DIGITAL FASHION: THE BEST ONLINE TEXTILE COLLECTIONS

Sew What | Natalie Heaton

---

Source Kyoto Costume Institution 

The cancellation and closures due to the COVID-19 virus have left people inside their homes and the doors to cultural institutions are closed. While the closure of these institutions is devastating, many museums as using this as an opportunity to highlight their digital collection and online resources such as tours and education resources. In this article, I will highlight the top 5 best online fashion and textile collections!

5. FIDM Museum and Galleries, Los Angeles, USA

19th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design, 2011
Source FIDM

Founded in 1978, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum (FIDM) has a collection of over 12,000 costumes. This institution is known for its collection which specializes in early Hollywood costumes, with items such as Norma Sherer’s gown for the 1936 film Romeo & Juliet. Every year the FIDM holds an exhibition in the spring called Art of Motion Picture Costume Design. This exhibition features costume from top Hollywood Films, including The Great Gatsby (2013) and The Young Victoria (2009). FIDM’s online collection is sorted into different collections and images from past exhibitions. All photos are high resolution and feature pieces from the collection that date back to the 18th century, through to contemporary fashion.




4. The Kyoto Costume Institution (KCI), Kyoto, Japan

The KCI aims to collect, preserve and understand Western and Asian fashion and textiles. Their online collection highlights stunning gowns and garments from the museum along with access to all the institution’s publications, past exhibition catalogues, and more! Anyone that holds an interest in fashion and textiles, especially in the museum sector, this is a webpage that one could easily spend hours on! The museum also has a very active Instagram account that is filled with photos of the collection, the building, and different events that are taking place at the KCI.

View this post on Instagram

3. The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England

The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is one of the leading institutions in the world. The museum is known for having a massive collection of over 2.2 million objects with over half of them being digitalized and available in their online collection. A good number of these artefacts are textiles and garments. They have gowns that would have been worn near Marie Antoinette, to original Balenciaga, to Alexander McQueen, there is something that is bound to spark everyone’s interest!

Fashion "Search Collection" Home Page.
Source: Victoria and Albert Museum Website.

If stunning images wasn’t enough to intrigue you to check out of there website, there are also great articles, behind the screen videos and catalogues from past exhibitions.


2. Palais Galliera, Paris, France

Photo From Palais Galliera's Online Collection
Source: Palais Galliera

This institution has no permanent exhibitions due to conservational issues, so they only put on temporary exhibitions. Palais Galliera’s focus is on historical fashion and the fashion industry. Since the museum isn’t often open unless there is a temporary exhibition on, there is a lot of effort that goes into their website, and the viewers can tell. The website is organized into various categories to make for a smoother search, and help the viewer find exactly what they are looking for. Like many of the other institutions on this list, Palais Galliera offers past exhibition’s catalogues and publications, as well as workshops. What makes this online content stand out is that is it focused on French fashion history. With this narrow scope, the institution is able to dive into the content in a way that encyclopedic museums, such as the V&A or MET are unable to do.

Photo from Palais Galliera's Online Collection
Source: Palais Galliera

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA

The first thing that pops into a lot of people’s heads when talking about fashion and museums is the annual MET Gala. This fundraising event for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s (MET) costume institute.

With the MET being so well known for their costume institute, it is no surprise that their website and the online collection is fabulous! I have spent many hours on it, and I know that as I continue in this field, I will spend many more. This website not only has thousands upon thousands of high-quality photographs of textiles, but they also have an Art History timeline, numerous publications, blog posts, videos, and much more. If you only end up visiting one website, the MET would be my top choice!

Costume Institute's Past Exhibitions
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art webpage

Overall, even with museums around the world having to close their doors, their online resources are always open. From reading about past exhibitions, searching through thousands of stunning images, or reading more into the institution itself, there is always something new to learn in the museum, despite your location.

LOOKING FROM BEHIND THE GLASS: CHALLENGES WITH DISPLAYING FASHION

Sew What | Natalie Heaton

---

The trend to display fashion and textiles is becoming increasingly popular in museums. Curators often run into issues when it comes to displaying garments, like many objects within institutions.  For decades, fashion exhibits were struggling to be accepted because they were not seen as "real art" because it was controlled by the female sector. This article will dive into these challenges and try to understand how these challenges came to be.

Christian Dior Exhibition, Glenbow Museum, June 2019
Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton

The National Scottish Museum, May 2019
Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton

One of the largest obstacles that institutions face that the guests are unable to touch the garments. When it comes to clothing, the main sense that guests use is touch as it is what is familiar to them. Most museums do not allow the guest to touch the artefacts and more often than not, the garments are kept in glass cases while on display to protect and ensure its longevity. An example of a museum that does this is The National Scottish Museum in Edinburgh. This institution keeps all its garments in glass cases while on the floor. Since guests are not able to handle the clothing, the curator of the exhibition must find a creative way to solve this problem.

An additional obstacle that fashion and textile exhibitions often encounter, despite curator’s best efforts, is the affiliation with shopping or consumerism. Often, guests will associate what is in an exhibition to what is familiar in their lives. In this case, the guest will be related to one’s personal experiences of shopping or the clothing that they are wearing. This may be a strength because the institution does not have to contextualize the item, but with that being said, the museum may struggle to make the guest understand the object in a different way; to understand it as a form art.

Christian Dior Exhibition, Glenbow Museum, June 2019

Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton

This struggle with guests understanding fashion and textile as a form of art is nothing new. In fact, this has been a struggle for as long as museums have been around. “The European 19th century’s male-centric curatorial view understood fashion as a form of feminine folly.” This legacy has continued to be associated with fashion and textile exhibitions within the museum setting. Critics of these exhibitions continually undermine these exhibitions as they view them as a highly feminine, and just a way to keep the institution trendy, but never as art.

However, there has been a shift in recent years within fashion exhibitions to look at the construction of the clothing instead of just the garment. Through this shift, fashion is being considered as an art form based on the construction that goes into the different aspects of a garment. An example of this would be Iris Van Herpen: Transforming Fashion at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in 2018. The exhibition focused on the creation of Van Herpen’s extravagant dresses, with videos, images and didactic stations. The emphasis on craftsmanship and the creation of Van Herpen’s garments is an example of how fashion is considered a form of art.

Iris Van Herpen: Transforming Fashion, ROM, October 2018.
Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton

Overall, fashion and textile exhibitions continue to evolve with the times. While, there continues to be a struggle for these exhibitions to be taken seriously and viewed as a form of art, they remain some of my favourite exhibits to visit.

THE MEMORABLE FASHION OF THE ROARING 1920’s

Sew What | Natalie Heaton

---

Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton

Last month marked a century since the beginning of the roaring 1920s. This decade was marked by the end of the First World War, flappers, women’s liberation, and a booming economy. The fashion of this era is often portrayed through novels and movies, like The Great Gatsby, focusing on the edgy style of the flapper fashion. The museum sector is one of the best places the fashion of the 1920s is remembered, represented, and recognised.


Since the 1920s was a very prosperous time for the economy and many individuals, it is not uncommon for museums to represent this lavish era. The Spadina House Museum is an example of such a museum. In the house, there is an Art Deco feel, and women's dresses from the different time periods are placed strategically. The dresses that are displayed represent different trends of the decade, with dropped waists, raised hemlines, and overall, showing more skin. These dominated 1920s fashion, as they represented the new women.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton

Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton

Today, the fashion of the 1920s makes for a great Halloween costume or party theme, these trends were deeply tied to what was happening in Western society. During the First World War, women entered the public sphere. After the First World War, the number of women in post-secondary institutions was on the rise,  and they had opportunities that had not been available to them prior to the war. Women needed clothing that would be practical for work and allowed freedom of movement. This newfound liberation is reflected in the clothing, head to foot. This decade saw the exile of corsets, hair being cut into short bobs, and women drinking, smoking and dancing. If only their grandmothers saw them, oh the scandal!


With women’s style being so distinct during this decade, it is a favourite topic mentioned or on display in exhibitions on the 1920s. The City of Toronto Archives currently has an exhibition focusing on the 1920s. This exhibition looks at everything from advertising, old photos of Toronto, people living their day-to-day lives, and fashion trends. While looking at all the photos of old Toronto and the people that use to call this city home, it is hard to not notice the distinct fashion trends.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton

CHATTING BY THE FIREPLACE WITH MUSINGS AND MUSSA

Letter from the Editor | Alexandra Forand, Jordan Fee, Natalie Heaton and Emma Puddicombe

---

Source. 

Well, it’s that time of year again. The wind is blowing, the snow is falling, and we are finished with yet another semester in the Museum Studies program! Since the last time we spoke with you, fellow Musers, so much has gone on that we thought we would invite the President and Vice-President of the Museum Studies Student Association (MUSSA) to chat with us and highlight all of the wonderful things that have taken place this semester!

Photo Courtesy of Erika Serodio

Photo Courtesy of Emma Puddicombe 

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Jordan: Emma, Natalie, it’s so nice to have you here with us! How are you feeling now that the semester is over?

Emma: It’s been a long semester, but such a great one! The students have all been so ready to interact with each other and take part in events on campus, and the articles Musings has published have been a joy to read every week. Our colleagues are so creative and hardworking. It’s weird to think we’ll be starting our last semester of this program in just a few weeks!

Natalie: Over the past few months I’ve been trying to push myself to try new things and meet new people! As a result, I’ve met incredible people, done amazing things, I’m really happy with how the semester went.

Ally: This is true, much has passed in just a span of 3 months. And what a whirlwind it has been! It seems like only yesterday that Jordan and I published our first articles as Editors-and-Chiefs of Musings. You can check those out here and here. How time flies!

Soure.

Jordan: Right you are! I bet the contributing editors who joined our team in September agree with you. As always, I am blown away with the breadth of articles. This semester Dominica took us on an adventure when she examined the unique programming at Black Creek Pioneer Village, Michelle had a frightfully good time at the “Bloodsuckers” at the Royal Ontario Museum, and Mary analysed “Age of you” at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

Photo Courtesy of Mary Wallace. 

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Forand 

Emma: Musings also went beyond museums when Carly W. explored community engagement at Community Arts Guild, Jaime investigated Library and Archives Canada (LAC) digitization projects in collaboration with the Nunavummiut, and Carys pointed out the various displays of art on the streets of Toronto and their importance.

Photo courtesy of Katherine Fleitas/peacephoto

Jordan: Of course, we can’t forget about Natalie’s article about the Ottawa Field Trip! While I was sad to miss it, the consensus seems to be that it was a fantastic trip! What were your favourite parts about it?

Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton. 

Ally: I quite enjoyed seeing all the museums’ galleries and the stories they told with their objects. I know Carly H. would agree with me that objects can tell very powerful stories. I was also interested in the inner workers of those museums. It is not every day that you get to see museums’ collections, libraries, and research centres, as discussed by Madison!

Emma: I’m just so happy that the students who joined the trip made such great connections with the professionals we met. It’s so great seeing first-hand how much museum professionals, especially alumni, want to support us as we start our careers! Elizabeth’s check-in with Britt Braaten was especially interesting to read.

Photo courtesy of Britt Braaten.

Natalie: I will remember the relationships that I formed and the ones I strengthened with my classmates. I also loved taking in all the museums, talking to the museum professionals, and getting to go behind the scenes! The behind-the-scene tour of the Canadian History Museum was a particular standout.

Jordan: Well, I still have many fond memories of the trip to Montreal last year, and from the sounds of it, the trip to Ottawa was just as great. I think that these trips are a fantastic way for new students to form a community.

Ally: Musings is great for this as well, because that is what we aim to do! Whether that be a professional community, as seen through Samantha’s latest article interviewing Dale Butterill from the Women's Arts Association of Canada. Musings is also a great way to process current events through an important lens. I was partial to Amy’s latest article discussing the monumentalization of the Stonewall Inn, and Joanna’s take on female artists (or lack-there-of) in art museums.

Photo courtesy of Amelia Smith. 

Nathalie: I am excited to see where Defne will go with her series about museums representing climate change as well as Jessica’s series on collection storage solutions… on a budget!

Illustration courtesy of Defne Inceoglu. 

Illustration courtesy of Jessica Lanziner.

Jordan: And of course, Musings cannot exist without the help of MUSSA! It has been so fantastic seeing the two of you lead the pack this year; I truly think that the dynamic you’ve formed with the students in the faculty is incredible.

Ally: Especially now that we’re headed into the final semester of our time in the program, it is comforting to know that we have such a strong support system.

With that being said, I think it’s best that we leave our readers and give them some time to relax. Musings will be on hiatus for the rest of December, but keep an eye out in early January for new posts! In the meantime, don't forget to check our Emma’s article about holiday traditions and if you still need to do some holiday shopping head on over to Erika’s Gift Guide for Museum people! 

Happy Holidays! From our family to yours! Photo courtesy of Alexandra Forand. 

MY WEEK IN OTTAWA: A LETTER FROM NATALIE HEATON, VICE PRESIDENT

Weekend Edition | Natalie Heaton

---

Dear Musers:

Monday, November 4, 2019, thirty-three students from the Faculty of Information departed on a journey to the nation’s capital--Ottawa. After a 6 hour bus ride, we arrived and were ready to see what they city had to offer. Our group will visit 5 museums in 4 days and meet over twenty-five different museum professionals.

Tuesday morning, the adventure began at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). After taking a group photo under the infamous “Mama” sculpture, we enter the gallery and were welcomed by Gary Goodacre, the chief of Education and Public Programs. Gary spoke about keeping the visitors experience at the centre of everything that Gallery does and making the overall experience of the museum less transactional. The way the NGC aims to do this is by implementing art and an Indigenous library before guests purchase their ticket. Dr. Sasha Suda the Director and CEO of the NGC, spoke to the group next, her ‘why not’ attitude was very inspiring as she talked about her career in museums. Her most notable piece of advice being to tell great stories that are relevant to what is going on and be inclusive. The rest of our time at the NGC was spent going on tours with either David Gillanders (educator) or Jaime Morse (educator, Indigenous outreach & programming). I went on Jamie’s tour and she discussed white privilege engrained within the museum system. She stressed the need to remember the colonial history of Canada and treatment of Indigenous people within these institutions.

National Gallery of Canada. Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton. 

Tuesday afternoon was spent at the Canadian War Museum. We met Britt Braaten (creative development specialist), who talked about what inclusion looks like at the War Museum along with some of the drawbacks of working with the museum’s collection. Britt discussed the need to diversify the voice that is heard in exhibitions. Sandra O’Quinn (Learning Specialist) showed us Supply Line Discovery Boxes, boxes that are designed to be circulated to schools in remote locations. Essentially bringing the museum to the students, oppose to bringing the students to the museum. 

Canadian War Museum. Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton.

The Canadian Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) was our first stop on Wednesday morning. At this stop we met ten museum professionals. In particular, we discussed the relationship between sponsorships and the museum. Raising questions of how an institution works with a donor such as oil companies, when the exhibition is intended to tell both the positives and negatives “facts” of oil production. The main take away from this discussion was it matters to show and talk about both side of the story in a museum context.

Canadian Science and Technology Museum. Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton. 

Canadian Science and Technology Museum. Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton. 

We had the opportunity at both the CSTM and the Canadian Museum of History (CMH) to visit collection storage. The CSTM have just finished building their new storage space which houses a range of artifacts from steam trains, buses and cars, to smaller objects such as cameras. At the CMH we walked through their collection storage and conservation section and saw variety of objects such as kayaks, canoes, and furniture. Going through both of these collections spaces was a highlight for me because we had the opportunity to see the treasures that the public does not often get to see. 

Canadian Museum of History. Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton.

 

The last museum that we stopped at was the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, where we received a very informative tour of the bunker’s history. The 100,000sq foot, four level, underground bunker, was very impressive. While the Deifinbunker is not a national museum, their innovative programming and partnerships have helped to establish themselves as a destination. 

Diefenbunker Museum. Photo Courtesy of Natalie Heaton.

Overall, my week in Ottawa was lovely. I got to visit some amazing museums, meet amazing people, and strengthen my friendships with my classmates.

Thanks for reading,

Natalie Heaton

Ottawa Sign in ByWord Market. Photo Courtesy of Jaime Meier. 

P.S. We didn't lose anyone!