Hidden Treasures

How many of us have a special dress or gown hanging in the back of our closet? For me, those dresses or pieces embody a story of a significant event in my life. And perhaps the material or label makes it impossible to put that item in the bin or donate it to a thrift shop. I'm sure many of you can relate. At last, there is a home for such treasures.

The Seneca Fashion Resource Centre is a research facility that accepts donations of dresses, suits, corsets, accessories - basically everything from pantsuits to petticoats. Built solely through donations, the collection now houses approximately 10,000 items which cover the period 1840 to the present. Canadian labels include Vivienne Poy (a Seneca alumnae), Wayne Clark, Lida Baday, Arnold Scassi. International labels include Dior, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Pucci, Schiaparelli, Valentino and many others.

The mandate of the Centre is "to collect, preserve and study what Canadians have worn". But this is not a museum where one can only look but not touch. While respecting the need for conservation, the collection is actively used by students and faculty to learn about costume history, textiles, embellishments, techniques of design and construction, and techniques of display.

I could have happily spent hours and hours among the racks finding hidden treasures. As I marveled at the many lovely gowns, I wondered about the many stories and memories encapsulated in those beautiful garments. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new project for me....

The Centre is run by Professor Dale Peers who acts as the coordinator for donations. It is clear that Dale loves her job and takes pride in being able to let her students see garments from a particular time period when studying costume history (which is far superior to seeing it on a screen). She even was kind enough to pull out a collapsible bustle for me to examine (as I continue in my attempt to create the panniers for that 18th century dress sculpture.)


The collection is comprehensive but is always looking for more donations. In particular, their wish list includes:
A pair of short Go Go boots
Items from 1990 to present day
Work by Canadian designers
Anything by style icons such as Poiret, Fortuny, Vionnet, Schiaparelli and Chanel

If you have an item that you are willing to donate, please contact Dale Peers at 416-491-5050 ext 2578 or dale.peers@senecac.on.ca.  Not only will your donation help students and researchers, you will make room in your closet for some beautiful new frocks (and memories)!

Seneca College Fashion Resource Centre
1750 Finch Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
By Appointment Only
dale.peers@senecac.on.ca     416-491-5050 ext 2578

Map of A Life Dress

Map of A Life Dress by Ingrid Mida 2010

Vintage Maps, Thread, Glue, Mannequin

This dress was constructed out of maps collected by my mother on her travels around the world. I styled it after her favourite A-line cut of dress to fit her measurements. It really should have had a ruffle into the V-neck but the maps were so fragile that I could not manipulate them easily and feared having the whole thing fall apart.

Book Review: Lillian Bassman Women

Sometimes life seems to be a series of serendipitous events. I first saw this image on the blog Studio Judith where artist/designer Judith had written about the mystery of a woman wearing veils but did not know who to credit the image to. A day later, while watching Fashion Television, I saw the image flash by on the screen during an interview with the photographer.  After seeing hearing Lillian Bassman's spirited and lively interview, I wanted to buy the book. And yesterday, there was the book staring at me.... just in time to inspire me for a photo shoot I'm doing this afternoon.

Photographer Lillian Bassman recently celebrated her 93rd birthday and also published this book called simply Lillian Bassman Women. Filled with extraordinary black and white fashion imagery that are a cross between abstract painting and photography, Lillian's work is hauntingly beautiful and unique beyond measure.

Even more astonishing is that Lillian only recently came back to fashion photography after a hiatus of twenty-two years. Having first picked up a camera in 1947, Lillian was a sought-after photographer during the 1950s and 1960s and was known to "photograph fashion with a woman's eye for a woman's intimate feelings." But in 1971 and 1972, Lillian destroyed most of her fashion photographs. She had come to believe that fashion photography was formulaic with little room for experimentation and had moved on. During this period, Lillian rented out the ground floor of her carriage house to Helen Frankenthaler who used it as her studio. In 1990, Frankenthaler found some bags bulging with negatives and returned them to Lillian. In 1994, Lillian returned to the darkroom and started making new prints, exploring new interpretations of the images. Since then, she has adopted Photoshop as her darkroom tool of choice saying that "The computer is as good a tool as any for creating experimental effects". Given that she is in her nineties, she serves as an example of how to embrace change.

This oversize book is filled with exquisite images of Lillian's work, capturing an abstracted form of painterly elegance and beauty that is difficult to put into words. If I could, I would love to be her apprentice/intern, because the spirit of what she has done - creating photography with a painterly quality - is exactly what I hope to achieve with the documentation of my mother's dress collection. I will be studying Lillian's photographs with great intensity and trying to recreate her magic on my images using Photoshop!

Title: Lillian Bassman Women
Introduction by: Deborah Soloman
Photographs by: Lillian Bassman
Published by: Abrams, New York 2009
Category: Non-fiction, Photography
Number of Pages: 228
Price: US$50, Canada $64.99 UK 29.99

That Dress is so Fly! at Fly Gallery in Toronto

That Dress is so Fly!

Mixed Media Installation, copyright of Ingrid Mida 2010

Inspired by the urban installation space, the playful nature of Moschino and the sculptural qualities of Balenciaga,  I have created a fashion based sculpture out of mosquito mesh for Fly Gallery in Toronto. Designed as a metaphor for the fickle nature of fashion trends, this wearable dress can be converted into a protective shelter against flies, mosquitos and other pests as required. 

February 1 - 10, 2010

Fly Gallery, 1172 Queen Street West, Toronto

If you are out of town and cannot make it to the show, stay tuned and I'll post photos from the installation after it comes down. Also visit my website www.ingridmida.com. 

More Dresses

Gold Brocade Dress and Jacket by Ingrid Mida, copyright 2010

A dress is literally a metaphor for a woman. It is a form of second skin, sheltering the female form from the elements, and provides clues about self-image, class, profession and culture. 

Embarking on the project of cataloguing my mother's dresses has been an emotional journey for me especially as she is quite unwell. Plus I have only vague memories of her wearing these dresses. And for those reasons, I very much  appreciate the encouragement and positive response that I've received from my readers. In the past, I've listened to criticisms that my artwork lacks emotional power but this work comes from a deep place. I suspect that it will consume me for some time and perhaps result in a show at some point and possibly some note cards.

My Mother's Dresses

Silver dress, copyright of Ingrid Mida 2010

After being consumed by Chanel for the past few weeks, I think it is time to go in a different direction. And my recent work, which involves photographing my mother's collection of dresses, seemed like the perfect transition.

Initially when I took the images, I was disappointed by the results. They lacked something and I just didn't know what. But with a bit of effort in Photoshop, they have taken on a whole new life and I am excited by the potential that lies at my fingertips.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.... I heard from a few of you this week who say you are loyal followers but do not leave comments. I welcome your feedback and please know that you are able to leave comments anonymously and no one will ever be the wiser....