Focus on... Fashion Curation Intern

My name's Helen Ritchie. I'm currently halfway through the MA Fashion Curation Course at the London College of Fashion. For the last two weeks I've been helping the textile curators at Bowes spread the word about the new Fashion and Textile Gallery.

Best bit of the internship...
Seeing behind the scenes at the museum and learning about the processes which enable displays and exhibitions to take place. Also, it's great to hear the curators tell the stories behind each acquisition, which there isn't always room for on the labels in the gallery.

Worst bit of the internship...
Only being here for a short time means that I can't do everything I was hoping to do and I hate leaving tasks unfinished.

Favourite Exhibit...

This dress dates from c.1932. It was worn by Ruth Sherwood Stevenson, a Canadian socialite who came to England married the owner of the Throckley Coal Company. There is no label in the dress (Ruth liked to cut them out), so it will never be completely verified, but it is likely that this dress was designed by Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Schiaparelli was one of the most prominent figures in fashion during the inter-war period. Her designs were heavily influenced by the Surrealist movement, resulting in collaborations with artists such as Salvador Dali. Some of her most famous designs include the skeleton dress, the lobster dress (worn by Wallis Simpson) and the shoe hat.

These sleek bias cut dresses from the 1930s have a timeless elegance which still inspires contemporary designers today. Bowes also owns three dresses by Madeleine Vionnet, designed in the same era - more about those in another post.

Images of the New Gallery

Here are some images of our brand new gallery! In the foreground stands the twentieth century case, containing beautiful 1950s dresses by Belinda Belville and Victor Steibel.

This is our glass cube. Groups can be invited inside it for talks or demonstrations, or visitors can watch the curators at their work. Ten percent of our quilt collection hangs from bars on the ceiling, while the 176 archive boxes store the world-famous Blackborne Lace Collection.

Our film shows theatre costumier Luca Costigliolo dressing a woman in a reproduction 1872 gown, giving you an idea of just how complicated dressing could be!

This is beginning of the chronological display of dress. In the foreground hangs a man's lace collar dating from c.1635. Standing in the temporary exhibition space are three dresses, all designed by Parisian couturier Madeleine Vionnet, a contemporary of Chanel's. They are part of a collection of Vionnet gowns bought by the Bowes Museum in conjunction with the V&A, London and the Fashion Museum, Bath.

Here is a more detailed view of the three gowns by Vionnet, made in turn from gold tulle with gold embroidery, printed silk chiffon and black Chantilly lace.

More images coming soon!

The New Gallery!

The new Fashion and Textile Gallery at the Bowes Museum showcases the best of fashion design, exhibiting beautiful garments from the seventeenth century to the 1960s.

Combining historic collections with contemporary design, the gallery provides temporary exhibition space, a permanent chronological display of dress, and a central glass cube, giving visitors the unique opportunity to be invited into the curators' workspace for talks and demonstrations.

Using cutting-edge methods of display, garments are mounted on invisible mannequins, allowing them to be viewed from 360 degrees. Embroidery, lace and quilts are stored in new units, allowing them to be accessed easily by both curators and visitors.

Spectacularly lit, and placed in innovative free-standing glass structures, the dresses in the gallery provide an exqusiite visual timeline of fashion, and serve to illustrate perfectly this collection of national and international importance.



This blog will provide up to the minute information about events and talks which are held in the new Fashion and Textile Gallery, as well as providing behind-the-scenes information from curators, conservators, volunteers and attendants.