Rodarte: States of Matter

by Ingrid Mida

All photos by Autumn de Wilde

Suspended like birds caught in mid-flight, the breath-taking creations of the Kate and Laura Mulleavy of the Rodarte label are presented as sculptures in an exhibition that opened on March 4 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. On display in "Rodarte: States of Matter" are twenty pieces selected from the designers "White Collection" (Fall 2010), "Black Collection" (Spring 2010), "Red Collection" (2008) as well as the Odile/Black Swan tutus worn in the movie "The Black Swan". The title of the exhibition refers to the presentation of "inanimate objects in a state of flux, or animation, signifying the temporary states that material can assume."

Unconventional materials and processes are the hallmarks of the Rodarte label. The Mulleavy sisters subject fabrics, gauze, cotton cheesecloth, wool, rope, leather,and other materials to alchemic manipulations such as burning, stretching, weaving, dying, and stretching. They then layer materials, colours and textures into wearable works of art. With no formal training in fashion design, the two sisters started the Rodarte label in 2005 and in a short time have achieved great acclaim for their work which presents a mix of hard/soft and ugly/beautiful elements. Taking inspiration from the world around them, previous collections have been inspired by concepts such as horror films, architectural elements and California condors. In 2010, an exhibition of their work was presented at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York confirming their place as designers who create art that becomes fashion.

This exhibition at the MOCA Pacific Design Centre in West Hollywood was designed by runway producer Alexandre de Betak, who is also a long-time collaborator of the Mulleavys. Initially the presentation seems quite straightforward as the displays are grouped according to color with the black garments in the first level gallery and the white and red garments in the second level gallery. Suspended by wires from the ceiling, each garment is shaped by a poured resin mannequin form which is largely invisible to the viewer, creating the illusion of a body and enhancing the focus on the garments as singular sculptural objects. But it is the combination of static elements, moving elements and a light installation that make this an authentic contemporary art presentation.

Several of the tutus also spin gently giving the illusion of a ghost ballerina doing pirouhettes. Some of the gowns are suspended over layers of fluorescent tubes that change in colour and intensity in a looped light show that goes from soft and pretty to hard and flashy. This is particularly effective for the grouping of gowns from the Red Collection that includes the bloodied tutu from the final scene in the Black Swan and also seems to reference the Mulleavy sisters' fascination with horror films. Unfortunately the sequencing is so rapid and the cycle so short that it feels like there are only seconds of normal lighting conditions. While the play of light is consistent with a cutting edge contemporary art presentation, it is distracting for visitors that simply want to appreciate the inherent beauty of the garments. Plus it is almost impossible to ignore the loud fan and the clicking noises of the light show.

Such minor flaws are quickly forgotten when compared to the chance to see a Rodarte creation up close. Photos of their creations do not convey the magic of their work. It almost seemed as if the Rodarte gowns were made by fairy sprites as there are no visible seams or points of attachment. Ethereal in their beauty, they are truly works of art.

Brave New World

by Sarah Scaturro

Evening dress, 54.1.324, Silk, lamé and glass, Circa 1912, France?, Gift of the Estate of Minnie Drexel Fell Cassatt

The Drexel Historic Costume Collection at the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel University is known by fashion historians as a gem of a collection - small, but of very high quality. The upcoming exhibition curated by Clare Sauro called "Brave New World: Fashion and Freedom 1911-1919" should raise the profile of the collection, bringing it to the attention of many others as an invaluable resource. Fashion Projects is very pleased to present the following interview with Sauro about her upcoming exhibition and her role as Curator of the Drexel Historic Costume Collection. Besides juggling her curatorial duties, Sauro also teaches in the University and is writing an upcoming book by Berg Publishers titled Jeans (along with Drexel colleague, Joseph H. Hancock). She used to supervise the Accessories Collection and work as the Assistant Curator in the Costume Collection at the Museum at FIT, which is where as a student I first had the opportunity to experience her enthusiasm and desire to share her knowledge about fashion history.

Fashion Projects: The title of your exhibition is highly evocative, even though the time period of your exhibition predates by a decade Aldous Huxely’s novel of the same name. What inspired you to curate an exhibition called "Brave New World" about this moment in fashion history?

Clare Sauro: Congratulations on being the first to pick up on that! While the Huxley novel was published much later, it is part of the general modernist literary movement that emerged during this period. While purists may balk at my use of the title, I felt it was intriguing and captured the spirit of the exhibition. I wanted the title to convey this sense of wonder, excitement and anxiety and felt Brave New World was just right. The literary work I was most closely drawn to during my research was Pale Horse, Pale Rider but thought a reference to the apocalypse was a bit much for a fashion exhibition!

One of the themes of the exhibition (and PIFA) is the cross-disciplinary explosion of creativity that occurred during this period. The 1910s were a transitional period where the lingering traditions of the 19th century gave way to the modernism of the 20th. Many art forms struggled against tradition and sought new, often radical forms of expression to make sense of modern life. Fashion was a part of this movement and during this brief time period, women adopted short skirts, abandoned their corsets and cut their hair. The difference between a fashionable woman of 1910 and a decade later is astonishing.

Delphos dress, 2010.29.1, Mariano Fortuny, Silk & glass , Circa 1919, Italy, DHCC purchase and Negligee, no accession number, Silk & metallic lace, Circa 1912, France

What are your favorite objects in the exhibition? Were there any objects that you wish you could display (extant or not) that could have enriched your story even further?

The exhibition is relatively small (14 garments) so everything on display is a favorite in some way. The DHCC is fortunate to have many examples from this particular period and I had many to choose from when making my selection. Despite this, I searched and searched but did not turn up a Poiret from the teens. However, I was able to unearth a gorgeous Lucile evening dress (circa 1914) which conveys the right sense of luxury, sensuality, and exoticism needed for the exhibition. It really is a spectacular piece and the star of the show. Unfortunately, it needed conservation and missed the deadline for photography. I guess that means you all have to come see it in person!

All of the pieces are from the Drexel Historic Costume Collection. Can you tell us a little bit about the collection as a whole? What are you goals for your collection?

The Drexel Historic Costume Collection is a relatively small (10,000+ objects) collection of historic costume but a good one. It was founded in the early years of the 20th century to support and inspire the students of Drexel University. Since the collection began before many others of its kind, we are blessed to have strong holdings of early 20th century couture. There are some sizable gaps in content but overall the collection is of extremely fine quality. I have been curator of the DHCC for a little over two years and hope to someday establish it as one of the preeminent university costume collections in the United States. I plan to achieve this through judicious acquisitions, careful deaccessions and increased visibility through exhibitions and publications. I am fortunate to be very happy here at Drexel because I have quite a lot of work ahead of me!

Coat & dress, 67.46.31 and 67.46.40, Circa 1915, USA, Gift of Miss Elizabeth Jane Anderson

You used to supervise the Accessories Collection and work as the Assistant Curator in the Costume Collection at the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). Interestingly both MFIT and Drexel collections are housed at teaching universities. Have you found there to be similarities and differences in how the collections are used? How has your role changed?

I believe strongly in teaching collections. I get a great joy from sharing objects with students and seeing the lightbulbs go off over their heads. MFIT is a large and well-established collection with a conservation lab and dedicated galleries. While the collection is used for teaching and research it still adheres to established museum standards of care. The DHCC is much smaller and I am the only official staff member. As such, I have to handle all responsibilities related to the collection and must wear many hats. This is very different from MFIT where I was able to hand over a task to another staff member and know it would get done. Here at Drexel, I rely on students for day to day collections management and spend a good deal of time training them in correct handling protocol and basic registrarial work. Despite this, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the challenges of this position and the opportunity being able to really make a difference. It is exhausting but extremely gratifying. I love teaching, something I did not get to do while I was at FIT.

Walking suit, 54.1.408, Doucet, Velvet with grosgrain ribbon, Circa 1916, France, Gift of the Estate of Minnie Drexel Fell Cassatt

It was wonderful getting an opportunity to visit your collection last fall at the Fashion in Fiction conference held at Drexel University. Your personalized tour was inspiring as you revealed the joys and difficulties in discovering and caring for your collection. Would it be possible to talk about any special “a-ha!” moments you’ve had?

My personal growth has been tremendous- I am much calmer and patient person than I was a few years ago. The DHCC has shown me that I can’t get upset over what has happened in the past, I can only do the very best I can for the collection with the resources I have. Working with the students in the collection has taught me to explain myself better and in a more direct manner. I realize that not everything is ideal but that is ok. We make it a little bit better every day. ______________________________________________

Fashion historian Rebecca Jumper Matheson will give the lecture “Beyond Romanticism: The Art, Commerce and Modernity of Lucile” on Thursday, April 14th at 7 PM as part of the exhibition.

Brave New World: Fashion and Freedom 1911-1919
April 7th through May 7th, 2011
Location: Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, Nesbitt Hall, 3215 Market St, Philadelphia, PA
Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 
Cost: FREE and open to the public
More Information: 215-895-1029 or visit http://www.drexel.edu/westphal

A Review of Pulp Fashion at the Legion of Honor

by Ingrid Mida

Isabelle de Borchgrave, Marie de’ Medici (detail), 2006, inspired by a 1595 portrait by Pietro Facchetti in the collection of the Palazzo Lancellotti, Rome. Photo: Andreas von Einsiedel

Recreating life-size historical costumes out of paper, acrylic paint, and other mixed media materials has been the focus and passion of artist Isabelle de Borchgrave life for over 15 years. These extraordinary trompe l'oeil masterpieces bring to life costumes that are rarely seen in museum collections or exist only as images in historical artworks or literary descriptions. A retrospective of Isabelle de Borchgrave's work called Pulp Fashion is currently on at the palatial Legion of Honor, Museum of Fine Art in San Francisco.

This Belgian artist trained in painting and drawing at the Centre des Arts Decoratifs and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels and worked as a designer and textile artist for 30 years. When her children were young, Isabelle de Borchgrave often made costumes for them out of paper and over time began to accept commissions for paper costumes. But it was a chance encounter with Canadian costume designer Rita Brown in 1994 at the Metropolitan opera in New York that led to the next stage in Isabelle's career. The two women began a playful collaboration that saw the creation of a series of reproductions of historical costumes made out of paper initially based on the pattern books of Janet Arnold. These gowns were shown previously in an exhibition called Papier a la Mode.

Worth evening gown and shoe, 1994, based on an 1898 dress designed by Charles Frederick Worth in the collection of the Costume Institute, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Photo: Andreas von Einsiedel

Included in the Pulp Fashion exhibition at the Legion of Honor are selections from Isabelle de Borchegave's most important bodies of work presented in six sections. Opening the exhibition is a recreation of the artist's studio complete with drop cloths and works in progress as well as a looped video showing the artist at work as she manipulates paper to create the look of fabric - crumpling, pleating, braiding, feathering, and painting the surface. An adjacent gallery showcases her earliest work of historical dress recreations with Rita Brown from Papier a la Mode. In it, she presents eight gowns constructed out of white paper to illustrate the changes in silhouette in women's fashions over time as well as the draping of a wedding veil recreated out of lens paper. The Fortuny Room is enveloped by a magical recreation of Fortuny's exhibition tent from the 1911 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and also includes gowns, shoes, and other objects inspired by the work of the Spanish born fashion designer. The Medici Room includes life-size recreations of the women and children of the Medici family based on historical paintings as well as three extraordinary paper ruffs. And finally the Collections Connections Room includes the recreation of five new dresses inspired by the museum's painting collection. Included in each gallery throughout the exhibition are textiles or objects from the museum's collection to add context to Isabelle de Borchegrave's work.

There is no doubt as to the extraordinary skill and talent of Isabelle de Borchegrave and her studio of assistants. These trompe l'oeil fabrics, lace, trims, shoes, accessories and objects recreated out of paper are breath-taking to behold. All around me people exclaimed their surprise and admiration for the gowns on display. It takes a closer look to notice the development in the artist's ouevre. In the artist's earliest works the gowns were presented on standard mannequins but as the years progressed, the artist began to make the mannequins herself allowing her to refine the look and pose of the form and making it a more complete artistic presentation. The Fortuny Room exemplifies a complete installation and the entire room embodies the Fortuny spirit with even a recreation of his closet. Some of Isabelle's most spectacular work is featured in the room of women of the Medici. This work is mounted on life-size paper mache figures and includes eye-popping details of lace ruffs, jewelery and rich fabrics. To me, the most spectacular figure is the sculpture of Anna Maria Luisa de Medici (1667-1743) who is the only figure not in a standing pose. In a seated position, her lavish gown spills over her legs and her train trails behind to breath-taking effect.

Installation by Isabelle de Borchgrave photographed inside Palazzo Fortuny

There are five gowns that were specially created by the artist for the exhibition after studying the collections of the museum. And while these gowns show Isabelle de Borchgrave's extraordinary skill with paper, I wished they had been displayed alongside the paintings within the museum itself, instead of in the special exhibition gallery. The museum itself is so beautiful and so palatial that the placement of the sculptures in the painting gallery would have injected a new vibrancy and modernity into the corners of the museum.

Pulp Fashion: the Art of Isabelle de Borchegrave will be on view at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco through June 5, 2011.

Ingrid Mida is an artist and writer whose practice explores the boundary between fashion and art. She has a studio in Toronto and is represented by Loop Gallery. Ingrid is the author of the widely read blog Fashion is my Muse and will be the keynote speaker for the Costume Society of America - Midwest Region Annual Symposium in the fall where she will speak about the intersection of art and fashion.

Riotous Colour, Daring Patterns: Fashions + Textiles 18th to 21st centuries

TimeMagazine dress. Printed paper designed by Walter Lefmann and Ron de Vito, 1967, ROM967.77 Gift of TIME International of Canada Ltd. Image Courtesy of the Royal Ontario Museum

A new exhibition recently opened at the Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume at the Royal Ontario Museum. Titled "Riotous Colour, Daring Patterns: Fashions + Textiles 18th to 21st centuries," the exhibition, which is curated by Dr. Alexandra Palmer, Nora E. Vaughan Fashion Costume Curator, features 120 textiles and costumes from the ROM’s extensive textile and costume collection.

Among the exhibition's higlights is the display titled "Clothing as Canvas," which presents "paper fashions that emulate textiles, and fashion and textiles that copy printed paper from the 1940s to the present. Included in this section are the first paper dresses made in 1966 by Scott Paper Limited, Bandana and Op Art, and MPH Design’s digitally printed World Trade Center Tyvek dress, as well as a silk dress imprinted with newspaper headlines, designed by John Galliano for Christian Dior."

Other sections include "Pattern-Dyed Textiles of Asia and Africa" and "Fashion and Interiors: Late 18th – 21st Centuries." For more information please visit the ROM website .

Judith Clark's Lecture at Parsons

Plain from the Concise Dictionary of Dress Exhibition, Artangel .

Judith Clark--One of our favourite fashion curators will be speaking at Parsons' ADHT Department. The lecture is free and open to the public

"The School of Art and Design History and Theory is pleased to present a lecture by fashion curator and academic Judith Clark, whose Judith Clark Gallery, in London was ground breaking in new fashion curation from 1998 through 2002. She has curated major exhibitions at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, ModeMuseum, Antwerp, Palazzo Pitti, Florence, and Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Forthcoming exhibitions include The Eye Has to Travel, at the Museo Fortuny in Venice. She is Reader in the Field of Fashion and Museology and Co-Director of MA Fashion Curation at the University of the Arts, London."

The Dictionary and the Gallery: On Exhibition-Making February 23, 2011, 6:00pm Theresa Lang Student Center 55 W 13th St, Room 202 New York NY 10011