April 8 – September 4, 1999

Every shopkeeper and merchant’s primary objective is to sell merchandise. When the giant nineteenth century dry goods establishments like Marshall Field & Co. shifted their business from wholesale to retail the visual display of goods became necessary to attract the retail customer. The store windows no longer simply allowed natural light to shine in the building or act as storage space for stock, they became important venues to attractively display the store’s merchandise. Gradually, the design aesthetic used in window displays moved indoors and became part of the overall interior store design, eventually displacing the importance windows altogether in suburban malls.

“Looking at the store windows is great entertainment because you can see all of these things and be really glad it’s not in your home filling up your closets and drawers.”
– Andy Warhol

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October 9, 1998 – February 27, 1999

Scaasi: The Joy of Dressing Up showcases the work of renowned New York fashion designer, Arnold Scaasi. Centering around a donation of 26 sample garments donated by the designer in 1997, and a collection of Scaasi garments from the Historic Costume & Textiles Collection, the exhibition explores the themes and influences of this award-winning designer. One of New York’s last true couturiers, Arnold Scaasi’s early career years were spent working with designers such as Paquin and Charles James. Their influence is evident in the garments Scaasi created for celebrated national figures from Barbra Streisand to Barbara Bush, and local celebrities such as Mrs Marvin (Terre Blair) Hamlisch, all featured in the exhibition.

“I put on a Scaasi and I feel ‘right’ and comfortable and easy.” 
– Liz Smith, New York Post columnist; friend and client of fashion designer Arnold Scaasi

This is the exact reaction Arnold Scaasi wishes to achieve with his designs. His philosophy regarding clothing is that it should enhance a woman’s body and lift her mood, essentially making her feel good about herself.

January 10 – April 11, 1998

• The Traditional White Wedding Dress
• Early Victorian 1837-1867
• Late Victorian 1868-1901
• Early 20th Century 1901-1935
• Mid 20th Century, 1936-1965
• Late 20th Century, 1966-1998
• Cultural Wedding Traditions

All around the world, we can find people celebrating the passages from one stage of life to the next with some type of formal ceremony. These ceremonies, such as births, weddings, and funerals, usually incorporate special foods, rituals, and clothing specific to the occasion celebrated.

“Wedding Traditions” is an exhibition that explores the specific types of garments worn in marriage ceremonies, including an historical examination of the traditional white wedding dress worn in American and European weddings, as well as an overview of the garments and surrounding traditions of several cultures represented in the Historic Costume & Textiles Collection.

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October 30, 1996 – April 11, 1997

View the exhibition catalog (pdf).

As we sit on the threshold of a new millennium, it seems only natural to reflect on the past and contemplate the future. Contemplation of the future of any endeavor requires that we put it in proper historical perspective. We can use history to gain an understanding of our present situation and to guide us in deciding our future direction. This exhibition shows how historicism in fashionable dress reveals ways in which we create our future, not simply by incorporating new ideas and technologies, but by building on our past.

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