STYLING the Archive: Immortalizing Fashion History Through Photography

May 9

I’m going to admit something that has been in the back of my mind for as long as I’ve been collecting:

I have collector’s guilt.

Over the decades I’ve amassed a wide collection of many things from fashion, ephemera, cosmetics, etc. Before I started the archive I would often walk past an object I’ve collected and feel a sense of guilt that I’m the only one who sees it. Or I’ll walk by a dress, in my collection, and feel shame because it’s not with someone who can wear it.

*1 950’s Lilli Diamond Gold Lurex Cocktail Dress*

I have always felt a sense of obligation to save things especially before vintage became more popular thanks, in part, to social media platforms like TikTok. If I found this amazing 1950’s rhinestone dress sitting on a lonely, dusty rack I would buy in knowing that ONE DAY it would mean something to someone. That garment’s time would come.

This is precisely why I started the Archive.

I saved these pieces for the sole purpose of sharing them with others, so they can feel the sense of love and happiness I feel around them.

Pulling pieces out of my storage and out of their garments bags has been the most exciting part of the whole process! Their moment has FINALLY come after all these years!

This leads me to another aspect that I feel is of great importance to address:

How far should you go when sharing archived pieces?

There are so many factors that go into that decision such as:

How old is the item?

Is it structurally stable?

What is the rarity?

Is there historic provenance?

Can touching this item harm your health? Hello Arsenic Green dresses!

Those are just some of the questions I ask myself about each item.

These questions are imperative especially when deciding how to best document/ photograph an item! If it’s made of silk that’s starting to shatter then it can’t be displayed on a mannequin or it’ll completely disintegrate! If it’s structurally sound, but has a historical provenance, then I personally feel that a mannequin is the best course. Just think of the infamous Met Gala where Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s JFK Birthday Dress. It had only been worn by one person in its existence with some believing it still had her “essence”. I did a post about this earlier!

After careful consideration of all of these questions I take different routes when documeting.

There are some pieces that I feel comfortable placing on a mannequin to photograph the I take it off and put the garment back into its appropriate storage.

Now if the pieces are in amazing structural condition AND they do not have any historical provenance like the Marilyn Monroe Dress, then I can put them on a live model, so the garment can be seen in all of it’s glory!