Archive for September, 2011

FABULOUS! New Exhibition in Downtown L.A.

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Through December 17, 2011, FABULOUS! celebrates the past decade of collecting at the FIDM Museum & Galleries in Los Angeles. With a surge in extraordinary donations and purchases between 2000 and the present, the FIDM Museum collection attained new eminence and richness, particularly in the areas of 19th– and 20th– century haute couture, mid–20th century American designers, and international contemporary designers. In assembling this collection, the museum has adhered to uncompromising standards and acquired only items distinguished by superior design, the highest level of craftsmanship, and the finest materials. The exhibition includes 175 donated and purchased garments and accessories worn by women, men, and children spanning 1800 to 2010.

FABULOUS! highlights include: a white gauze French empire gown, a luxurious embroidered court suit worn by composer Johann Hummel, a Redfern court gown with regulation eleven–foot–long train, and a museum–commissioned lace peacock motif Alexander McQueen couture gown. Accompanying the exhibition is a fully illustrated 375–page catalogue, available in FIDM’s Museum Shop.

Exhibition hours are 10am–4pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and admission is free to the public.

Iconic Designer: Holly’s Harp

Monday, September 12th, 2011

California designer Holly Harp first gained a following in Hollywood with a rich hippie look in the 1960s and once described herself as a “counterculturalist.” Stars like Janis Joplin and Grace Slick began trading in their jeans for Harp’s fringed vests and tie-dyed velvet dresses, making the Holly’s Harp shop on Sunset Boulevard an institution in 1968. She also became known for doing flowing, romantic dresses with little to no construction. By 1973, she began selling to Fifth Avenue stores like Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman, and her collections began to feature sexy, slinky designs that referenced Old Hollywood. Born in Buffalo, she studied design at North Texas State University before heading West to make her mark on the fashion world. She died in 1995.

Pictured is a 1980s black satin strapless dress with a sweetheart bodice accented with three sash ties and origami-like folds. For more information visit 1stdibs.

How to Build a Killer Vintage Fashion Collection: Q+A with Doris Raymond

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Fashion has always been a means of personal expression and now, thanks to recent blockbuster exhibits such as  “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” people around the world are realizing it can also be a good investment. Doris Raymond, a prominent vintage collector who specializes  in modern vintage fashion with contemporary wearability, shares her knowledge, expertise and tips on how to start and build a killer vintage fashion collection.

Halston 1970's Wrap Dress

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