Browse Items (27 total)

Known for transforming comfort into luxury, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971) was a revolutionary designer who set a high standard for women’s fashion in the twentieth century. Chanel’s early successes were based on her popularization of a casual,…

This dress with matching shoes was donated to the university in 1984 by John Pierrepont Sturges (1912-2001) and his wife Alice Challifoux Ellsworth [Davis] Sturges (1914-2008). The dress has is a single tag sewn into the bodice, from a store called…

Emilio Pucci’s (1914-1992) journey to becoming a fashion designer did not follow the same trajectory as other mid-twentieth century designers. Born into an Italian aristocratic family, with no expectations of having the necessity to work, Pucci’s…

Roy Halston Frowick (1932-1990) began his design career as a free-lance milliner in Chicago in the early 1950s. During this time he adopted the use of his middle name as a designer. At the end of the decade he moved to New York City and worked…

This ensemble was donated in May 1979 by Mrs. Thyra Jane Foster (née Meyers, 1898-1984), part of a large gift that includes women’s evening dresses and children’s clothing, most from the first half of the 20th century. Little documentation exists…

The object in question is identified in curatorial records as a “dress of blue silk velvet” purchased by the donor in 1926 or 1927. It was likely made the same year by a yet-undetermined designer, from “an exclusive NewYork [City] dress shop”. It…

This sweater vest is royal blue and features a narrow cable down the short center front. The vest is cropped to end at the natural waist. It has a fairly high and wide square neck opening. The tag at the back of the neck identifies the designer…

Zandra Rhodes (b. 1940) is something of an icon. She has been a part of the fashion world for the past fifty-plus years and has transformed the way people view textile design and printing. Rhodes inspires those who dress a little differently and is…

This two-piece women’s suit was donated by Michael McKenna and Carlos Benevides, owners of Artifice of Warwick, Rhode Island. The suit is comprised of a double-breasted jacket and straight skirt, made from a navy and white wool tweed fabric. The…

This sleeveless, shift-style dress was made in Italy of brown wool gabardine by Emanuel Ungaro (1933-2019), probably within the first few years of Ungaro Paralléle, the label Ungaro launched in 1968 after establishing his company in 1965.The garment…