As we begin a new year, I can’t help but rejoice over the fabulous vintage and designer costume artefacts the Mobile Millinery Museum & Costume Archive has accessioned over the past year; the friends and donors we have met along the way, and the exciting new projects we are about to launch in 2020.
Beginning January 18, I will be hosting monthly Costume & Coffee Hour events; informal study sessions during which “white glove” members can closely examine vintage and historic costume treasures; share their own artefacts and fashion stories, and experience the camaraderie of like-minded textile enthusiasts.
The museum continues to travel with our signature Retrospective Millinery Fashion Show as well as a long list of themed costume exhibits, but I am happy to announce the addition of three new feature presentations for 2020:
Lace and Lamé
Birds in Fashion
Exceptional Embellishment
Our third initiative for 2020 is a series of costume and accessories exchanges. This is a fun way to direct pre-owned fashion pieces away from the landfill and into your wardrobe. I encourage people to consider the social importance of costume: conservation & preservation; environmentalism; and design inspiration.
Costume artefacts as story tellers
From the beginning, the Mobile Millinery Museum’s focus has been on artefacts as story tellers. With this mantra firmly in mind, we continue to collect, conserve, and educate the public about vintage and historic fashion, but as we enter a new decade, the by-word I have chosen for 2020 is “future vintage”. Let’s be intentional about our fashion choices. The quality fashion pieces we acquire today can become treasured specimens of our present times.
Slow fashion, pre-loved garments, and quality textiles are treasures we can source from the past, but also acquire in the present. These pieces don’t have to be expensive; there are many ways of acquiring new, pre-owned, or never-worn quality clothing and accessories—pieces to wear, enjoy, and pass along.
If the fashion bug has bitten you - be it vintage or designer - we have an exhibit, installation, fashion show, or volunteer opportunity for you. Contact us for details.
And have a hatty new year!
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