and FIDM Publications staff to ensure that the FABULOUS! catalogue would be much more than a simple document of the exhibition.

Sponsored by the?Printing Industries Association of Southern California, the annual Print Excellence Awards celebrate excellence in print media. To win Best of Show in this judged competition, entries must be outstanding, flawless and receive the highest overall score from the award judges.?According to the judges of the Print Excellence Awards,?the catalogue “demonstrated a printing company’s ability to transform paper into a beautiful piece of visual communication. First, the printed dust jacket, then printed cloth cover, and finally page after page of wonderfully executed renditions of photography and text. Incorporate a variety of fold-out [pages] and you have a piece that earned Best of Show.”?

Written to accompany our 2011?FABULOUS! exhibition, the catalogue?presents a selection of recent FIDM Museum acquisitions as a 200-year overview of fashionable dress, including women’s, men’s, and children’s attire. The FABULOUS! catalogue includes full-color images, introductory essays by exhibition co-curators Kevin Jones and Christina Johnson, and a timeline that contextualizes developments in fashionable dress. The catalogue features the array of garments and accessories that were on display in FABULOUS!, along with bonus images of objects not included in the exhibition.

Eager to get your own copy of the FABULOUS! catalogue? We still have a few available in the FIDM Museum Shop.

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Congratulations! This is a beautiful, beautiful book – hands down, one of my favorite costume books – and the award is well-deserved. Enjoy your achievement!

Posted by:Susan Holloway Scott |April 22, 2012 at 09:02 AM

Congrats !

Posted by:Biernat |May 01, 2012 at 12:34 AM

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For China, the 2010 a year on a national and international economic complex. Bad view of the outside environment, the European debt crisis that the world supports the old mode of economic growth gradually shaken, China’s economy continued to the environment of foreign demand is also changing. From the domestic side, the internal engine of economic recovery in China is still insufficient, the structural contradictions are still prominent.

For domestic companies, print, foreign orders in 2010, obviously has not reached before the financial crisis peak, but the business confidence index rose many significantly, even with force started to prepare for enter foreign markets. However, the process of global economic recovery is still twists and turns, changes, and there are negative factors, so the printing and packaging company’s foreign export trade is still necessary to be cautious.

First look at the international environment. First, the power of the printer several international economic recovery is not obvious, the May 18, 2010, the opening of the British IPEX2010 exhibition of view, the case is not the ideal audience participation, of course , many of which the objective factors, such as the volcano erupted British Airways strike of collective, but certainly not the British printing industry in the spring. Second, the euro in the last six months of the devaluation of the renminbi, the depreciation rate of up to 15%. The EU is the main export market for China, accounting for 16% in trade, the euro will make Chinese exporters an enormous cost pressure. The author believes that the external environment is full of variables in the case, domestic Specialty Paper printing and packaging companies must maintain a clear understanding of export.

See the home environment. According to the “Report of China Foreign Trade (Spring 2010),” has been introduced since 2010, China’s foreign trade continued to grow since the final restoration of the pulse, there was a significant rebound. While export figures April exceeded market expectations, but recently the Ministry of Commerce spokesman Yao Jian continues, said in a press conference, the current export in the form of not optimistic that the surplus of this business year of China in the previous year 290 million U.S. dollars, last year 190 000 000 000 based on the dollar dropped significantly. From this perspective, the international balance of payments of China will improve.

Watch a data set in the year 2009 to reach China printing industry contrary, print output to more than 5700 million yuan, the export processing printing of more than 630 billion yuan of output value, continue to maintain a sustained and stable development. But we also see that the crisis has highlighted the low overall level of China’s printing technology and equipment, lack of independent innovation of technology, quality of employees and other contradictions and problems should be improved.

It is understood the situation, the tendency to restore trade far more than in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta economic and other coastal regions, especially the Pearl River Delta has always been our purpose in printing and packaging, to the balance of trade with the mainland business should attach importance to the introduction of. Printing and packaging industry, the first quarter of 2010, imports from China and export of printing equipment industries are a significant amount of growth, especially in the South, Central and East China have become printing equipment in the South and the scarcity of good team situation.

The situation is welcome, but must also consider the variability of the global economy, the game of politics has become more prominent. Moreover, the restructuring of the printing and packaging industry, the task is still arduous business printing and packaging in the future development of foreign trade, use only the current favorable opportunity to rebound in external trade, adjust and optimize our composition imports and promote transformation and modernization of foreign trade and the development pattern, and is the most important. No matter how the future development of the situation, India should take care to package every step.