During building renovation, the Historic Costume & Textiles Collection partnered with the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster to showcase two related exhibits featuring selections from the HCTC on display in the galleries of DACO from February 4 through April 23, 2023. A digital version of the exhibition was created by DACO with Matterport to give the Flower Power exhibition life beyond its three month run. Click on the link above to virtually visit and explore the galleries.

 

Flower Power: Flora in Fashion explores the relationship humankind has with its natural environment – specifically, how we adorn our bodies with botanical elements from head to toe. From extravagant hats to sublime shoes, fashion designers have found inspiration in colorful floral motifs and botanical elements. Nature’s plant materials not only factor in the aesthetics of fashion and apparel, however, they literally are the very fabric used to make much of our clothing. Flower Power will grow your appreciation for how the bark, leaves, grasses and seeds around us have been turned into textiles and clothing we use on a daily basis.

Botany in Buttons features selections from of Ann W. Rudolph’s button collection that depict a variety of flowers rendered in various media. These are truly works of art in miniature and are a wonderful complement to the clothing on exhibit.

 

You can view a digital version of this exhibition online by visiting our Fashion2fiber website, or you can just view the gallery installation here.

The Ohio State University began celebrating its 150th anniversary this academic year and we are doing our part with an exhibition that takes a look at what people were wearing on college campuses for the past 150 years. The exhibit features what people wore to class, what they wore in the dorms (today sometimes those garments are the same but that was not true in the past), what was worn to football games or other activities, and what clothing was worn for special occasions related to college life such as formals or joining honors societies, fraternities or sororities.

In addition, we are featuring some student projects from design, construction, pattern-making and tailoring classes from years past. Pictures from the OSU Archives photograph collection in the exhibition highlight student life over the decades. A particular interesting series highlights the evolution of classes in Nutrition and Fashion from the early days of the Department of Domestic Science, and School of Home Economics.

Spotlights about alumni who’ve worn clothing in the exhibition include Grace Heck Faust, who graduated OSU Law School in 1930 (one of two female law graduates) and was the first woman in Ohio to be elected as a prosecuting attorney.

Dr. Ruth E. Moore is another notable OSU alumna. She received all her degrees at Ohio State and was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in a natural Science. She taught at Howard University Medical College and also chaired the Department of Bacteriology from 1947-58.

 

Gallery location and hours can be found here