The FIDM Museum is excited to announce that two funded digital summer internships are now open for applications. All applicants should be currently enrolled in a graduate program in fashion history or museum studies; consideration will also be given to students beginning their graduate program in Fall 2021, or those who completed their graduate studies in Spring 2021.  Interns will receive the Lori and Sal Santamaura Summer Study Grant or the Donald and Joan Damask Summer Study Grant. Both interns will assist with online projects pertainin ..read more

Today we are thrilled to share the winner of our Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 catalogue giveaway! Congratulations to...drumroll...high school student Manusree More! We asked for a paragraph on how participating in sports has impacted you personally, and our panel of judges were moved by Manusree's account. She will receive a copy of the catalogue signed by Curator Kevin Jones and Associate Curator Christina Johnson.  Below, Manusree eloquently describes her humbling experience going from ace athlete to team rookie, and the lessons she learned from seeing her commitme ..read more

  Maria Cole Album, 1960, ebay             The FIDM Museum collection wouldn’t exist without the support of many donors. I’d like to shine a spotlight on one fashionable donor who gave a personal selection of Hollywood film costumes to the museum about fifteen years ago. Maria (Hawkins) Cole (1922-2012)[i] —perhaps more recognizably known as Mrs. Nat King Cole—wrote a letter to the curatorial team in 2005, offering the ensembles. She noted, “I have reached the age where I am de-accessioning (smiles) but would so like to donate these ..read more

Calling athletes of all ages: the FIDM Museum is celebrating the release of our catalogue Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 with a giveaway contest! In honor of National Girls & Women in Sports Day on February 3, we invite you to submit a paragraph about what athletics mean to you. Amusing anecdotes or heartfelt reflections, we want to know how involvement in sports has affected you personally. The winner will receive a signed Sporting Fashion catalogue, and the entry will be shared on the FIDM Museum Blog to coincide with the book's release on March 2, 2021. Email your paragra ..read more

At the end of 2020, the fashion industry lost an icon: Pierre Cardin, a cultural revolutionary whose career spanned over seven decades. Best known for his futuristic designs that embodied the youthful ideals of the Space Age and swinging sixties, Cardin contributed more than just his forward-thinking aesthetic to the fashion world. In a time when many designers looked down on ready-to-wear, licensing, and diffusion lines, Cardin saw only opportunity. His cunning business acumen kept him active and relevant in an every-changing industry. Wool garbardine suit Pierre Cardin, c. 1968 Gift of Laur ..read more

Just in time for the holiday season, FIDM Museum Registrar/Coordinator Leigh Wishner shares her research on our 'Toy Solider' textile fragment, likely inspired by the 1934 MGM classic  Babes in Toyland. Read on to learn how this dynamic textile was made - including rare photographs of the fabric in production at the mill, courtesy of the Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, D elaware. Grab a mug of hot cocoa and join us for a trip to 'mystic, merry Toyland!'  ..read more

Associate Curator Christina Johnson concludes her two-part exploration of the career of milliner Leon Bennett in today's post. Learn the extent of Bennett's collaboration with designer Rudi Gernreich, and how his career transitioned to focus on Hollywood. Make sure to read part one of our Leon Bennett series here.  ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Clipping: “Gernreich’s Fashions Are Eye-Popping Pace Setters,” Chi ..read more

Associate Curator Christina Johnson shares her research on the career of Leon Bennett, a milliner whose name appears in several Rudi Gernreich headpieces in the FIDM Museum collection. In the first of this two-part series, learn how Christina navigates historical primary sources to answer questions about Bennett's collaboration with Gernreich.  **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Hat, Hemp and crocodile, Spring 1964, Bequest of the Rudi Gern ..read more

We are one week away from the presidential election - have you made your plan to vote? Whether it’s early or on election day, in-person or by mail, we have the perfect garment to encourage your sense of civic duty: a 1980s linen shirtdress printed with the words of the United States constitution. Surprisingly, this tribute to American democracy was designed by a Frenchman, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (b. 1949). Known for irreverent, whimsical designs, Castelbajac’s fascination with the United States is clear in his frequent use of Americana throughout his fifty plus years in the fashion indust ..read more

In 1970, a small boutique in Galerie Vivienne, Paris - painted top to bottom with lush vegetation as a tribute to Henri Rousseau’s The Dream - brought a fresh sartorial perspective to the venerated fashion capital. The store, Jungle Jap, was an antithesis to the buttoned-up couture creations on Avenue Montaigne; instead, cheerful prints, bright colors, and voluminous silhouettes were executed in inexpensive cottons purchased at flea markets or the Marché Saint-Pierre, Montmartre’s discount fabric market. This clothing was dynamic and accessible, and the boutique attracted a young crowd eager t ..read more