Author Archives: emmakpenner

Jean-Paul Gaultier: Deconstruction in Fashion

Posted on June 28, 2012 by emmakpenner

L’enfant terrible of fashion, Jean-Paul Gaultier, was trained in the (not-so-terrible) “magnificent ruined city”[1] of the haute couture.  He was taught in houses that had once dictated the conventions of elegance, but that had lost their power: in 1970 he … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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On This Fashion Day…

Posted on April 24, 2012 by emmakpenner

Do you ever wake up and wonder what was happening in fashion on that exact day 30, 40, or 100 years ago? Well I do, which is why I’ve started “On This Fashion Day”! Today’s entry is actually “On This … Continue reading →

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Jil Sander at Jil Sander, again!

Posted on February 25, 2012 by emmakpenner

Well it has finally happened! Jil Sander is returning as head designer at the label she started in 1968. After Prada acquired the brand in 1999, Sander left the company, only to briefly return in 2003. Sander’s new/old position signals … Continue reading →

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Alexandre de Paris, Hair Styling Royalty

Posted on December 31, 2011 by emmakpenner

I recently saw the Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess exhibition, currently on view at Toronto’s TIFF Lightbox. Of course, I fell in love with the dresses and jewels, but after leaving the show I kept thinking about the sketches … Continue reading →

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My Family Portrait

Posted on June 13, 2011 by emmakpenner

This is a picture of my family in High Park in Toronto. My parents, especially my mom, were always buying me clothes. In this case, my mom picked out my denim jacket, which I think looks pretty cool. I still … Continue reading →

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FIT Graduate Student Symposium

Posted on May 5, 2011 by emmakpenner

Don’t forget to attend the Fashion & Textile Studies graduate student symposium this Saturday, May 7 from 1-5pm! Students will be questioning, investigating, and debunking some of fashion history’s longest-held myths. The symposium is free and you don’t want to … Continue reading →

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Balenciaga: Spanish Master

Posted on February 15, 2011 by emmakpenner

Hopefully you have had a chance to visit the Balenciaga: Spanish Master exhibition, on view at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute. The exhibition is the first to present Balenciaga’s masterpieces within the context of the cultural and artistic influences of … Continue reading →

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Christian Dior and Charles James

Posted on September 27, 2010 by emmakpenner

After the spring 2010 Christian Dior haute couture show, John Galliano cited a trip to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the inspiration for his collection. Galliano explained, “I was reading that, actually, it was Charles … Continue reading →

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