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The Daring Mr. Daren
One of the greatest joys of working in a Special Collections unit is some of the discoveries you make when opening a box, that has been long tucked, safely away on a shelf, the contents of which have been seen by few—if any—in recent years. Re-discovering our Mr. Daren sketch collection (US.NNFIT.SC.43) last week put…
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Charles James’ Musings on Poiret
The year prior to his death, the legendary fashion designer, Charles James donated a small selection of correspondence, business records, press clippings and four original sketches to FIT Library’s Special Collections. Over the course of several months, many letters were exchanged between James and FIT librarian Marjorie Miller detailing…
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Perfume+Publicity+Poiret
We were recently gifted two very special objects: two paper publicity fans for the French perfume company, Rosine. Established in 1911, by the avant-garde couturier Paul Poiret following a trip to Vienna where he visited the Weiner Werkstatte, Rosine was part of Poiret’s greater vision to establish himself as not only a fashion designer, but…
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Embroidery for Me!
A curious little catalog came to our attention recently after it was determined that it was in need of some minor conservation. Titled in French, published in Switzerland, written in English and priced in English £s, Broderies Universelles, is a mail order catalog offering “dresslengths” of crêpe de chine and crêpe…
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Sports et divertissements
During the 1910s and 1920s, Paris was a hotbed of artistic experimentation. The hierarchy of artistic mediums seemed to dissolve away as painters collaborated with dancers, fashion designers with decorative artists, and—in the case of Sports et divertissements— illustrators with musicians. The musical scores and illustrations seen here are reproductions of…
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Havana Nights: Eric de Juan designs for Josephine Baker
I’m sure that most of you have heard by now about the extensive renovation of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which has been recently renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center. The $40 million renovation encompassed not only the public gallery spaces, but also the department’s highly-specialized library. Last year, we were…
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Vogue in 1893: “Believe…only half of what you see!”
We love the admonition illustrated on the cover of the November 16, 1893 issue of Vogue that cautions the nascent deb in her dealings with potential suitors; the sentiment to “believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see,” seems to apply not only to matters of the heart, but also…
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Shooting for Ladies
Anyone who’s ever seen a James Bond movie knows that a lady in an evening gown is always sexier when wielding a gun—the same, it seems, was also true more than a century ago if we are to believe Walter Winans’ 1911 title Shooting for Ladies. Created with the intention of tutoring ladies in the…
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Seymour Moss jewelry designs
These exquisitely rendered sketches depict the designs of American jeweler Seymour Moss (1919-2011), who began his career under the tutelage of his father, owner of the American Charm Company. After serving in the Army in WWII, Moss returned to New York City and founded MOBA, which produced gold and gemstone “high-fashion” jewelry that retailed in…