By Dale Peers, While the COVID pandemic has restricted movement and closed many doors it has also spurred the opening of many others. Museum exhibitions that might have been difficult if not impossible to attend are now available through virtual visits. Here are just a few that you might enjoy. Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams…
Tag: Fashion History
The New Roaring Twenties
by Dale Peers, Here we come! The first 12 months of this new decade have certainly been tumultuous. And, I wonder whether that means we are at just the beginning of another Roaring Twenties. The pandemic has been an event of global proportions not unlike the first World War. The “war to end all wars”…
Collar Connotations
By Dale Peers The recent passing of Supreme Court Judge (and completely amazing woman!), the notorious RBG – aka Ruth Bader Ginsburg – has highlighted her iconic collar. Is it possible this often, overlooked element of fashion, or accessory in the case of her honour, may enjoy a revival due to its sudden notoriety and…
Identity and Identifier: Two of the Many Roles of Fashion
by Dale Peers, The source of inspiration for this blog came from a book gifted to me by Professor Jenifer Forrest entitled, “Threads of Feeling” by John Styles. This publication, from The Foundling Museum in London, describes the archive of 5,000 small textile items dating from the middle decades of the middle 18th century found…
Fashion Post Quarantine
By Dale Peers Fashion is a reflection of zeitgeist and our current zeitgeist has undergone a paradigm shift. This pandemic has impacted lives globally and it continues to do so as we begin the process of emerging from quarantine. We have seen after each major political, social, economic event in the past century a shift,…
Red – Romance, Danger and Power
By Dale Peers While Panetone’s colour of 2020 is Classic Blue (let’s leave that for another day) I thought another popular fashion colour, Red, might be a suitable topic to explore. One of the colours associated with two celebrations – Christmas (red + green) and Valentine’s Day (red, as well as all tints, shades and…
Wrapping up Summer
By Dale Peers While today is unseasonally warm we know that cooler weather is inevitable. The summer is just about over, colours are changing (and not just in the forest) and wrapping up for cooler weather is upon us. The new fall trends in outerwear are harkening back to “70’s heritage styles” and adding pastel,…
Marilyn Brooks: Behind the Seams
By Dale Peers Our annual Fashion Resource Centre exhibition (May 6th to 17th) celebrates the career of Canadian fashion icon Marilyn Brooks. Marilyn Brooks, always an innovator, opened her lifestyle boutique the Unicorn in 1967. The funky neighborhoods of The Village and then Yorkville were the “Happening places” in Toronto in the Sixties. Her choice…
Fashion Necessities of a Bygone Era
by Dale Peers, While poking about in our massive vault of fashion reveals extraordinary design, colour and textures some of the items students find most fascinating are items that are no longer relevant to a contemporary fashionista. Imagine what folks 100 years from now might think of our fashionable necessities! Here are just a few…
Vivid and Vivacious
by Dale Peers These two adjectives can apply equally well to the exhibition of Vivienne Poy’s work as they can to Vivienne herself. Many family and friends joined in the celebration of the opening of our exhibit, Vivienne Poy: A Legacy of Fashion, Politics & Philanthropy. Vivienne recounted her time in the Fashion Arts Program…