Tuesday Teaser: The First Women Airline Stewardesses (1930)
Fashion in Motion: Looking good in the 1940s
A quick lesson on the ‘secrets’ of glamour with instruction from
Miss Ratherly Stern:
Tuesday Teaser: Chorus Girls from a pre-code 1933 film.
Walter Plunkett’s wild ideas for An American in Paris (1951)
In the beaux arts ball sequence of ‘An American in Paris’ [Walter Plunkett] really went imaginative. His materials included newspapers, oilcloth, canvas and felt. The hats were even more extreme. They featured cardboard boxes, sofa pillows and bird cages. One, of papier-mache, took the form of a woman’s leg.”–Quigg, Jack. “Have Nothing to Wear? Use Ingenuity,” The Washington Post; Jul 8, 1951, pg. S10.
You can see a clip of the scene referenced (the New Year’s Eve party) here.
A nice side-bar for this is that Nina Foch’s gown, according to the organizers of the recent Debbie Reynolds auction, was designed by Orry-Kelly for Walter Plukett in this scene. (Click the image below for more on that!)
Fashion in Motion: Adrian as Fashion Designer
I love how you can see so clearly in this short video of Adrian’s fashion designs, who his influences were. I think I caught some Schiaparelli variants, as well as some Claire McCardell. What other influences can you spot?
MGM fashion shows featuring Adrian gowns – “Sweethearts” and “Lovely to Look At.”
In Brief: Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts
This past weekend, I had the good fortune to be able to visit the San Francisco Asian Art Museum’s current, excellent, exhibition: Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts (on view through April 2012). This show is a somewhat smaller version of the 2009 version put on by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Each piece in the show is impressive: sumptuous materials, exquisite details and extravagant design make obvious that the Maharaja’s were a VERY wealthy bunch. By examining their lives as a whole, the objects included provide a cohesive picture of their worlds and lives.
Objects included in the exhibition include paintings, thrones, regal accessories, men’s and women’s costumes, and LOTS of jewelry, furniture, musical instruments, games and much more. Some of the most physically impressive objects include a full size all-silver carriage, an elephant throne and some of the biggest diamonds and sapphires I’ve ever seen (many many by Cartier). Everywhere you looked were examples of fine craftsmanship, and nearly everything was gilded, embroidered or otherwise embellished to emphasize wealth and power.
One word of advice though – take a magnifying glass to truly appreciate some of the amazingly small and detailed paintings (similar to detail to the recent illuminated manuscripts exhibition at the Getty). The exhibition itself was well-thought out, and the (free) audio-tour was great. The show included several informative videos that provided good context for the show, and the audio-tour offered additional videos if you wanted more information.
Can’t make it to see the show? You’re in luck, there is an exhibition catalog of the V & A’s version of the show (which I sensibly purchased). There’s also an audio-tour that you can easily download through iTunes.
Tuesday Teaser: Mack Sennett’s “Bathing Beauties” wearing streamers (1918)
Marlon Brando on his rebellious ‘Wild Ones’ costume (1953)
I had fun making it, but never expected it to have the impact it did. I was as surprised as anyone when T-shirts, jeans and leather jackets suddenly became symbols of rebellion… Sales of leather jackets soared, reminding me of It Happened One Night, when Clark Gable took his shirt off and revealed that he wasn’t wearing an undershirt, which created a disaster for the garment industry.”
–Marlon Brando (with Robert Lindsey) in Brando: Songs My Mother Taught Me, New York: Random House, 1994, p. 175-6.
Money Money Money: Paid summer internship and CSA membership discounts/offers
The December 15 application deadline for the Jack Handford Summer Internship is quickly approaching (extended to February 1, 2012). This internship provides a $2,000 stipend for a student member of the Costume Society of America to complete an internship with an accredited museum or costume collection. The internship is open to undergraduate students about to commence their senior year and to graduate students.
Not a member? There are currently two special offers open to non-members who are interested in joining:
The Western region is currently offering a discount to students joining or renewing. Currently registered students can join CSA or RENEW their memberships by sending in a CSA Membership application form with proof of their current registration at an educational institution (copy of a Registration card I.D.) along with a check made out to CSA for $25 (Instead of the regular $45) For more details, click here.
In addition, and for a limited time, join now and receive a pre-selected, complimentary issue of CSA National Symposia Abstracts (valued at $16.00)! Offer ends 12/31/2011. Click here for details!
Teaser Tuesday: 1909 Portola Festival in San Francisco
