This week the MAs have been running around NYC. From the Fashion Institute of Technology to the to the Museum of the City of New York we’ve had the privilege to access some of the world’s best History of Dress archives. Below is a little preview of what we’ll be sharing in the coming weeks!
We’re almost at the halfway point of our MA (shocking how quickly the time goes!) and wanted to share a little bit about ourselves now that we’re here. It’s been a pleasure for us all to contribute to this blog, one of the firsts of its kind!
Below are some photographs of us, and we’re each holding a photo of one of our favourite ladies from history (although it should be said that we all had a hard time narrowing it down). Don’t forget to read the captions closely – each one describes some of our History of Dress related interests.
Giovanna
Giovanna’s interests – Art fashion collaborations, Surrealist fashion, surface tensions, history of hair, and cats in fashion imagery
Leah
Carolina
Eleanor
Aric
Aude
Documenting Fashion MA Course – Our leading ladies
In what has been hailed ‘the show of the decade,’ the National Gallery recently exhibited a remarkable 70 portraits painted by the Spanish artist, Francisco Goya (1746 – 1828). Though already considered by scholars to be a genius – the last of the Old Masters and the first of the modern painters – this exhibit has been credited with having the power to change your sense of the artist forever.
I found this statement to be precisely on point as I wandered around the National Gallery’s rather cramped Sainsbury Wing. Having previously found some of Goya’s most well known paintings, ‘Cinco de Mayo’ and ‘Saturn Devouring His Son’, eerily haunting albeit brilliant and politically stirring, I have always seemed to miss exactly what it is that has fascinated art historians about Goya for centuries. However, I certainly found it here. The exhibition Goya: The Portraits showcases not only Goya’s expert ability to capture his sitters’ psychology and personality, but also his technical brilliance – impressionistic brush strokes and expert manipulation of color and lighting utilized to portray texture, particularly in clothing.
Painted by Goya in 1797, ‘The Duchess of Alba’ provides an extraordinary example of the artist’s ability to capture costume. Dressed as a maja in a black dress appliquéd with dark flowers, yellow bodice accented with gold cuffs and jewels, and veil known as a mantilla, which is still used in present day Spain, the Duchess of Alba fiercely looks out on the spectator while pointing to an inscription on the ground, Solo Goya (Only Goya). The mantilla drapes heavily around the Duchess’ shoulders, and Goya’s expert use of texture– conveying lightness without compromising detail– allows it to frame her equally black, curly hair.
The costume in ‘The Duchess of Alba’ underscores the sitter’s strong will, intelligence and independent nature. By electing to be painted in traditional maja costume – the exaggerated dress of the Spanish lower classes – the Duchess actively chose to defy French enlightenment ideals and fashion, and emphasize her Spanish pride. It provides a captivating contrast to the typical eighteenth century portrait (below), in which costume, in addition to conveying status, tends to act as an adornment which shapes a traditionally beautiful, dainty woman devoid of thought and emotion into an idealized form.
The red scarf woven with gold thread is carefully tied around her corseted waist to showcase the jewels sewn into the tip of the bodice, which convey her power and position. The point of the bodice directs the viewer’s gaze to her jewel-laden hand pointing towards the engraving on the earth. However, a close inspection reveals two engraved rings which raise pertinent questions regarding the relationship between the artist and sitter– a diamond ring inscribed with Alba and a gold band with Goya.
The Duchess of Alba was the highest-ranking woman in Spain after the queen, and her contemporary decedents undeniably remain powerful figures belonging to the Spanish nobility (distantly connected to the Spencer / Churchill clan). So is Goya, a high-ranking artist though commoner nonetheless, insinuating that the two transgressed social boundaries? Or was this some kind of eighteenth century endorsement such as, the Duchess of Alba approved of Goya enough to blatantly allow him to connect her image with his name and brand as an artist?
It goes almost without saying that the history of ‘The Duchess of Alba’ and the costume depicted in this portrait are utterly fascinating. Further, there remains a vast amount of speculation regarding the engravings and relationship between Goya and the Duchess. Indeed, many art historians believe her silhouette was the inspiration for the scandalous paintings ‘Maja’ and ‘Maja Desnuda’, but I will let you find out why the paintings were so controversial that Goya was questioned by the inquisition for painting them… If you have a chance, certainly don’t miss the last few days of this very worthwhile exhibition.
Goya: The Portraits is on at the National Gallery from 7 October 2015 until 10 January 2016. The Courtauld Book Library holds a copy of the exhibition catalog.
References
Noyes, Dorothy: “La Maja Vestida: Dress as Resistance to Enlightenment in Late 18th-century Madrid,” Journal of American Folklore, vol 111, no 440, 1998, 197-217.
Rebecca & Lucy’s choice: Face Paint: The Story of Make Up by Lisa Eldridge, Abrams
I cannot wait to read this and it would be a perfect Christmas gift! Full of well researched imagery that shows packaging, advertising and editorial shots from the past, as well as fascinating photographs of renowned make up artist Eldridge’s work. A lovely escape into the ways make up has been deployed to create new styles and ways of presenting yourself.
– Rebecca
Not only is it a fun, broad overview of the history of makeup, and illustrated with beautiful photography, but Eldgridge also uses her industry experience to shed unique insights, such as describing historical makeup application techniques by analyzing paintings.
– Lucy
Alexis’ choice: Where’s Karl (2015) by Ajiri Aki and Stacey Caldwell with illustrations by Michelle Baron.
Why? Because we all need a little Karl to help usher in the festive season. And it is endlessly entertaining.
Giovanna’s choice: Poiret Koda, H., Bolton, A., Troy, N. J., Davis, M. E. and N.Y. Metropolitan Museum of Art New York
The catalogue from the 2007 Metropolitan Museum of Art Paul Poiret exhibition is certainly at the top of my Christmas list this year. This huge but stunning book is so beautifully rich with detailed photography of Poriet’s richly textured designs. Many of these photographs are accompanied by contemporary art-deco style illustrations by George Barbier. And to top it all off illuminating essays by the likes of Nancy J. Troy and Caroline Evans shed illuminating insight on the work of the self-proclaimed king of fashion.
Carolina’s choice: Taschen’s All-American Ads of the 1940s (2003)
I would be thrilled if under the Christmas tree I found a copy of this book under the tree (Taschen books are so gorgeously illustrated)! I have always been fascinated by the formulation of the American Dream and propagation of “traditional” gender roles by mid to late twentieth century advertisements. As an ad for a Hoover vacuum in the book proclaims the cleaning machine was, “For the woman who is proud of her home” whilst Seagram’s whiskey was exclusively for “Men Who Plan Beyond Tomorrow”. The post-war era of consumerist America, constructed in a sense by the images in these advertisements, is one that remains fondly remembered by several generations. Indeed, its legacy continues to define contemporary discussions of American values (i.e. 2015 Primary debates) so I believe that these images would prove an interesting and enlightening study over the holiday (accompanied with mulled wine of course).
Aude’s Choice: the 8 issues of Six magazines published in the late 1980s and early 1990s by Comme des Garçons to illustrate its collections.
No text, only visual enigmas: a mix of photography, illustration and art works. The pairing of images is striking; there is something disturbingly fascinating about them.
Leah’s choice: La Mode Retrouvee. Les Robes Tresors de la Comtesse Greffulhe, by Olivier Saillard, Claude Arnaud, Laure Hillerin, Sylvie Lecallier and Valerie Steele (2015).
This book is the catalogue for an exhibition of the same name, currently running at the Palais Galliera in Paris (7th November 2015– 20th March 2016). Because I am not yet sure whether I am going to be able to see the show before it ends this book is on my Christmas wishlist as substitute for the real deal, which displays a selection of the clothes, but also photographs and films of the Countess Greffulhe – an influential and impressive society figure in early twentieth century Paris and Marcel Proust’s inspiration for the Duchess Guermantes in his novel In Search of Lost Time.
Eleanor’s choice: The Subversive Stitch, by Rozsika Parker (1984, republished 2010)
I would love to find this under the tree Christmas morning because it means someone had actually tracked it down! After scouring London’s bookstores I will have to resort to Amazon to get my hands on this classic book charting the intrinsic relationship between women and embroidery throughout history. Parker covers the journey of embroidery from the domestic to high fashion and fine art (see the work of Louise Bourgeois and Tracey Emin) and the tense relationship between women and embroidery as symbols of both traditional female roles and an outlet for creative expression.
Liz’s choice: Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel (2011)
I’d love my own copy of Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel (2011), which charts the legendary Vogue editor’s remarkable career in fashion and the exotic gaze she placed on different peoples and places throughout the world.
With a vast number of libraries to visit across London, and a variety of fascinating lectures to attend, no day as a student at the Courtauld is quite the same. On a Wednesday morning, I would usually attend the Foundations lecture series, however today I made my way to Brixton for a tutorial on our first marked essay. Rebecca and I had a productive discussion at the Ritzy café on my topic – how Alfred Hitchcock uses Dior’s New Look in his 1955 film Rear Window – then once everyone’s sessions wrapped up, the course gathered to discuss our quickly approaching field trip to New York (time does indeed fly on a nine month MA course!).
However, we weren’t quite ready to head back to school and were keen to explore Brixton a bit more so Giovanna, Leah, Aric, Aude, Eleanor and I popped over to Brixton Village Market to energize ourselves with a quick coffee before heading back to Courtauld to resume work on our essays. We stopped at Federation, an Aussie-owned café, and treated ourselves to their famous Anzac biscuits and gluten-free brownies, which we enjoyed over quality flat whites and lattes.
Afterwards, we took the tube back to the Courtauld and buried ourselves in the stacks! We settled in our cozy basement library for an afternoon of (hopefully) productive study. In search of 1950s contemporary commentary and images regarding femininity in America for my essay, I spent most of the afternoon immersed in the Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily archives at the Courtauld’s Book Library.
In need of a bit of fresh air after an afternoon of study, I ventured up to the Somerset House courtyard, where the Fortnum and Mason’s SKATE rink, Christmas Arcade and Lodge have now been officially opened – indeed to much fan fair yesterday. Dodging enthusiastic skaters and passerby’s taking selfies, I walked over to the New Wing of Somerset House for the Law Society’s “Art Law” course in which I have enrolled. The certificate is essentially a crash course in copyright, intellectual property law and related themes, which will hopefully allow me to speak with a bit of confidence on the subject one day.
Tomorrow promises to be equally diverse and exciting with visits to the British Film Institute’s archive and the British Library planned. Perhaps I’ll wrap up the day with the yoga society’s weekly evening session. Namaste!
By Carolina Reyes
Shortly after my arrival to London in mid-September, I was surprised to see advertisements for the V&A’s latest fashion display Shoes: Pleasure & Pain (June 13, 2015 – January 31, 2016). After all, it had only been a year since I had seen a similarly titled exhibition, Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe (September 10, 2014 – March 1, 2015) at the Brooklyn Museum, and it seemed unusual for two world-renowned institutions to put on exhibitions with such striking parallels within a short span of time.
Indeed, the advertisements featuring high-fashion model Nadja Auermann in crutches struggling up a set of stairs in a pair of sky-high and needle thin stilettos which surely test the acceptable limits of sensible footwear (even if for fashion’s sake) prepares the viewer for an exhibition more closely resembling Killer Heels – one that explores solely the high heel as a status symbol, fetish object and source of power throughout human history – than the one actually encountered.
The viewer quickly realizes that Shoes does indeed live up to its name, and whilst high heels and their association with fetishism and sexuality are certainly explored throughout the lower-level of Shoes, the wider range of artefacts, including pieces of footwear designed for men such as David Beckham’s “Brooklyn” football boots, provides the viewer with a more nuanced and holistic appreciation of the history and cultural significance of shoes.
Furthermore, the exhibition’s examination of the shoe as a commodity and collectible item throughout the upper-level was an important theme, which I felt had gone unexamined in Killer Heels. And, by more closely scrutinizing the impact of globalization on the industry of shoe production, I found it fascinating to learn in this section that in 1986 China produced just eight per cent of the world’s footwear, whilst today it is estimated that six out of ten pairs of shoes in the world are made there.
However, although Shoes’ stark displays of footwear fanatics’ collections in this segment did showcase society’s irrational obsession, Shoes and Killer Heels alike, could have taken more critical stances on our perhaps excessive preoccupation with designer footwear. Instead, both exhibitions seemed to pander to our fixation to possess couture shoes and their connection to celebrity culture. For example, Shoes justified the inclusion of a pair of Jimmy Choos because Carrie Bradshaw (a shoe fanatic in her own right) of Sex and the City exclaimed that she had “lost my Choo,” and greatly elevated the eponymous designer’s profile.
There were many similarities between Killer Heels and Shoes. Most notably, their utilization of documentary-style films to chronicle the creation of shoes from design to development, in addition to use of movie clips to draw connections between shoe styles and epochs.
Both Killer Heels and Shoes were beautifully curated and certainly each worth a visit (or a look at their videos online, see source links) as they provided the viewer with various, fascinating perspectives on iconic footwear from all over the world.
Sources:
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/heels/
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/shoes-pleasure-and-pain/
