Textiles & Fashions
Monthly Archive: December text
Exhibit A: Dior Dress
“In a machine age, dressmaking is one of the last refuges of the human, the personal, the inimitable.”
— Christian Dior
Commissioned by the ROM, Passage #5 was designed by John Galliano for Christian Dior Haute Couture. This dramatic coat-dress was inspired by fashion illustrator René Gruau’s drawings from the 1940s and 1950s and is a 21st-century reworking of Dior’s 1947 New Look collection (his first).
Padded Hangers 2.0: Revamping Storage for Fitted Jackets
The ROM recently acquired 6 fitted jackets by the designer Martin Margiela. We created additional support by adding creating padded forms for the body and arms that would fit over the polyethylene wire hangers.
Mexico’s Day of the Dead at the ROM
Chloe Sayer, guest curator of ¡Viva México! Clothing & Culture and ROM Research Associate, is back in Toronto for the ROM’s celebration of Day of the Dead on October 30, one of Mexico’s most important annual festivals.
Silk Threads from China
Welcome banners for Friends Groups
Let there be Light
Our Senior Photographer, Bryan Boyle, shares his process of photographing beautiful Baroque textiles.
Viktor&Rolf Dolls come to the ROM
Appearing at the ROM until the end of June, Viktor&Rolf Dolls. Free admission.
Cloth hunting in Tanzania
In the 19th century, cloth was big business in East Africa. From present-day Somalia down to Mozambique, the whole eastern half of the continent was experiencing an economic boom as it exported elephant ivory, slaves, aromatics and spices to Asia, Europe, and North America. With their newfound wealth, East African consumers largely sought to acquire foreign cloth and beads.
ROM Volunteer Profile: Patricia Harris
Patricia Harris is a true testament to the profound impact of volunteerism...
Fashion Crime Stoppers
The Panelists from the upcoming Fashion Crimes Debate share what they consider unforgiveable fashion crimes. What do you consider to be a fashion crime?
History of the White Wedding Dress
The white wedding gown worn by many brides today didn’t became popular until the Victorian Era. In fact, many contribute the popularity to Queen Victoria herself, who wore white to her wedding day.
Before this time, European brides were known to wear dresses in a variety of colours and embroidered with elaborate patterns. However, the white wedding dress was quickly adopted in the 19th century by brides on both sides of the Atlantic.
Take a peek at these beautiful examples of Canadian wedding dresses in the ROM’s textile collection: