Convergence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Fashion

Ruth Dukas Paper Dress (Photo from the Toronto Telegram November 16, 1967)

Remember this post back in February where I wrote about a display of paper dresses at the Costume and Textile Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum? It just goes to show you that you never know where a blog post might lead....

Not long after I wrote about that paper dress (pictured in the photo above), I received an email from the designer's son asking for a copy of the photo for his mom. Well long story short, I ended up doing an oral history interview with the designer, Ruth Dukas, for the ROM archives. As it turns out, Ruth only made one paper dress in her career, but was in fact renowned for the exquisite embroidery and beading of her evening gowns and cocktail dresses.

During the course of my research into Ruth's career as a designer during the 1960s, I fell in love with research and 1960s fashion, plus ended up back in grad school for a second masters degree.... On Saturday, I will be speaking at Ryerson University about the career of Ruth Dukas and the issues related to oral history projects.

Costumes as Performance and Activism

It's official. I've signed my contract to be the keynote speaker for the Costume Society of America - Midwest Region Conference - which will be held on Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15, 2011 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. More details about the event are available on the CSA site here.

The selection committee was drawn to my work as an artist who uses costume in my work (All is Vanity series) and the themes of feminism and social activism that I have explored in my series Revolutionary Fashion and 1966 (Paper Dresses). They also liked my mesh dress sculptures (which are a work in progress) titled Women in Armour. I will also draw on my experiences as a writer and researcher in reviewing the relationship between fashion and art, particularly in recent exhibitions like McQueen at the Met and Gaultier at the MMFA. Let's hope I can live up to their expectations!

Notice of copyright: 
All text and images on this blog are the copyright of Ingrid Mida, unless otherwise noted. The copying of posts, images and/or text without proper attribution is violation of copyright and legal action will be pursued.

Pulp Fashion, the Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave

Pulp Fashion at the Legion of Honor
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011

The Legion of Honor, Museum of Fine Art is currently showing a retrospective exhibition of paper dress sculptures by Isabelle de Borchgrave. These recreations of costume, which have been inspired by paintings, photographs, museum archives, and literary works, are made entirely out of paper that is painted, manipulated and glued to mimic the look of fabric, lace, trim and gems. The exhibition presents a retrospective of Isabelle de Borchegrave's work as a paper artist over the past 15 years. Divided into six sections including a recreation of her studio, the exhibition is a marvel from beginning to end. . As well,  textiles and objects from the museum's collection have been displayed alongside adding historical references and context to her work.

Elizabethan gown by Isabelle de Borchegrave
 Photo: Andreas von Einsiedel

Papiers a la Mode includes Isabelle's earliest work which were created in collaboration with Canadian costume designer Rita Brown and previously exhibited in a show by that name. The gowns in this room include iconic pieces from costume history, including the Elizabethan gown shown above as well as gowns by Worth, Poiret and Chanel.

In White presents eight gowns constructed out of white paper to illustrate the changes in silhouette in women's fashions over history.

The Fortuny Room, which includes a recreation of an exhibition tent from the 1911 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs in Paris,  was inspired by the work of the Spanish born fashion designer Fortuny. The tent is an exotic creation with a mystical sensibility that highlights Isabelle's great skill with paper and provides a total immersion into the Fortuny oeuvre.

The Medici Room which includes life-size recreations of the women and children of the Medici family was  based on historical paintings. Some of Isabelle's most extraordinary work is featured in this room. The eye-popping details of lace ruffs, jewelery and rich fabrics have been meticulously crafted and bring to life costumes that otherwise only exist in paintings.

Inspiration includes the recreation of five new costumes inspired by four paintings in the museum's collection. 

To see more photos and read a more detailed review of this exhibition, see my article in the online journal Fashion Projects.

Pulp Fashion, the Art of Isabelle de Borchegrave continues its run at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco until June 5, 2011. 

Clothing as Canvas

The phenomena of the paper dress is something that has long intrigued and inspired me. First introduced to the market in 1966 as a novelty item by the Scott Paper Company, paper dresses were an instant hit.  Released from the narrow constricts of what was considered acceptable attire in an era of sexual and workplace revolution, women quickly adopted the freedom of these cheap and sexy paper dresses. I've written many posts about the paper dress in the past, and was delighted to discover that The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto has several on display in their Jennifer Ivey Bannock Exhibit on the fourth floor.

Time Magazine dress, Printed paper designed by Walter Lefmann and Ron de Vito
USA 1967 Gift of Time International of Canada Ltd.
ROM 967.77 (Photo by ROM staff)

According to Dr. Alexandra Palmer, Senior Curator Senior Curator Textiles & Costume at the ROM "the newest display entitled Clothing as Canvas presents paper fashions that emulate textiles and fashion and textiles that copy printed paper from the 1940s to the present." 

Besides the striking Time Magazine dress, I was drawn to a paper gown created by Toronto designer Ruth Dukas in 1967 for a gala event in support of the National Ballet of Canada. The volunteer committee asked several fashion designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Courreges, Pucci and Geoffrey Beene to create paper dresses for the evening's event and auction. The Ruth Dukas dress (shown below) is made of painted paper, glued on cloth flowers and sequins. If I hadn't been told that it was paper, I would have guessed that it was cotton.

Evening gown by Ruth Dukas 1967
Printed paper, glued on cloth flowers and sequins
ROM 968.200A, Gift of the National Ballet of Canada

Also on display are textiles that look like paper including a silk knit dress designed by John Galliano for Christian Dior ready to wear 2000-2001. The fabric of this dress is printed to look like a fictional Dior newspaper with reviews and commentary on his collection and was worn and donated to the ROM by Torontonian Kara Alloway. The printed textile of the Dior dress echoes a scarf created by Elsa Schiaparelli from the 1940s (which is also on display). Given my background in newspaper publishing, I lingered for a long time in front of these items - so long in fact, that the security guard nervously hovered close by until I left the gallery.

John Galliano for Dior, 2000-2001 Ready to Wear ROM2002.39.1 Photo by ROM staff

Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario
416-586-8000
www.rom.on.ca

Photo credits: All photos were provided by the ROM and are subject to copyright.

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.

1966

Details of orange paper dress ensemble from 1966, copyright Ingrid Mida 2009
Mixed media (Paper, ribbon, thread)


Details from blue paper dress ensemble from 1966 copyright Ingrid Mida 2009
Mixed media (Paper, ribbon, thread)

Unlike the prevailing view in the contemporary art world, I believe that art does not need to be provocative or ugly to have meaning. Earlier this spring, I created an artwork (for a prestigious competition) in which I wrestled with my soul over whether or not I could produce shocking and ugly work. After many sleepless nights, beauty won out. I knew then that I would not be one of the chosen. I've tried to make peace with that and decided to share selections from that submission.

This is my artist statement from the work which is called "1966".

Our choice of clothing conveys unspoken messages about our self-image and our place in society. My artwork, which uses paper as a medium to represent the ephemeral nature of fashion trends, examines the meaning inherent in women's clothing.

With the birth of the feminist movement in the 1960s, women began to question their traditional roles as wives and mothers. Fashion mirrored the social and cultural upheaval of that decade and women were freed from the constraints of highly structured clothing.

In 1966, the year that the phrase "women's liberation" first appeared in print, the disposable paper dress was created as a marketing tool. These cheap and sexy dresses were an instant hit and symbolic of the new levels of liberty women were achieving in the workplace and at home. Bikinis, representative of new sexual freedoms, often came in ensembles with matching dress, hat, and shoes, and were sometimes even worn as bridal wear.

This work called "1966" celebrates a pivotal year in our recent history in which there was a convergence of the women's movement with fashion.

Launch Gallery

Launch Gallery in Toronto asked me to fill their sculpture vitrine with my mixed media pieces for the balance of the summer. Here is an up close look at some of my work on display for sale there.

18th Century Hats by Ingrid Mida copyright 2009 (Fabric, embroidery thread and beads)

Blue Ballgown by Ingrid Mida copyright 2009 (Paper, ribbon and thread)


Red Ballgown, copyright Ingrid Mida 2009 (Paper, ribbon and thread)

Sculpture Vitrine at Launch Gallery

Somehow it seems that everything looks better under glass. A while back, I actually had a customer who wanted to buy the blue paper ballgown and I refused to sell it because I could not figure out how to mount/display it. I should have asked if she had a glass cabinet! Now I'm thinking that it would look beautiful under a bell jar.

Launch Gallery
410 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
Adelaide and Spadina 416-504-7910
Hours: Monday - Friday 12- 6 pm or by appointment

Paper Dresses and Accessories

Zara, Paper Dress and Accessories, Mixed Media, mounted in 8x10 shadow box
copyright Ingrid Mida 2009

Gabriela, Paper Dress and Accessories, Mixed Media, mounted in 8x10 shadow box,
copyright Ingrid Mida 2009


Daisy, Paper Dress and Accessories, Mixed Media, mounted in 8x10 shadow box,
copyright Ingrid Mida 2009

These whimsical miniature paper dresses and accessories are meant to evoke a feeling of nostalgia for the 1960s when paper dresses were all the rage. I hope they bring some sunshine and delight to your day.

If you'd like to read more about paper dresses and their place in fashion history, please see my posts from February 8, 2009 and February 9, 2009.

Fragile Fashion

Eugenia, copyright Ingrid Mida 2009
Mixed Media, 5x7 mounted

Amelie, copyright Ingrid Mida 2009
Mixed media, 5x7 mounted


Henrietta, copyright Ingrid Mida 2009
Mixed Media, 5x7 mounted

These are samples of some of my latest work now on display at Launch Gallery in Toronto. These tiny paper creations (approximately 2-3 inches mounted on a toile de jouey fabric background inside a shadow box) are made of paper, ribbon and beads.

By creating miniature paper clothing, the paper becomes a manifestation of the fragility of fashion and its place in history. In working at this small scale, I am emphasizing the precious quality of these beautiful historical garments.

Launch Gallery
410 Adelaide Street West (one block west of Spadina on north side), Toronto

Opening reception April 16th, 2009 7-10 pm
Hours: 12-5 pm Friday, April 17th to Sunday, April 26th, 2009
Artist in attendance Saturday, April 18th 12-3 pm

Revolutionary Fashion

Hussein Chalayan, Airmail Dress, 1999 Private Collection
From the Paper Dress Exhibition next at MOMU in Anvers (March 12 - August 16, 2009)

Yesterday as I rewrote my artist statement on my website, I was trying to figure out why I am intrigued by fashions as disparate as 18th century French gowns and 1960 paper dresses. It struck me that both were revolutionary fashions in that they mirrored times of political and social upheaval.

The paper dress phenomena of the 1960s could be considered as revolutionary a fashion step as the adoption of the muslin chemise by Marie Antoinette in 1780. They are both:
* semi-transparent
* slipped on over the head
* lightweight
* easily torn

But more importantly, these garments are representative of a huge shift in how women perceived themselves.

In the 1770s, there was literally a transformation in silhouette. The bejewelled and decorated court gown with paniers and stays gave way (over time) to the more natural shape of the soft unstructured muslin chemise. The powdered hair and rouged face was replaced by loose unpowdered hair and a natural visage. These changes in dress mirrored the growing unrest in the populace against the ancien regime, the American revolution, and the proposed ideal of a natural existence as proposed by such philosophers as Jean-Jacques Rousseau.


In the 1960s, there was a transformation of women from a highly structured girdled attire (think of the Dior look) to the more shapeless A-line shift in the form of a paper dress. This evolution in style coincided with the sexual revolution and the entry of women into the workforce.

"Souper Dress" Paper Dress (1966)
photo from The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute

Perhaps this is a simplistic analogy but I do find the comparison provocative.

To my 18th century fashion fans, forgive my parlay into contemporary fashions. I promise to get back to historical fashion very soon and am reading three books simultaneously to deliver more material (Madam Campan's Memoirs, The Art of Dress - Fashion in England and France 1750-1820, and Secrets of Marie Antoinette).

Paper Dresses

Paper dresses were a huge phenomena in the mid 1960s. Initially created in 1966 by the Scott Paper Company as a marketing gimmick to promote a new type of paper, they were an instant hit.

In this era of political and social upheaval, dress codes were turned on their heads. Released from the narrow constricts of what was considered acceptable attire, women quickly adopted the freedom of these cheap and sexy paper dresses.

Other companies began to advertise their products on paper dresses and dresses sported a wide variety of patterns and images including products (like cookies, candy, soap and the Yellow Pages), political messages (Nixon, Kennedy, McCarthy and Trudeau), film and magazine promotion (Universal Studios, Time Magazine), and artistic expression (Andy Warhol, James Rausenquist). Often these dresses were free or cost no more than $1.

In the era of throwaway living, these dresses were designed only to be worn once or twice and that was a big part of their appeal. Apparently you could even chose a dress to match the cups, serviettes and tablecloths for your party. After the party was over, you could just rip off your dress and throw it in the bin along with the deleterious of the night.

Paper dresses on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Photo by Ingrid Mida, 2008

As the textile industry began to develop cheaper fabrics for ready-to-wear clothing, the appeal of the paper dress began to lose popularity.

There was an exhibition of paper dresses on display at The Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM) in Luxembourg which closed this past week. The show called "RRRIPP!!! Paper Fashion" included many sixties paper dresses as well as paper fashion from contemporary fashion designers such as Hussein Chalayan's 1999 Airmail dresses (dresses made of notepaper which could be written on and then folded and sent by mail).

Currently in transit, the show will move into the Fashion Museum in Antwerp (MOMU) from March 12-August 16, 2009. The last stop will be the Design Museum in London late 2009 to early 2010.

I read an article about the show in a European art/fashion mag called nico:interviews and fashion. The interview of the show's curator Vassilis Zidianakis was written by Celine Coubray in French.

I wish I could travel to see this show. I've been making miniature paper dresses and corsets for almost two years as part of my artistic practice. To me working in paper encapsulates the inherent fragility of fashion and creating these miniature works translates them into precious objects of art. Unfortunately, I was not one of the artists asked to create or submit a work of art for this show, but it does reiterate that I am on the right track.


Suzy Q, Paper Dress and Accessories, Mixed Media (framed in a shadow box 12x12)
Copyright Ingrid Mida 2008