Monday, April 3, 2017

FIDM Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibit Review

I love fashion and I love movies.  When I discovered that the Fashion Institute of Los Angeles Museum was hosting its annual exhibition of motion picture costume design I knew that I had to make the drive up there.  On Saturday, with two of my friends I toured the exhibit and loved every minute of it, so this post will be a bit picture heavy.  When I was a little girl I used to watch award shows with my mom and sister.  My sister would have a sketch pad handy to draw the designs she liked to try to replicate on her own.  She’s a great seamstress.  These moments were times I truly enjoyed and as I grew up fashion has always been something that brought us together.  Today, I enjoy reading about the history of fashion, I find the details fascinating.  I love the craftsmanship that goes into making quality pieces- but much like great art now-a-days consumerism has affected the integrity of apparel.  Due to fast-fashion we are starting to lose or rather to no longer recall what good craftsmanship looks like.  People now-a-days will rather buy cheap items and constantly rotate than to invest in pieces that could last years.  These days, fabrics are made from inorganic, cheap alternatives and mass produced – which is really a bad reflection of our society.
My favorite piece.
 Just look at the craftsmanship.



I love royalty ensembles!
While touring FIDM I loved the creativity and detail the creators placed in creating these costumes.  They were not only period appropriate, but the craftsmanship is a fashion nerd’s dream.  Though, I was a bit disappointed by some of the shoes on display- at times they looked like pieces from payless and not up to my standards (what a snob)...  Before the 1930’s movie stars wore a lot of their own personal pieces in their films.  In the last room of the museum are pieces that made an appearance in film, but were privately own by actors.  These pieces were by far the most gorgeous because though they were used in the movies they were pieces that belonged to the actors everyday ensemble.  Most were from the twenties and still in great condition due to the materials and craftsmanship of the pieces.  Enough talking here are my pics.  
So much creativity!




The shoes are fantastic!

 Couldn't get over this dress, it's so beautifully made.

 These looked surreal.
 So much detail- just look at the distressed boots.

From the original Ben-Hur movie.
From the witty film, "Love and Friendship."

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