|
Current Gallery Exhibition Grand Opening:
March 8 - 4:30-7:00 p.m. Normal hours: February 22-May 5, 2013 Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturdays & Sundays, 12-3 p.m. and by appointment Historic Costume Gallery Mezzanine floor of Lela Raney Wood Hall 6 N. College Ave. |
She preferred classic, tailored, high-quality fashions. Some with elaborate beadwork. Others simple. Always elegant.
This semester’s exhibit at Stephens College’s Historic Costume Gallery will let audiences take a peek inside one woman’s closet as it evolved from 1947 through 1990. These selected garments from the Stephens College Costume Museum & Research Library explore the life and styles of an imaginary socialite.
Two shows in one, the exhibit will let visitors literally experience the emergence of spring. At the beginning of the exhibit, the collection will consist of winter wear: White, silver, taupe suits and heavy garments. Like any woman of the time, our muse will swap out her winter pieces to make room for a spring wardrobe, consisting of lighter fabrics in pinks, greens and yellows.
Look for the second phase of the exhibit to emerge over spring break during the last week of March.
That’s also when her wedding dress, circa 1955, will come out of storage and be put on display.
Other than a short stray from her style in the 1960s—when many were exploring new looks—the collection stays true to the high-quality classic looks that women of the mid 20th Century could wear for years without worrying about being out of style.
“These are timeless pieces,” said Monica McMurry, dean of the School of Fashion and Design.
The collection includes pieces from designers Pauline Trigere, Yves Saint Laurent, Travilla, Mary McFadden, Lillie Rubin, Adele Simpson and Eisenberg. Several garments were donated by the same women: Virginia Burns Oppenheimer, Dottie Wells and Frances Kelly.
