Costume Museum + Research Library
Missouri’s most extensive collection of historical garments, the Stephens College Costume Museum and Research Library (CMRL) holds more than 13,000 garments and accessories, with pieces dating back to 1730.
Among the many designers represented are Chanel, Oleg Cassini, Arnold Scaasi, Gilbert Adrian, Bill Blass, Bonnie Cashin, Courreges, Madame Etta, Claire McCardell, Norman Norell, Oscar de la Renta and Valentino.
Established in 1958, the archive has grown by donations from alumnae, friends and designers. The working collection allows students to study garment construction and fashion trends that provide inspiration for current styles. Archival storage areas protect the integrity of the collection, and classroom space allows for research and lecture discussions.
Students are encouraged to conduct individual research projects, curate exhibits, and gain valuable archive and historic conservation experience by interning with the CMRL.
Historic Costume Gallery
The Historic Costume Gallery hosts two free public exhibits each year. All items displayed are pulled from the Costume Museum and Research Library. The gallery is a frequent home for lectures, events and research. Special tours are available.
Current Exhibit
Fall 2023
"A Star is Born: How Fashion Supported Screen Writers in Creating Iconic Female Characters"
This new fashion Gallery exhibit features the clothing of films from the 1930s through 2021. It celebrates women in screenwriting, fashion, and the arts, showcasing ways these industries influenced women worldwide to follow the “Hollywood” style. Some of the chosen films represent women connected to Stephens College, to Columbia, and to Missouri. The Gallery is open to the public on the dates and times below.
Past Exhibits
- Spring 2021: Virtual Exhibition: The Collections
- Spring 2019: 75 Years of the Stephens Fashion Program
- Fall 2018: Teaching from the Collections
- Spring 2018: Victor Costa: Designing Dreams in Fashion
- Fall 2017: The Joan Crawford Effect
- Spring 2017: Head Over Heels
- Fall 2016: Scaasi: Fashioning a Colorful Life
- Spring 2016: Playing Dress Up: How Kids See Clothing
- Fall 2015: REEL to REAL: Hollywood’s Influence on American Fashion
- Spring 2015: The Day, The Dress, The Dream
- Fall 2014: Faux Real
- Spring 2014: Her Story
- Fall 2013: Bohemian Rhapsody
- Spring 2013: Emergence
Costume Museum and Research Library
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The Stephens College Costume Museum will display six iconic ensembles from designers like Lanvin and Chanel in the Saint Louis Art Museum's 2025 exhibition, "Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918-1939," from April 11 to July 27.
Stephens student Daniela Saenz-Quintana has been awarded the Roshni Patel Fashion Excellence Scholarship for the 2024-2025 school year.
Categories
Published:Dr. Kate Kogut to Retire July 2024
Kogut, Dean of the School of Integrative Studies, will retire in July. Let's have a chat with her before she departs!