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All articles filed in Little Black Dress

1980s Contemporary Fashion Designer Archive Dresses Little Black DressMarch 14, 2016June 19, 2019

Portrait of a Little Black Dress

by Gabrielle Trach There is a garment in many women’s closets that is so ubiquitous that it has a nickname: the “Little Black Dress,” or “LBD” to those who prefer sartorial shorthand. The fashion designer Coco Chanel claimed to have invented the term “little black dress” in the 1920s, though many designers of the time…

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EVE TOWNSEND
Collection Coordinator
eve.townsend@ryerson.ca

 

FRC LOCATION
Ryerson University
School of Fashion
Kerr Hall West 066
Toronto, ON
M5B 2K3
(416) 979-5000 ext. 3214
By Appointment Only


The online catalogue is
available here. 

The Dress Detective

The Dress Detective: A Practical Guide to Object-based Research in Fashion by Ingrid Mida and Alexandra Kim, Bloomsbury 2015
The Dress Detective: A Practical Guide to Object-based Research in Fashion by Ingrid Mida and Alexandra Kim, Bloomsbury 2015

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Designed by Claudio Merazzi in the 1990s are these brown leather pumps. The size 6 heels feature side cut-outs, textured faux-snakeskin and an offset Louis heel. This style of heel was created during period of 1715-1774 when King Louis XV was in power. Previously, both men and women wore heels. However, they fell out of style with the men but stuck with the ladies. The Louis styled heel is defined by a curve in the heel which then splays at the base for increased stability. Catalogue number FRC2019.04.003AB. #ryersonfrc #ryerson #studycollection #fashionhistory #1990s #1990sfashion #heels
Oscar de la Renta designed this camel coloured pantsuit. The double breasted jacket is made of a light brown cashmere wool with a large check pattern. It features faux flap pockets, concealed side pockets and is lined in rayon. The coordinating trousers have a side zipper and are also lined in rayon. Oscar de la Renta studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. He earned money by sketching designs for some of the biggest fashion houses before apprenticing with Cristobal Balenciaga. He launched his own line in 1965 designing ready-to-wear, bridal and perfume. De la Renta also worked for Lanvin, Elizabeth Arden, Jane Derby and haute couture for Balmain for 9 years. Throughout his career, Oscar de la Renta earned multiple Coty Awards, served as the president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and won the American Fashion Critics Award twice. Catalogue number FRC2018.06.002AB #ryersonfrc #ryerson #studycollection #fashionhistory #oscardelarenta
This 2000s elegant silk beaded evening gown comes from the Joy Cherry Boutique that used to be right in our own backyard. The dress features a heavily beaded and embroidered bodice with a back zipper. The skirt is made of two layers of silk chiffon over silk. The store at Yonge and Lawrence was opened for more than three decades before shutting down in 2008 when Joy Cherry retired. Cherry said “I’ve worked so closely with women over the years that they’re not just clients”. She also became good friends with designers such as Sonia Rykiel and Hanae Mori. Cherry comes from a long line of retailers. Her mother had a dress shop on the Danforth when she was younger, her brother ran his own boutique in Toronto for 40 years and even her kids operate their own stores. Catalogue number FRC2019.02.005. #ryersonfrc #ryerson #studycollection #fashionhistory #2000s #2000sfashion #joycherry
Designed by Bally in the 1990s, these black and white peep toe sling-backs feature ribbon rosettes. The size 6.5 heels are 2” high and have leather soles. The label reads Bally, Made in Italy. Sling-back heels which are shoes with a strap that crosses around the heel, likely first appeared in the late 1930s. Originally, stockings were reinforced at the heel which didn’t make the sling-back heel look great from the rear, but women still wore them with long gowns that only showed part of the shoe. Catalogue number FRC2019.04.002AB. #ryersonfrc #ryerson #studycollection #fashionhistory #1990s #1990sfashion #bally #heels
There are three new posts live on the blog that researches this 1990 Thierry Mugler skirt suit. FRC employee, Victoria Hopgood, looks at clothing as a method of communication, more specifically, who would wear such a bold outfit and what they were trying to portray through colour and style. By looking at the construction of the garment and related contextual information such as colours, trends and power dynamics from the 1990s, Victoria was able to take an educated guess as to what type of woman the anonymous donor was. Check out the link in our bio to read the three part series. Catalogue number FRC2019.03.002AB. #ryersonfrc #ryerson #studycollection #fashionhistory #1990s #1990sfashion #thierrymugler
Made of a light brown texture weave, this long sleeve day dress was designed by Geoffrey Beene. The calf length dress closes with a front zipper and is pintucked at the waist. There are belt loops at the waist but unfortunately the belt is missing. The dress is unlined and the label reads “Size 12, Dry Cleaning Only, Union-Made.” Born in Louisiana in 1924, Beene was raised by a family of doctors whose footsteps he was encouraged to follow. After dropping out of medical school, he pursued fashion design at the University of Southern California. Beene also studied design in NYC and Paris before working for Harmay and Teal Traina. The Geoffrey Beene house was founded in 1963 where his first collection was featured on the cover of Vogue. Beene was awarded the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award within a year and earned a total of eight Coty Awards in his career. Among the clothing, eyeglasses and bedsheets he designed, one of the most notable is his cologne, Grey Flannel. Beene designed for celebrities such as Lady Bird Johnson, Nancy Reagan and Pat Nixon. Catalogue number FRC2018.06.001. #ryersonfrc #ryerson #studycollection #fashionhistory #geoffreybeene

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