ON PINS AND NEEDLES

Then & Now

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Keren Ben-Horin

Today’s Then & Now was put together by Cassidy Zachary. Cassidy recently graduated from the program and will start a job in New Mexico, where she will oversee a collection of costume and textiles. It means she is leaving NY! We hope that she will continue to contribute to the blog, and in any case she will be missed! We wish her all the best in her new adventure!!

here are some of the posts she contributed in the past:

The Art of Exaggeration: the Fashion & Costume of Gaby Deslys

Interview with the curators of Youthquake! The 1960s Fashion Revolution- Part II

January Treasure of the Month:The Golden Age of Pochoir

(left) Fashion illustration, Georges Lepape, 1914. Gazette du Bon Ton. (right) Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, Fall 2012

Posted in Then&Now | Tagged fashion illustrations, Gazette du bon ton, Georges Lepape, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs | Leave a comment

On This Fashion Day…

Posted on May 17, 2012 by emmakpenner

“Summer in the U.S.A.” in Vogue, May 15, 1950.

In the 1950s rules for women’s dress were highly particular and often very formal – there was the “right” kind of dress and fabric for every occasion. The exception is summer fashion from the decade when the rules seem to have become more relaxed and women’s dressing much more casual. The casualness of these outfits works because the focus is on American sportswear (I doubt the same reclining poses and laissez-faire attitude would have worked with the Paris collections from that summer!). Enjoy your summer!

Photo by Horst. Playsuit costume: Tattersall checks in linen, with a blaze of red Hamilton Adams linen, Tebilized for crease resistance. Halter, shorts, about $25; jacket about $25: by Tina Leser. Moccasins $11.50. “Pert” lipstick.

“The clothes, Americans, and the sun go together on a holiday.”

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Then & Now

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Keren Ben-Horin

fellow classmate Tracy Jenkins sent in this timely Then & Now.

Tracy recently presented her paper on the style and transformation of Opera singer Maria Callas at the Fashion & Music symposium in FIT.

(left) singer Maria Callas, 1960. (right) Fashion designer Miuccia Prada, 2012.

Posted in Then&Now | Tagged Maria Callas, Prada | 1 Comment

Women in Magazines Conference

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Keren Ben-Horin

I am presenting my paper on the reign of the lingerie dress at the conference ‘Women in Magazines: Research, Representation, Production and Consumption,’ in London this June. Please come and if you are around!

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Then & Now

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Keren Ben-Horin

(left) Models Dorian Leigh and Evelyn Tripp in Clair McCardell’s wool jersey dresses, photograph by Irving Penn, Vogue 1950. (right) John Galliano for Dior Haute Couture, Fall 2008-2009

I particularly love these two images together because it reflects the identity of the designers who created them. The dress on the right is a wonderful example for the legacy of the House of Dior, and how deeply it influenced John Galliano. Throughout his career at the house he frequently looked back to its history and the early collections created by Christian Dior himself. On the other hand, Clair McCardell was a modern designer in every respect, always looking ahead. Her designs still look contemporary today. In my point of view she is one of the most important American designers; her modern taste, her effortless chic, and her simple and practical clothes represent the essence of American style.

Posted in Then&Now | Tagged 1950s fashion, Clair McCardell, Dior, Dorian Leigh, Evelyn Tripp, Fashion Photography, House of Dior, Irving Penn, John Galliano, Vogue | Leave a comment

Then & Now

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Keren Ben-Horin

(left) Marie Antoinette queen of France, 1779. By Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (1755 –1842). (right) Kate Moss at the Ritz in Paris. Photographer: Tim Walker, styling: Grace Coddington. Vogue, April, 2012.