As a preview to the opening of Making Mainbocher: The First American Couturier, volunteer Kristin Bernstein explains the process behind building props and determining accessories for the mannequins featured in the exhibition. In Making Mainbocher, mannequins are dressed from head to toe and no detail is lost. A gifted sketch artist who defined luxury in More
In the midst of hockey season, costume collection intern Corie Azem takes a close look at the uniform of a hockey legend. When the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on home ice on June 15, 2015, the team dedicated that win to former Blackhawks standout and team ambassador Stan Mikita. Mikita played his entire More
Former CHM costume collection intern Michelle McVicker writes about a fascinating discovery she recently came across in the Museum’s archives. She is currently a MA candidate in Fashion Studies at Parsons School of Design. Pauline Trigère (1912–2002) was a French-born American designer. It would seem as though her future in fashion design was predetermined, as More
Editor’s note: In honor of prom season, take a close look at one of the Museum’s ball gowns with costume collections intern Corie Azem. While the House of Dior is most readily identified with the seminal New Look collection, it is also well known for their luxurious gowns. In Chicago, Christian Dior’s garments were first More
Take a peek inside the Chicago History Museum’s fur vault with costume collections intern Amanda Cacich. During the past six months, I’ve worked extensively with the objects in the Museum’s fur vault, which is essentially a walk-in refrigerator. I was tasked with completing an inventory of the vault’s contents, which meant several weeks of going More