Lesley has fond memories of watching her mom dress up for events. As a a fashion writer and publicist and board member of Fashion Group Philadelphia, Phyllis Haas had to dress well for her job. And Lesley remembers her energetic mom in "out of the ordinary attire, quite different from my friends' mothers, going to work every day and keeping up with the fashion trends. She worked hard and enjoyed these galas and events and loved to dress for each occasion."
In this photo, Lesley's mother and father are dressed for a holiday party in a beautiful building on Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Phyllis is wearing a black velvet sleeveless gown with a scoop neck circa 1960. Although Lesley no longer has the dress to check the label, she recalls her mom being label conscious and really enjoying dressing up for parties. Lesley also remembers that she "would run around upstairs watching her get ready while my father generally complained about going, as he wasn't a fashion plate like she was.."
For many people, photos like this take us back in time, bringing back happy memories of watching our mothers dress up. For Lesley Haas, fashion has become a source of inspiration for her artwork and two of her works will be on display at the Smithsonian International Gallery in the Revealing Culture exhibition, June 8-August 9, 2010. (To read more about Lesley's work, read her profile here or visit her website here.)
