Tricks to Creating Fashion Designs
Students were asked to draw inspiration from this 1872 gown
Students at the Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising have a great tool to help them learn fashion and costume design.
They have access to a 2,000-piece study collection that contains clothing spanning some 200 years—from an 18th century bodice made of silk brocade woven with silver to designs created by Balenciaga, Chanel and Vivienne Westwood. This hands-on collection is for FIDM students to examine, analyze sewing techniques, patterns, designs and textiles.
Now the public will be able to see more than 30 of those pieces and related accessories in a new museum exhibit called "Re-Designing History. FIDM Study Collection 1850-2000." The free exhibit opens at the downtown Los Angeles campus on Oct. 19 and closes Dec. 17. As part of the exhibit, students were asked to re-design an 1872 mauve and fuchsia afternoon gown by creating illustrations inspired by the piece. The top three winning illustrations will also be displayed iwith the exhibit.
"Style-wise, great design, no matter what time period, is geat design and will come back," said Kevin Jones, who curated the exhibit. "We constantly have this collection going into the classrooms for professors to see and use."
The study collection started 33 years ago with just a few items in a closet. But over the years, donations have boosted the array of clothes representing great fashion history.
"We have never done an exhibition of our study collection," Jones said. "It is a way to focus on this collection that is so used here."
The FIDM Museum Galleries are located at 919 S. Grand Ave. The exhibit is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays.
