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.