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Advisors: Davidson, Hilary; Berthon, Magali An, Committee members: Byrd, Sarah; Carlson, Brooke, Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Sekitori are the men who compete in ōzumō, the highest-level competition of Japanese wrestling known as sumō, which is widely recognized as Japan's national sport. The unique and meaningful dress and textiles used in ōzumō are rich in symbolism and historical significance. This paper aims to explore and interpret the dress of sekitori and its cultural importance, particularly for an unfamiliar, Western audience.The sport holds significance in Japanese culture due to its reliance on ritual and tradition and because it epitomizes certain Japanese values related to masculine identity and cultural legacy. This study demonstrates that the culture of ōzumō and the dress of sekitori exemplifies these values. By adopting Deborah Evanson and Joanne Eicher's comprehensive definition of dress, which this paper interprets as physical presentation, encompassing anything worn or held for the purpose of appearance, including sensory aspects such as sound, smell, body shape, size, musculature, hair, or any modification of the body at a given time.This research delves into the historical and contemporary significance of sumō's material culture with a particular focus on the details, origins, meanings and making of sekitori's dress. It also dispels misconceptions about a sport which until recently has been hidden away from outsiders in what is referred to as kakukai, or the sumō world, a term which reflects its exclusivity. Through this exploration, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of sumō culture and Japanese craftsmanship, as well as what each reflects about Japanese culture.By examining the dress of sekitori, this study not only reviews the origins and development of sumō, intertwined as it is with Japan's history from myth and legend to the early twentieth century, but also reveals its deep interrelation with contemporary Japanese culture. Presenting a unique study of the dress of sekitori, an aspect of sumō that has received little attention in scholarship, this p, Keywords: Dress, History, Japan, Material culture, Textiles, Sumō

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Font, Lourdes, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Byrd, Sarah; Carlson, Brooke, Despite the striking life and career of the English-born fashion editor, illustrator, and designer Isabel “Babs” Willaumez Rawlings (BWR) (1902 -1986), her contributions are still underrepresented in fashion history. Having started her career at French Vogue in 1933, she would change over to American Vogue in 1935 until her departure in 1946. BWR was at Vogue during the time when other prominent fashion editors were working, such as Edna Woolman Chase, Bettina Ballard at Vogue, and Carmel Snow and Diana Vreeland at Harper’s Bazaar. As the wife of two men with successful fashion careers, the illustrator René Bouët-Willaumez and the photographer John Rawlings, her name often appears in connection with them. However, she was a talented woman in her own right; the primary sources that exist suggest she was an influential editor and deserves to be the focus of a fashion studies paper. BWR’s ideas often appeared in American Vogue in stories which she illustrated herself. She contributed to many editorials where she communicated ideas put into practice in her own wardrobe. Her three “Signature–‘Babs’ ” articles from 1944 demonstrate her instinctive personal style. Through editorials such as “Suits” and “Painters’ Scarfs and How to Wear Them,” BWR’s process is revealed; she reworked the same concept over years until it was perfected. Her use of accessories is why the word consistent can be used to describe her personal style. Having all the qualifications of a tastemaker of the 1930s and 1940s, BWR also acted as a collaborator with the designers who custom-made some of her clothing. This is the first study of the life and career of an influential American fashion editor and thus contributes towards a more complete history of twentieth-century fashion., Keywords: American Vogue; Fashion journalism; Fashion magazines; Isabel Willaumez Rawlings; Magazine editor; Twentieth century fashion

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Bloomfield, Nicole, Committee members: Carlson, Brooke, This qualifying paper documents the conservation treatment of a Qing Dynasty Ao (late nineteenth-century Chinese Han women’s robe). The robe is now part of the Graduate Study Collection and is available for research. The first section of this paper looks at the historical context of this style of robe as well as the meaning of the different decorative motifs and embellishments seen on the garment. The second part of the paper is a complete documentation of the condition, treatment proposal, and treatment report. To conclude, this paper assesses the treatment along with an overview of the different ideologies of compensating for loss to justify the treatment options. The research thoroughly discusses the choices that lead up to the decisions made during treatment. The conservation treatments involved included: hand stitched underlay and overlay supports, adhesives, custom dying, and rehousing., Keywords: Chinese clothing; Han robe; Nineteenth century; Qing dynasty; Textile conservation; Women's clothing

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Montegut, Denyse, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Carlson, Brooke; Matheson, Rebecca, This qualifying paper is an annotated bibliography of publications having to do with the technical analysis of metal threads used in textiles since 1995. For the 104 papers listed, 60 were annotated by the author, and for the remaining 43, the original paper’s abstracts were sufficient. Publications were categorized and sorted by purpose of published investigation (history, conservation, method of manufacture, etc.); and the actual technique(s) employed in each publication. Information about the type of thread construction (flat strips, metal-wrapped on fiber core, etc.), the metal content, and the application of the metal thread is described in the annotations using consistent terminology to make the document searchable. The entries are in alphabetical order by author and only publications in English are included. Significant work had been done on metal thread analysis prior to 1995 by some pioneers in the field: Norman Indictor, Robert Koestler, Mary Ballard, and Marta Járó. A compilation of what has been published since 1995 was needed, especially in light of new analytical equipment now available in labs. Hence, this bibliography starts at 1995. A brief history of metal threads and the development of manufacturing methods is included as well as a brief overview of some of the past developments in metal thread analysis. However, this paper is not intended as an exhaustive compilation of all papers written about the history, manufacture, or conservation of metal threads. In order to be included in this bibliography, some form of analytical technique investigating metal threads must have been employed. Some papers may coincidentally examine coatings and organic substrates, but those were included only if they also performed metal analysis., Keywords: Annotated bibliography; Gilt threads; Metal threads; Textile conservation; Thread analysis

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Abrego, Sonya; Davidson, Hilary, Seguimos Aquí: Indigenous Fashion in Latin America, translated to “we are still here,” is a proposed traveling exhibition that will be the first to highlight fashion created by living Indigenous Latin American designers. Showcasing the creativity and talent of five designers and four Latin-owned luxury labels collaborating with artisans from Central and South American countries will emphasize the makers’ craftsmanship and innovations. Ensembles, costumbrismo art, literature, photographs, and museum artifacts will provide historical context for the designers’ work. Media will include interview clips with the designers and artisans, runway coverage, and behind-the-scenes content on the creative process. Accompanying biand tri-lingual didactic text, in order of the Indigenous language, official language, to English, is vital to consider inclusivity and respectful public engagement for all visitors. Composed of four thematic sections, Perspectivas Cambiantes (Shifting Perspectives) will begin by challenging how we define terms such as dress, fashion, traditional clothing, and costume. This section will demonstrate shifting perceptions of Indigenous people and fashion with examples from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The second section, Resistencia (Resistance), will highlight the importance of Indigenous representation and the lack thereof in the fashion industry. In Respeto (Respect), emphasis on the many hands involved in a brand's identity is central, honing in on fair trade models. The final section, Revolución (Revolution), will showcase current initiatives to help preserve the passing of craft traditions to the next generations and speaks to where the future of Indigenous fashion is going without the limitations of a “non-Western” label. An exhibition checklist, along with exhibition design, public programming, and catalog proposal, is included., Keywords: Central America; Exhibition; Fashion; Indigenous; Latin America; South America

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Font, Lourdes, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Carlson, Brooke, Hollywood films of the 1920s-40s included lavishly embellished costumes that reflected light from metallic embroidery, sequins and glass beads. The reflected light was augmented with feathers, fringes, and other adornments. These spectacular costumes were enhanced by headdresses and jewelry. The challenge of creating illusionary beauty was achieved by the costume designer, who imagined and executed his/her designs. In Hollywood history, there is a legendary film costume designer whose costumes are still marveled at today. He is Gilbert Adrian (1903-59) simply known as “Adrian,” who worked as the Head Costume Designer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) from 1928 to 1941. Film scholars have credited Adrian as the most influential film costume designer, and the creator of the “Hollywood Glamour Look.” Adrian’s creations serve as cases-in-point to examine how adornment (i.e. embellishment, headwear and jewelry) augment the “embodiment” of film costumes (i.e. dress). Eighteen films from 1929 to 1941 were categorized into five groups: Reflected Light; Feathers and Fringes Abound; Modernism: Simplicity and Contrast; Hollywood’s Orientalism; and Masquerade and Musicals. The theoretical frameworks were phenomenology, Mei Mei Rado, Edward Said, and Anne Hollander among others to provide a different perspective on “embodiment.” The results Adrian achieved from his astute understanding of how fabrics and embellishments film in black-and-white are impressive. Adrian’s prolific career from film costume to fashion designer remains influential today., Keywords: Adornment; Costume; Embellishment; Fashion; Films; Gilbert Adrian

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Font, Lourdes, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary, In their 2022 exhibition entitled In America: An Anthology of Fashion, the Metropolitan Museum of Art displayed a ball gown by Marguery Bolhagen (1920-2021) and utilized a photograph of its installation to advertise their exhibition. The exhibition offered little information on the designer and discussed the client and donor of the dress in greater detail. Little record existed discussing Bolhagen’s work; beyond her role as a ready-to-wear designer for Bergdorf Goodman beginning in 1965, she was relatively unknown. Despite this, her work is held in institutions throughout the United States, including the Met, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection at Ohio State University. The aim of this paper is to consider her importance to fashion historians and the public. This qualifying paper uncovers the life and work of American fashion designer Marguery Bolhagen, delving beyond a striking image used to advertise an exhibition, and looking beyond her relationship to her most famous client, Austine Hearst, also known as Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr. Drawing from fashion press research, object-based study, and interviews with descendants of the designer, this paper is organized into two chapters. The first chapter discusses the life of the designer chronologically from birth to death, with focus on her work in the fashion industry. The second chapter is dedicated to an examination of six objects by Bolhagen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges presented when conducting this research, and further research avenues to be pursued. Aiming to recognizing the work of a female couturier amongst her male contemporaries, this paper contextualizes Marguery Bolhagen as an American fashion designer in the twentieth century., Keywords: 20th century fashion; American designer; Bergdorf Goodman; Charles James; Fashion designer; Marguery Bolhagen

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Trupin, Deborah, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Montegut, Denyse; Font, Lourdes, The Kashmiri shawl developed over three hundred years, with each culture bringing its own unique contribution to the evolution of the Kashmiri shawl. The variety of Kashmiri shawls is endless; this can be seen museum and private collections, on auction websites and published in books. The majority of Kashmiri shawls in museums and private collections today is of nineteenth-century manufacture. The invention of embroidered shawls, which originally started as a touch-up on designs of completed shawls, started in the mid-eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century, shawl production received a powerful external stimulus and took a change of course when European attention impacted local designs and manufacture. It was during this time that piecework resulted, and culminated in the shift from atelier weaving toward mass market. This qualifying paper will focus on three shawls attributed to Kashmir, India, analyze the use of embroidery and piecing in their construction, and review a comprehensive treatment for one. The research and treatment of that shawl, done for FT644, Advanced Conservation II, in Spring 2022, provided the inspiration for this paper. The body of this paper is a comparison of the three shawls. All three are lined, composite and embroidered - yet, are all different. All three are hand-woven in the kani weave, a twill tapestry weave with interlocking wefts, from Kashmir, India. This paper analyzes the similarities and differences of all three and the publication on Kashmiri shawl conservation treatments., Keywords: Conservation Treatment; Dorukha Shawls; Embroidery; Kashmiri Shawls; Piece-work; Textile conservation

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Trupin, Deborah, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Carlson, Brooke, This qualifying paper explores the history of Dutch embroidered samplers, focusing on common imagery, and discusses a cleaning treatment for a c. 1820 Dutch embroidered sampler. Of particular interest in this paper are popular embroidery motifs, the importance of embroidered samplers in women's lives, methods for addressing tidelines caused by water contact, and mounting for future display. The sampler is in the collection of an FIT Adjunct Instructor, and will return to her possession after treatment., Keywords: Dutch embroidery; Embroidered Sampler; Embroidery; Needlework; Nineteenth century embroidery; Textile conservation

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Labson, Eva, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Byrd, Sarah, This paper focuses on the reproduction of a seventeenth-century English embroidered bookbinding in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). The first part of the paper reviews a small group of successful practice-led research projects and considers them as a group. This section promotes the research of important scholars, many of whom work outside of academia, by recognizing common approaches across their projects and identifying methods that could be useful for conservators looking to include reproduction as part of their conservation practice. Following an auto-ethnographic approach, the second part of this project documents my experience analyzing materials and techniques, sourcing materials, and reproducing sections of the original bookbinding by implementing the methodologies reviewed in the first section of the paper. For the final section, I, a trained textile conservator, reviews and analyzes their extensive hands-on process and considers the possibilities practice-led research presents for the field of textiles and fashion conservation., Keywords: 17th century; Bookbinding; Embroidery; Goldwork; Reproduction; Textile conservation

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Font, Lourdes, Committee members: Byrd, Sarah; Robertson, Nancy; Montegut, Denyse; Davidson, Hilary; Carlson, Brooke, The Sari is perhaps the most recognizable and influential garment from the Indian subcontinent. Despite its extensive influence and complex history within international fashion, it is often solely associated with Orientalism—an association which has caused the nuances of its history to be overlooked. This paper begins with an overview of the Sari and then goes on to analyze a variety of sources, primarily articles from the fashion press and extant garments, to understand the major and minor ways in which the Sari influenced Paris fashion between 1910 and 1940. It highlights the Parisian designers and their clients, who contributed to its popularity in fashion. It reconstructs the Sari’s journey in context with the major developments of early twentieth-century fashion, beginning with Avant-Garde Modernism around the 1910s to the Neoclassical Modernism of the 1930s. In the process, it illustrates the Sari’s many roles; as medium, influence and ultimately as a fashionable garment in its own right. This paper advocates for a more nuanced approach to studying fashion history—one which moves away from essentialized views of “East” and “West.” The understanding of the extent of the Sari’s influence on and presence within Paris fashion is a step towards reducing its isolation from mainstream fashion studies., Keywords: Fashion; Fashion history; Neoclassical modernism; Orientalism; Paris; Sari

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Abrego, Sonya, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Matheson, Rebecca, Focusing on the period between the country music’s recognition as a distinct category of music in the 1920s and its evolution into a polished and solidified genre in the 1950s, I will discuss the segregation of Black and white singers into the categories of hillbilly and race music and the resulting changes to the artists’ wardrobe. I will look at the dress of the rural Mississippi Delta and Appalachian regions where both genres emerged from. I will consider the influence of record labels, touring shows, and the artists themselves on the musician’s visual branding. A particular focus will be placed on the leading artists in the country and blues genres during this time and the representations of gender within these artists' wardrobe and the subtext of these style choices. I will then discuss how country musician’s initial dress shifted into a more distinct country costume due to blues and pop sounds encroaching on the country music genre in the 1940s and 1950s and how the blues genre and the typical blues musician has become romanticized due to white scholarship of the genre., Keywords: Blues music; Country music; Cowboy fashion; Gender history; Musician fashion; Twentieth century

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Yanofsky, Anna, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Trupin, Deborah; Font, Lourdes; Abrego, Sonya; Matheson, Rebecca, This study examines and explores traditional Kazakh dress and fashion during the nineteenth century – a period of significant cultural and social change in Central Asia. Drawing on a range of historical sources, including ethnographic travel accounts, photographs, and museum collections, and considering the historically nomadic culture of the Kazakh nation, the paper examines the various elements of Kazakh dress and its social, cultural, and economic significance. Discussions follow with respect to the use of natural materials such as wool, leather, and fur, as well as the role of dress in signaling social status and identity. Additionally, this paper provides an overview of the impact of external influences, such as Russian colonization, including under the Soviet Union, on Kazakh dress traditions. The paper observes that despite the challenges posed by external factors, traditional Kazakh dress persisted as a symbol of cultural identity and continuity in the face of rapid change. This project is focused specifically on Kazakh attire, separate from the broader category of Central Asian clothing, and aims to provide more clarity on what distinguishes Kazakh dress from its regional neighbors. As this research project primarily relates to the author’s native country of Kazakhstan, its original contribution and perspective adds to the existing scholarship on this topic, most of which is by Soviet anthropologists and ethnographers and in the Russian language. The paper was written using English, Kazakh, and Russian (including Old Russian) language sources, with some produced in Kazakhstan (including Soviet Kazakhstan). The project aims to deepen knowledge about specifically Kazakh garment traditions for an English-language audience by increasing understanding of this nation’s history, culture and people, Keywords: Central Asia; Kazakh clothing; Kazakhstan; Nineteenth century dress; Soviet Union; Traditional clothing

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Yanofsky, Anna, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Byrd, Sarah; Matheson, Rebecca, In the twenty-first century, fashion scholarship has pushed for a more inclusive study of the history of fashion. Although there has been an increased focus on the study of Asian American designers, prior research has yet to account for earlier Japanese American designers that appeared on a wider scale in the mid-twentieth century. Early Japanese American contributors to the fashion industry were present at least almost 100 years ago in the 1930s. Although the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans stunted the capabilities of this community, those with an interest in fashion were able to unify under a period of duress. The presence of fashion classes and shows throughout internment camps presents a determination for the creation of beauty amid imprisonment. Following their release after World War II, numerous women went to work within the fashion industry and achieved high levels of success, unfortunately all of which are forgotten today. Japanese American designers such as Linda Kinoshita were multitalented, and served many roles such as designer, seamstress, and entrepreneur. The following research resurfaces these successful designers not just among the Japanese American community, but also forms a more holistic understanding of American fashion history. Although unified in aspirations, each of these women created fashion in a unique approach and demonstrated individualistic career paths., Keywords: American fashion; Asian Americans; Fashion designers; Fashion history; Internment camps; Japanese Americans

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Matheson, Rebecca, Westernwear refers to a style of dress inspired by the workwear of cowboys from the United States which is made up of various influences from Spain to Indigenous peoples of the United States, developing into one broad visual identity. The cowboy who wears this dress is a central character in the mythology of the American West. The myth of the West is strongly tied to American individualism, solidified with western expansion during the nineteenth century, and grew with the rise of the United States as a world power in the twentieth century. As an export, the American cowboy and iconography in an international context is seen as a representation of the country rather than just a region. Once abroad, the mythology tied to the image of the cowboy may be reinterpreted according to its non-American viewer. This non-American reinterpretation is the focus of this paper’s research to discuss westernwear coming to high-end fashion catwalks by way of foreign film production, musical stage costuming, continued reimagining of the cowboy’s iconography through film and television and finally joining fashion’s vocabulary via foreign fashion designers. The timeline will use these key cultural moments of international exposure and uses of westernwear to be then translated into high-end fashion in both Europe and the United States from 1965 to 1995. Westernwear’s reimagining and appropriation into the global fashion’s world in the late 20th century follows the downfall of the glorification and romanticization of the iconography of the cowboy. The cowboy represents America on the international stage so in turn the use of westernwear references in fashion is a commentary on where the United States stands politically or economically internationally., Keywords: American fashion; American West; Cowboy; Cowboy mythology; Westernwear; Workwear

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Font, Lourdes, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Byrd, Sarah, Christian Dior-New York Inc. (CD-NY) was established in 1948 as a ready-to-wear line designed by Parisian couturier Christian Dior for the American market. Although it was designed by the head designer of the Paris house for the first half its history, by the early 1960s , when New York-based CD-NY designers started to design the line, it became more of a Seventh Avenue brand. This successful line lasted almost twenty-four years, and became an important part of the American fashion industry. Christian Dior-New York inspired other ready-to-wear lines by Paris couturiers in the postwar era, such as Jacques Fath and Pierre Balmain. This qualifying paper tells the history of Christian Dior-New York and the designers who created it, from its start in 1948 until its closure in 1972. In the last chapter, the characteristics of existing CD-NY garments are studied, and compared with garments from other Christian Dior lines., Keywords: Couture; Fashion history; Garment District; New York fashion; Ready-to-wear; Seventh Avenue businesses

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Bloomfield, Nicole, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Byrd, Sarah; Carlson, Brooke, This qualifying paper is an investigation into the past and current state of how commercial dry cleaning (solvent cleaning) is being used as a treatment option in textile conservation. Literature on the topic of dry cleaning in conservation is for the most part dated. Additionally, there is a barrier of entry into treatment as machinery is expensive and requires working with someone who owns and knows how to operate the equipment. An update on the current uses of dry cleaning in the conservation field and changes in the dry cleaning industry would be beneficial to those wishing to expand treatment options for collections in their care. Investigating the topic of solvent cleaning will be accomplished through tracing developments and literature review to better understand where commercial dry cleaning stands in the field of textile conservation in terms of application. This text will also act as an overview of how to process works so those interested in utilizing dry cleaning as a treatment have a resource that combines several areas of research., Keywords: Commercial Dry Cleaning; Conservation Treatment; Dry Cleaning; Solvent Cleaning; Textile conservation; Textiles

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: George, Patrice; Byrd, Sarah, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary, Orinoka Mills was a textile mill founded by the Solomon brothers in 1890 in Kensington, Philadelphia. Orinoka produced a wide variety of woven fabrics during what is considered the golden age of the Philadelphia textile industry. While these textiles can be considered relatively new as historical objects, they are just as important in the history of textiles as those from the previous centuries. This paper is separated into three chapters; first, discussing the history of Orinoka Mills and Philadelphia’s textile industry, second, an in-depth study of Orinoka mills and lastly, a survey of the archives and the mill’s designs. The primary research for this paper was conducted by interviewing a selection of Orinoka employees from different areas of the business for firsthand perspectives and through reviewing Orinoka Mills’ textiles and paper archives. The intent was to study the history of Orinoka Mills in the context of the textile industry in the twentieth century. Orinoka and other mills in the region made a lasting impact on the textile industry. Their histories are important to document, and examples of their textiles should be conserved and archived today. The recent history of a U.S. mill is worthy of in-depth study while we still have the opportunity for first-hand accounts from designers, managers, customers, and trade journalists. Studying and publishing more literature and scholarly sources on these contemporary woven textiles will be an invaluable source for students, museum visitors and industry professionals. As an example, Kravet. Inc. presented an exhibition of textiles from its archive collection at the New York School of Interior Design in 2019 featuring multiple Orinoka Mills textiles and related objects. Phyllis Greer stated in her review of the exhibition Every New Textile Has a History ”Though we might not think of these items as rare historical documents now, someday they will be. Many of these items show the process and communication behind the, Keywords: Jacquard weaving; Kravet; Langenthal; Orinoka Mills; Philadelphia; Textile mill

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Montegut, Denyse, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Carlson, Brooke, This qualifying paper traces the most recent quilting revival in America from the 1970s through modern-day and examines the circumstances of early and late Revival quilters, with exploration into whether early and late Revival quilters are indeed part of the same quilting movement. Investigating the factors that sparked the revival in the Seventies, and the evolution of the quilting industry that grew around Revival Quilters in the years that followed, characteristics of quilters are defined as the decades progress and the nature of Revival Quilting changes. Quilters’ dialogs with the growing quilting industry affect commercially available products in the hobby market, as well as the output of those who engage with the craft and how quilts are created. As new tools and technologies change, the ways in which quilters engage with the craft evolves dramatically. While post-millennium quilters find their foundations in the quilting revival of the Seventies, increasing developments in technology and the internet give them unprecedented access to peer dialog and educational materials. New avenues to careers in quilting, grounded in YouTube, social media, and e-commerce, begin to emerge. In light of this exceptional level of access to the quilting community, sewing supplies, and pattern material, the author seeks to redefine post-millennium quilters, proposing a new term scholars may use to refer to them: Connected Quilters., Keywords: Craft; Material culture; Quilting; Quilts; Sewing; Textile arts

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: McClendon, Emma, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Byrd, Sarah; Carlson, Brooke, In 1856, the New York Daily Times reported that a person named Charley was arrested in New York City and sentenced to “two months imprisonment on Blackwell’s Island” for vagrancy and wearing men's clothing. Charley—who was identified as Harriet French—was one of the many civilians who were subjected to the cross-dressing laws that appeared across the United States throughout the end of the nineteenth century. At the same time these laws were being enacted, gender impersonation acts were growing in popularity thanks to Vaudeville, giving gender performance a public platform. Actors, like Ella Wesner, gave paid public performances where they were praised on stage for the illusions they were able to cast. Wesner was one of the performers cited as not only having worn men’s clothing during her performances, but was known to wear men’s clothes in public, and was ultimately buried in men’s clothes as requested in her will. This paper will use Charley and Ella Wesner as a lens to examine how fashion plays a role in the construction of gender and consider the necessary narrative expansion needed in fashion history scholarship., Keywords: Cross-Dressing Laws; Fashion History; Gendered Dress; Vaudeville

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Advisors: Byrd, Sarah, Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Carlson, Brooke, Ana de Pombo (1889 -1985) was a Spanish born fashion designer living and working in Paris, France in the 1920s-1940s. Popular and well known in her time, she is little known by historians and the public today. At the height of her career in the mid-1930s, de Pombo was the lead designer for the House of Paquin (1891-1956) where she successfully incorporated the popular artistic movement, flamenco, into her designs. De Pombo’s side career as a flamenco performer gave her awareness of the popularity of the art form and provided her with intimate knowledge of ways to use common flamenco imagery in her work. This qualifying paper explores the connection between Ana de Pombo’s interest in flamenco and her evening wear designs for the House of Paquin., Keywords: Ana de Pombo; Couture; Fashion; Fashion History; Flamenco

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 84-06., Advisors: Bloomfield, Nicole., Committee members: Davidson, Hilary; Bloomfield, Nicole; Font, Lourdes; Trupin, Deborah., The subject of this paper is the conservation treatment of a pair of c. 1865 red silk boots. The contents of this paper describe the identification, testing procedures, treatment proposal, and conservation treatment of the boots., The first section of this paper places the boots within a historical context that assist in dating the boots. Topics include technological improvements, fashionable dress, footwear construction, and comparable examples from museum collections., The second section of the paper discusses the conservation treatment of the boots. The boots were in poor condition. The red silk was fragile and disintegrating, and the internal structure was poorly supported and at risk for further damage. Testing was necessary to determine the best formulas for custom dyeing with Lanaset dyes and adhesive treatment with Lascaux. The treatment proposal also includes a custom-built mount and box to support the boots structurally. Each aspect of the treatment is described in detail along with photographic documentation of the treatment process. An assessment of the treatment and discussion of future concerns concludes the paper.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 85-08, Advisors: Deborah Trupin; Kyunghee Pyun; Hilary Davidson, Committee members: Brooke Carlson; Rebecca Matheson, The purpose of this qualifying paper is to emphasize the historical importance of a post-1950 jogakbo-bojagi, a Korean wrapping cloth featuring patchwork, and to treat it prior to mounting for a private collector. Chapters one through five cover the history, function, qualities, and variations of bojagi textiles and their cultural importance to society, particularly women. Traditionally, women played a large role in the making of bojagi, which is why this paper will explore the societal expectations of women in Korea during the Joseon dynasty. To fully grasp the cultural context of bojagi textiles, this paper will briefly cover Korea's history from the ancient Three Kingdoms Period to the end of the Japanese occupation period. In this paper, topics covered include trade, cultivation of fibers, synthetic dyes, and global history from the late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. Lastly, chapters six through eight will cover the condition and treatment of the jogakbo-bojagi, as well as final conclusions and dating of the object., Keywords: Fashion, Jogakbo-Bojagi, Fiber identification, Korean folk textiles, Patchwork textiles, Wrapping cloth

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 85-08, Advisors: Lourdes Font; Hilary Davidson, Committee members: Brooke Carlson, Many designers who were significant contributors to Paris fashions in the 1930s have disappeared from the record of fashion history. This long list of forgotten designers includes Violette H. Marsan (1902-1997), Erik Braagaard (1912-2004), and Henri de Châtillon (1906- 1972), three Paris-based French modistes (milliners) who were celebrated for their elegant hats. They gained widespread success in France before fleeing the country in the wake of the Second World War and settling in New York and Mexico City. They were part of the numerous French émigrés (immigrants) who had found refuge in the United States during wartime, many of whom were intellectuals, artists, and designers. Back then, the French fashion community of New York was acclaimed, notably through the design contributions of Madame Nicole and Lilly Daché, two renowned French-American milliners. Despite their success and talent, the creations of Violette Marsan, Erik Braagaard, and Henri de Châtillon are not well represented in museum collections and their names are no longer recalled. My goal with this paper is to recover the course of their respective careers and recount these untold stories. A close look at their work, aspirations, and influence in New York and beyond will provide further insight into their style and relationship to the American fashion industry between 1930 and 1968, at a time of democratization of fashion and greater recognition for American designers., Keywords: French modistes, French-American milliners, New York, Democratization , American designers, Erik Braagaard

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Soll, Valerie., An unattributed ethnographic flat woven textile in the Graduate Study Collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology was without provenance and was purported to be South American. The textile was in fair condition but could no longer be handled easily for student study due to its several major tears and losses. The goal of this paper is to document the textile's cultural context and its conservation treatment that will enable it to be returned to active use in the collection.The first chapter of this paper discusses the historical and cultural context of the textile. Comparanda are examined for similar stylistic traits, motifs and formats. The motifs and woven structure are documented and compared to the Andean tradition of textiles, and specifically to the tradition of mantles. The second chapter of this paper details the conservation treatment of the textile. In fair condition, the textile was in need of stabilization for continued use as a study object. The condition report and treatment proposal are included along with the treatment report. The textile is now stabilized and rehoused for storage in the collection.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Kawamura, Yuniya., Over the past couple of years there has been a noticeable increase in men wearing nail polish. While men wearing nail polish is not exactly new, it has never been so prevalent in mainstream Western fashion. Since the Great Masculine Renunciation, men's fashion has lost much of its frivolity. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries men in Western society relied on cosmetics to enhance their appearance. During this time wearing cosmetics was associated more with one's place in society rather than one's gender. Wearing cosmetics by men identified their social superiority and political standing. But this changed in the late-eighteenth century with the onset of the Industrial Revolution. This qualifying paper takes a closer look at what is causing more and more men to paint their nails using a deductive approach, starting with the hypothesis that men have become increasingly comfortable with embracing practices that were once thought of as being strictly feminine. The research methods used in the analysis include interviews with males who wear nail polish as well as online ethnography which includes analyzing images and videos posted to social media apps like Instagram and TikTok. Secondary analysis by scholars who have used qualitative research such as Ted Polhemus, Dunja Brill and Ross Haenfler are also used to contextualize my findings.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: An Berthon, Magali., Since their genesis as a utilitarian method of helping heat the home using fabric scraps and burlap, hooked rugs have been an ever-present part of Atlantic Canadian culture. Throughout Atlantic Canada's four provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador, the history of this craft is evident in museums, art galleries, historic houses, and other cultural institutions. As with so many textile arts, the tradition of rug hooking has been passed down through generations and has evolved as a cultural object along the way. To understand the history and modern presence of rug hooking is to begin to understand the profound impact of the textile arts on Atlantic Canada's culture. Rug hooking has been a domestic task, a paid labor, a joyful pastime, and a contemporary art form. While the techniques of contemporary rug hookers have remained similar to those of past generations, the reason for creating hooked rugs has changed drastically—just as the rugs themselves have moved from the kitchen floor to the gallery wall. This paper presents both the history of rug hooking in Atlantic Canada as well as the contemporary landscape using a multidisciplinary approach that includes field research and interviews with local craftspeople. The institutions that house hooked rugs are also examined, with particular interest in how museums, historic houses, and galleries choose to display the rugs. This paper presents a multilayered study of Atlantic Canada vernacular and craft culture through its resilient community of rug hooking craftspeople.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: McClendon, Emma. Committee members: Font, Lourdes., This paper contains multiple aspects of a theoretical exhibition titled Emo: Spectrum of Subcultural Style. Grounded in subcultural and post-subcultural theory, the exhibition contains ensembles, objects, media, and accompanying didactic texts pertaining to the development and popularity of emo music and style. An exhibition checklist lays out the objects significant in telling this story, which are grouped into three thematic sections: "The Invention of Emo," "Post- Subculture & Style Fluidity," and "From Ridicule To Runway." The first section highlights the reasons why melancholy emo music and style resonated with Millennials during the 2000s. The second seeks to define emo style with comparisons to related subcultural styles, while using post- subcultural theory to problematize the notion of an authentic subculture during the age of the internet. The third and final section tracks the international perception of emo from dangerous and ridiculous to non-threatening and fashionable, incorporating many examples from media and runway fashion. Additional elements such as related past exhibitions, exhibition design, public outreach, and a print catalog are also discussed.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., This qualifying paper situates a circa 1890 evening bodice in fashion history and documents the conservation efforts performed on the garment. The bodice is an object in the Graduate Study Collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The paper begins with a thorough object description and historical analysis. Although there is little information about the object's original provenance, designer, or maker, this paper utilizes objects of comparison that are similar in silhouette and materials to draw conclusions about the garment's potential role in late nineteenth century evening wear. Following the contextualization of the garment in history, the paper continues to describe the process of developing a treatment for the bodice. The goal of treatment was to sufficiently stabilize the garment so it could reenter the study collection as a valuable tool for students in conservation courses to take fibers samples and perform fabric analysis. The finalized treatment required a variety of conservation techniques, such as surface cleaning, stain removal by rigid agarose gels, stabilization of silk fabrics by encasements and overlays, and surface decoration treatment. The paper includes an appendix with a detailed condition report, treatment proposal, and treatment report for this object.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Font, Lourdes., In 1920, Rose Singer (1893-1943) was a Parisian homemaker and wife to Jacques Singer, a tailor and fellow Polish-Jewish émigré. Fifteen years later, she was the acclaimed couturière of the house of Rosevienne, whose designs for modifiable daywear and over-the-top floral evening gowns were being reported on an average of fourteen times a month by the international fashion press in over twenty countries. Her couture house, located at 4, rue Cambon, catered to the elite of Paris, creating clothing for famed actresses, socialites, and even the wife of the French Prime Minister. At the same time, it maintained an expansive export market abroad through licensing designs on a range of levels, from luxurious couture models at Bergdorf Goodman, to ready-to-wear copies on Seventh Avenue, down to McCalls sewing patterns so talented sewers could recreate Rosevienne originals at home. In spite of its widespread success, the company was virtually forgotten in the wake of World War II, and scarcely mentioned again after 1950. This paper recovers the story of this overlooked couture house, and in doing so, contextualizes how its styles emerged from the events of the tumultuous interwar period. Rose Singer's life and talent are reconstructed through articles in the fashion press, studio photographs, advertisements, family photographs, and personal letters. The story uncovered by these sources is of an extraordinary ascent to success in the face of a global depression, cut short by increasingly menacing circumstances across Europe. This research constitutes the first record of the head of a Paris couture house to perish in the Holocaust.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Garcia, Kaelyn., This qualifying paper outlines the historical context of a framed Jacquard silk illustration, as well as its conservation treatment and remounting. The large, framed Jacquard silk illustration is part of the Graduate Study Collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology. This paper will outline the significance of Lyon, France, as a silk industry and weaving center, as well as Jacquard's contribution to the textile and weaving industries. This paper explores the challenges of treating a framed object only the front part of which was partially visible during the initial examination. The conservation treatment's goals were constantly reevaluated and shifted as the needs of the textile changed. The conservation treatment of this woven silk illustration included conservation methods, including removing adhesives, custom dyeing, applying a new adhesive support, and rehousing.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Byrd, Sarah., The purpose of this paper is to provide a snapshot examination of fashion archiving practices at United States corporations, as of the years 2019 – 2022, describing the history of their origination, current uses, and challenges today and in the future. The paper argues that archives are the core identity of a corporation and a valuable asset, which when invested in, can support many sectors of the business, generating revenue for the company, directly and indirectly. The argument is solidified through a range of methods including literature drawn from scholarly archival journals, publications on corporate business archive practices, case studies on corporate marketing and publication relations / communications strategies, newspaper articles highlighting trending topics, and interviews with designers, marketers, archivists, conservators, and scholars. Despite a large number of archival societies, graduate programs, and growing interest in archives at fashion brands, to date, there has been little formal scholarship on the topic. Furthermore, the scholarship available often describes the topic from one perspective, when fashion archives specifically, are multifaceted. A quick review of index pages of roughly three hundred fashion marketing, branding, and management books at the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT returned only two books that had a mention of historians, librarians, archives, or heritage. By reviewing literature and speaking with individuals across departments — marketing, public relations, design, and archives, the paper aims to codify the value of archives from all sectors. This paper is written from the perspective of a fashion and textile collection management and conservation graduate student whose former career in nonprofit marketing and database management spurred an interest in the nuances of this field. This unexplored topic along with the resurgence of archival reissuing, vintage-inspired, and nostalgia fashion, and the unprecedented event of a glob

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Byrd, Sarah. Committee members: Font, Lourdes; Carlson, Brooke., This paper is dedicated to the exploration of clothing etiquette as an alternative narrative to fashion—particularly fast fashion with its quick change of trends and poor quality commonly linked with harmful consequences to the environment and people. New theoretical and practical developments on the topic of sustainability emphasize the importance of consumer behavior. The survey of twenty-four American etiquette manuals from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries will demonstrate that some values and practical recommendations regarding clothes are similar to the ones commonly brought up in the contemporary sustainable or slow fashion discourse. Moderation in clothing choices and purchases, the priority of personal style, comfort and health, quality and functionality of material, emphasis on making and repurposing, as well as the proper caring of garments—such a practical approach to clothes developed by the etiquette authors of the past was dictated by the principles of propriety, rationality, and economy. Today, these ideas are also associated with conscious consumption and sustainability. This connection could potentially allow the authors of contemporary etiquette manuals to organically embrace and expand the traditional practical advice on clothes in an eco-friendly and ethical manner to cultivate consumer attitudes. Their input could assist a long-term industry shift from the poorly-made, trendy, and throw-away fashions towards beautiful, comfortable, cherished, and have-forever clothes.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Byrd, Sarah. Committee members: Font, Lourdes., In recent years there has been increased interest in populations historically under-represented in museum collections, including those of diverse color, gender, and class. This paper seeks to add size—specifically fatness—to that list, and advocates for museums to uncover and exhibit their larger pieces of women's dress. It discusses the interconnection of the fashion industry with the museum to understand the forces that maintain an anti-fat bias in acquisitions and exhibition. It emphasizes the need for change in the museum, not just on the catwalk. It asks museum staff and scholars to acknowledge that fat people existed in history and deserve to be represented through their fashionable dress. It seeks out existing collections of larger clothing and asks why and how they were collected, and it searches for solutions to the difficulties of finding and displaying such garments. This paper relies upon news articles, historical sources, theses and dissertations, and lastly, a series of interviews with museum, auctions, and sales staff who work with historic and contemporary collections of dress across the US.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Includes supplementary digital materials., Advisors: Trivette, Karen Jamison., The focus of this paper is the Everfast Fabrics collection housed in the unit of Special Collections and College Archives (SPARC) within the library at the Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY in New York City. Everfast Fabrics, Inc. was a New York City-based textile company known for designing and manufacturing colorfast fabrics for women's wear, men's wear, children's wear, and home furnishing. Prior to this project, the exact size and contents of the Everfast Fabrics collection were unknown, as it had never been fully processed by SPARC. The original catalog information was incomplete, listing only four scrapbooks from 1931-1939. In reality, the collection includes 190 scrapbooks and three folders of loose fabric swatch cards and label samples, all created between 1921 and 1967.This paper records the steps taken to fully process the collection, breaking it down into four main steps: surveying the contents of the collection; developing and implementing a rehousing and arrangement plan; creating a names index and finding aid with contextual and structural information about the collection; and providing recommendations for future use and care of the collection. The final part of the project establishes the collection's importance to the field of fashion and textile studies through a historical analysis of the company and its place in the mid-century American textile industry.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Reiter, Sara., This qualifying paper sets forth the historical context and conservation treatment of a circa 1900 women's ensemble within the Graduate Studies Collection of the Fashion Institute of Technology. The first section details the materials and construction of the bodice and skirt, contextualizing the ensemble according to historical trends in fashion. With very little information known regarding its provenance, object-based research and examination of extant comparative garments and textiles were employed to more precisely date the ensemble and the results of this research are detailed here. This section is followed by an in-depth description of the condition of the ensemble derived from extensive visual examination. Because the bodice is missing significant components, the condition details are succeeded by a discussion of ethical issues related to ideas of conservation versus restoration regarding areas of loss. This line of thinking is explored in relation to the treatment goals and informs the approach to treatment. The final portion of the paper is devoted to a description of the conservation treatment of the ensemble. The majority of the treatments involved stabilization via stitching, but a range of other methods were used including mechanical cleaning, adhesive treatments, and aesthetic compensation.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Font, Lourdes., In 1920, Rose Singer (1893-1943) was a Parisian homemaker and wife to Jacques Singer, a tailor and fellow Polish-Jewish émigré. Fifteen years later, she was the acclaimed couturière of the house of Rosevienne, whose designs for modifiable daywear and over-the-top floral evening gowns were being reported on an average of fourteen times a month by the international fashion press in over twenty countries. Her couture house, located at 4, rue Cambon, catered to the elite of Paris, creating clothing for famed actresses, socialites, and even the wife of the French Prime Minister. At the same time, it maintained an expansive export market abroad through licensing designs on a range of levels, from luxurious couture models at Bergdorf Goodman, to ready-to-wear copies on Seventh Avenue, down to McCalls sewing patterns so talented sewers could recreate Rosevienne originals at home. In spite of its widespread success, the company was virtually forgotten in the wake of World War II, and scarcely mentioned again after 1950. This paper recovers the story of this overlooked couture house, and in doing so, contextualizes how its styles emerged from the events of the tumultuous interwar period. Rose Singer's life and talent are reconstructed through articles in the fashion press, studio photographs, advertisements, family photographs, and personal letters. The story uncovered by these sources is of an extraordinary ascent to success in the face of a global depression, cut short by increasingly menacing circumstances across Europe. This research constitutes the first record of the head of a Paris couture house to perish in the Holocaust.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Reiter, Sara., This qualifying paper sets forth the historical context and conservation treatment of a circa 1900 women's ensemble within the Graduate Studies Collection of the Fashion Institute of Technology. The first section details the materials and construction of the bodice and skirt, contextualizing the ensemble according to historical trends in fashion. With very little information known regarding its provenance, object-based research and examination of extant comparative garments and textiles were employed to more precisely date the ensemble and the results of this research are detailed here. This section is followed by an in-depth description of the condition of the ensemble derived from extensive visual examination. Because the bodice is missing significant components, the condition details are succeeded by a discussion of ethical issues related to ideas of conservation versus restoration regarding areas of loss. This line of thinking is explored in relation to the treatment goals and informs the approach to treatment. The final portion of the paper is devoted to a description of the conservation treatment of the ensemble. The majority of the treatments involved stabilization via stitching, but a range of other methods were used including mechanical cleaning, adhesive treatments, and aesthetic compensation.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: McClendon, Emma. Committee members: Font, Lourdes., This paper contains multiple aspects of a theoretical exhibition titled Emo: Spectrum of Subcultural Style. Grounded in subcultural and post-subcultural theory, the exhibition contains ensembles, objects, media, and accompanying didactic texts pertaining to the development and popularity of emo music and style. An exhibition checklist lays out the objects significant in telling this story, which are grouped into three thematic sections: "The Invention of Emo," "Post- Subculture & Style Fluidity," and "From Ridicule To Runway." The first section highlights the reasons why melancholy emo music and style resonated with Millennials during the 2000s. The second seeks to define emo style with comparisons to related subcultural styles, while using post- subcultural theory to problematize the notion of an authentic subculture during the age of the internet. The third and final section tracks the international perception of emo from dangerous and ridiculous to non-threatening and fashionable, incorporating many examples from media and runway fashion. Additional elements such as related past exhibitions, exhibition design, public outreach, and a print catalog are also discussed.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Includes supplementary digital materials., Advisors: Trivette, Karen Jamison., The focus of this paper is the Everfast Fabrics collection housed in the unit of Special Collections and College Archives (SPARC) within the library at the Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY in New York City. Everfast Fabrics, Inc. was a New York City-based textile company known for designing and manufacturing colorfast fabrics for women's wear, men's wear, children's wear, and home furnishing. Prior to this project, the exact size and contents of the Everfast Fabrics collection were unknown, as it had never been fully processed by SPARC. The original catalog information was incomplete, listing only four scrapbooks from 1931-1939. In reality, the collection includes 190 scrapbooks and three folders of loose fabric swatch cards and label samples, all created between 1921 and 1967.This paper records the steps taken to fully process the collection, breaking it down into four main steps: surveying the contents of the collection; developing and implementing a rehousing and arrangement plan; creating a names index and finding aid with contextual and structural information about the collection; and providing recommendations for future use and care of the collection. The final part of the project establishes the collection's importance to the field of fashion and textile studies through a historical analysis of the company and its place in the mid-century American textile industry.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Kawamura, Yuniya., Over the past couple of years there has been a noticeable increase in men wearing nail polish. While men wearing nail polish is not exactly new, it has never been so prevalent in mainstream Western fashion. Since the Great Masculine Renunciation, men's fashion has lost much of its frivolity. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries men in Western society relied on cosmetics to enhance their appearance. During this time wearing cosmetics was associated more with one's place in society rather than one's gender. Wearing cosmetics by men identified their social superiority and political standing. But this changed in the late-eighteenth century with the onset of the Industrial Revolution. This qualifying paper takes a closer look at what is causing more and more men to paint their nails using a deductive approach, starting with the hypothesis that men have become increasingly comfortable with embracing practices that were once thought of as being strictly feminine. The research methods used in the analysis include interviews with males who wear nail polish as well as online ethnography which includes analyzing images and videos posted to social media apps like Instagram and TikTok. Secondary analysis by scholars who have used qualitative research such as Ted Polhemus, Dunja Brill and Ross Haenfler are also used to contextualize my findings.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Byrd, Sarah., The purpose of this paper is to provide a snapshot examination of fashion archiving practices at United States corporations, as of the years 2019 – 2022, describing the history of their origination, current uses, and challenges today and in the future. The paper argues that archives are the core identity of a corporation and a valuable asset, which when invested in, can support many sectors of the business, generating revenue for the company, directly and indirectly. The argument is solidified through a range of methods including literature drawn from scholarly archival journals, publications on corporate business archive practices, case studies on corporate marketing and publication relations / communications strategies, newspaper articles highlighting trending topics, and interviews with designers, marketers, archivists, conservators, and scholars. Despite a large number of archival societies, graduate programs, and growing interest in archives at fashion brands, to date, there has been little formal scholarship on the topic. Furthermore, the scholarship available often describes the topic from one perspective, when fashion archives specifically, are multifaceted. A quick review of index pages of roughly three hundred fashion marketing, branding, and management books at the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT returned only two books that had a mention of historians, librarians, archives, or heritage. By reviewing literature and speaking with individuals across departments — marketing, public relations, design, and archives, the paper aims to codify the value of archives from all sectors. This paper is written from the perspective of a fashion and textile collection management and conservation graduate student whose former career in nonprofit marketing and database management spurred an interest in the nuances of this field. This unexplored topic along with the resurgence of archival reissuing, vintage-inspired, and nostalgia fashion, and the unprecedented event of a glob

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Byrd, Sarah. Committee members: Font, Lourdes; Carlson, Brooke., This paper is dedicated to the exploration of clothing etiquette as an alternative narrative to fashion—particularly fast fashion with its quick change of trends and poor quality commonly linked with harmful consequences to the environment and people. New theoretical and practical developments on the topic of sustainability emphasize the importance of consumer behavior. The survey of twenty-four American etiquette manuals from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries will demonstrate that some values and practical recommendations regarding clothes are similar to the ones commonly brought up in the contemporary sustainable or slow fashion discourse. Moderation in clothing choices and purchases, the priority of personal style, comfort and health, quality and functionality of material, emphasis on making and repurposing, as well as the proper caring of garments—such a practical approach to clothes developed by the etiquette authors of the past was dictated by the principles of propriety, rationality, and economy. Today, these ideas are also associated with conscious consumption and sustainability. This connection could potentially allow the authors of contemporary etiquette manuals to organically embrace and expand the traditional practical advice on clothes in an eco-friendly and ethical manner to cultivate consumer attitudes. Their input could assist a long-term industry shift from the poorly-made, trendy, and throw-away fashions towards beautiful, comfortable, cherished, and have-forever clothes.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Soll, Valerie., An unattributed ethnographic flat woven textile in the Graduate Study Collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology was without provenance and was purported to be South American. The textile was in fair condition but could no longer be handled easily for student study due to its several major tears and losses. The goal of this paper is to document the textile's cultural context and its conservation treatment that will enable it to be returned to active use in the collection.The first chapter of this paper discusses the historical and cultural context of the textile. Comparanda are examined for similar stylistic traits, motifs and formats. The motifs and woven structure are documented and compared to the Andean tradition of textiles, and specifically to the tradition of mantles. The second chapter of this paper details the conservation treatment of the textile. In fair condition, the textile was in need of stabilization for continued use as a study object. The condition report and treatment proposal are included along with the treatment report. The textile is now stabilized and rehoused for storage in the collection.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: An Berthon, Magali., Since their genesis as a utilitarian method of helping heat the home using fabric scraps and burlap, hooked rugs have been an ever-present part of Atlantic Canadian culture. Throughout Atlantic Canada's four provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador, the history of this craft is evident in museums, art galleries, historic houses, and other cultural institutions. As with so many textile arts, the tradition of rug hooking has been passed down through generations and has evolved as a cultural object along the way. To understand the history and modern presence of rug hooking is to begin to understand the profound impact of the textile arts on Atlantic Canada's culture. Rug hooking has been a domestic task, a paid labor, a joyful pastime, and a contemporary art form. While the techniques of contemporary rug hookers have remained similar to those of past generations, the reason for creating hooked rugs has changed drastically—just as the rugs themselves have moved from the kitchen floor to the gallery wall. This paper presents both the history of rug hooking in Atlantic Canada as well as the contemporary landscape using a multidisciplinary approach that includes field research and interviews with local craftspeople. The institutions that house hooked rugs are also examined, with particular interest in how museums, historic houses, and galleries choose to display the rugs. This paper presents a multilayered study of Atlantic Canada vernacular and craft culture through its resilient community of rug hooking craftspeople.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., This qualifying paper situates a circa 1890 evening bodice in fashion history and documents the conservation efforts performed on the garment. The bodice is an object in the Graduate Study Collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The paper begins with a thorough object description and historical analysis. Although there is little information about the object's original provenance, designer, or maker, this paper utilizes objects of comparison that are similar in silhouette and materials to draw conclusions about the garment's potential role in late nineteenth century evening wear. Following the contextualization of the garment in history, the paper continues to describe the process of developing a treatment for the bodice. The goal of treatment was to sufficiently stabilize the garment so it could reenter the study collection as a valuable tool for students in conservation courses to take fibers samples and perform fabric analysis. The finalized treatment required a variety of conservation techniques, such as surface cleaning, stain removal by rigid agarose gels, stabilization of silk fabrics by encasements and overlays, and surface decoration treatment. The paper includes an appendix with a detailed condition report, treatment proposal, and treatment report for this object.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Garcia, Kaelyn., This qualifying paper outlines the historical context of a framed Jacquard silk illustration, as well as its conservation treatment and remounting. The large, framed Jacquard silk illustration is part of the Graduate Study Collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology. This paper will outline the significance of Lyon, France, as a silk industry and weaving center, as well as Jacquard's contribution to the textile and weaving industries. This paper explores the challenges of treating a framed object only the front part of which was partially visible during the initial examination. The conservation treatment's goals were constantly reevaluated and shifted as the needs of the textile changed. The conservation treatment of this woven silk illustration included conservation methods, including removing adhesives, custom dyeing, applying a new adhesive support, and rehousing.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Byrd, Sarah. Committee members: Font, Lourdes., In recent years there has been increased interest in populations historically under-represented in museum collections, including those of diverse color, gender, and class. This paper seeks to add size—specifically fatness—to that list, and advocates for museums to uncover and exhibit their larger pieces of women's dress. It discusses the interconnection of the fashion industry with the museum to understand the forces that maintain an anti-fat bias in acquisitions and exhibition. It emphasizes the need for change in the museum, not just on the catwalk. It asks museum staff and scholars to acknowledge that fat people existed in history and deserve to be represented through their fashionable dress. It seeks out existing collections of larger clothing and asks why and how they were collected, and it searches for solutions to the difficulties of finding and displaying such garments. This paper relies upon news articles, historical sources, theses and dissertations, and lastly, a series of interviews with museum, auctions, and sales staff who work with historic and contemporary collections of dress across the US.

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Montegut, Denyse; Soll, Valerie., This qualifying paper is an account of the conservation of two out of seven panels comprising a twentieth-century tapestry The Spiritual Journey. The artwork was created by Ina Golub, a fiber artist whose largest collection of works is housed at the Yeshiva University Museum (YUM). At the time of acquisition, the tapestry was found to be in poor condition with severe deterioration of its warp structure, especially where the linen warp yarn was exposed. Along with many years of exposure, it is probable that the tapestry's present deteriorated condition was in part caused by a flame retardant treatment in the early seventies when the tapestry was installed in a public space. A conservation treatment plan was proposed to treat those two specific panels because their condition issues were representative of problems shared by the whole tapestry.The goal of this project was to develop a set of protocols that could be implemented by future conservators for the remaining five panels. The research for this project added to current understanding and treatment of flame retardant deterioration in fiber art. The project was enriched by the object's archived documentation held by YUM which traces the process of its creation.The paper begins with the placement of The Spiritual Journey tapestry within its art historical context as well as its place within the collection at YUM. Following that is a detailed description of the artwork and its condition. The chapter that follows contains a development of the conservation treatment plan based on testing and a researched analysis of the flame retardant degradation of the linen fiber. The planned process is reported, based on the physical assessment of the object's condition as well as results from the pre-testing and analysis. Re-warping was the main treatment for the deteriorated warp structure, and samples were developed to explore appropriate methodologies. Next is the treatment report that includes a full description of steps, the e

Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice., Advisors: Berthon, Magali An; Font, Lourdes. Committee members: Joanne Arbuckle; Marilyn Barton; Sarah Byrd; Denyse Montegut; Deborah Trupin; Valerie Soll; Rebecca Kelly; Nancy Robertson., This paper introduces the dress of the Diapontian Islands in Greece located in the Ionian Sea. It further outlines the history of these islands and discusses all of the external influences involved in the development and evolution of this dress. Each individual garment representing the everyday, ceremonial, and bridal ensembles is named and described in terms of its construction, appearance and use. These components are portrayed with images of extant garments from various collectors. The traditional dress of the Diapontian Islands has stopped being worn for decades and its history was at risk of being lost. Interviews and oral histories were conducted to record the knowledge of its existence and the provenance of the collected pieces. The transformation of this dress and how it exists in reimagined forms in the Greek diaspora is also documented.