This extensive collection (with an inventory of over 22,000 objects!) is the largest historic fashion collection in Europe! Founded by the director of the Fashion School of the city of Vienna it shows clothing from menswear, ladieswear, childrenswear, sportswear and includes accessories , designer labels, knitting and crochet, ballgowns from the bourgeois, ballet shoes, wedding costumes from royalty and lots more.

Title of Event: Delvaux:180 years of Belgian Luxury
Venue: Modemuseum, Antwerp
Starting Date: 17th September 2009
Finishing Date: 22nd February 2010
Web:www.momu.be

This exhibition looks at the Belgian design house Delvaux which has been a luxury brand in Belgium for the past 180 years. Like Vuitton they specialise in travel goods and started designing when travel was mainly done by horse-drawn carriage! They have had to change direction many times over the years with the invention of new types of transport as well as fashion cycles. They have evolved into a stylish handbag company now for the 20th Century, under the design direction of Veronique Branquinho.

Images courtesy of the Modemuseum, Antwerp

Title of Event:
Venue: Modemuseum Hasselt, Gasthurisstraat 11, 3500 Hasselt
Date: ongoing
Web: www.modemuseumhasselt.be

The Mode Museum houses hundreds of fashion garments and accessories from all different eras and different countries. As well as specific exhibitions (like the recent “in her shoes” exhibition) they house a beautiful array of clothing with a fascinating background. The core of their collection is made up of fashion costumes collected by Romanian architect-turned-costume designer Andrei Ivaneanu. He designed costumes for opera and theatre and for 18 years collected historical costume and accessories from the 19th and 20 th centuries.

All images courtesy of the Modemuseum Hasselt

Title of the Event: On A Pedestal: from Renaissance Chopines to Baroque Heels
Venue: Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto
Start Date: 19 November 2009
Finishing Date: 20 September 2010
Web: http://www.batashoemuseum.ca

This fall the Bata Shoe museum brings together a selection of particularly rare fashionable shoes from 1500-1660 in their “on a pedestal” collection. Of course, in the “days of old” if you were elevated from the dirty sewage-ridden streets by your shoes, this mean your social status was elevated also, so only the very wealthy wore such footwear. The exhibitions shows examples of these elevated shoes from all over Europe and examines the cultural meanings and symbolism behind them as well as the craft and architecture in their make-up.
There are also many online exhibitions for you to view if you cant get there in person! www.allaboutshoes.ca/en/

Images courtesy of the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Title of the Event: The Textile Museum of Canada
Venue: The Textile Museum of Canada
Starting Date: ongoing exhibitions
Web: www.textilemuseum.ca

This museum shows a large variety of detailed pieces that show historical textural embroideries, quilting and traditional cloth making techniques. Permanent exhibits include clothing that shows traditional and non traditional textiles from every day Canadian life. Currently there are exhibits such modern Danish Textiles, rugs and beautiful Japanese Kimonos. You can view amazing pieces up close and see the amount of skill and fine craftsmanship that has gone into each piece.

Images courtesy of the Textile Museum of Canada

Title of Event: Mode et Textile
Venue: Les Arts Decoratifs-Publicite,107 Rue de Rivoli,75001 Paris
Date: Ongoing
Web:  http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

From its opening in 1905, the Muse des arts Decoratifs has a rich collection of costumes, embroideries, textiles, lace , tapestries etc. the exhibitions galleries span over 2 floors in the Rohan wing of the museum and house over 81,000 pieces of fashion memorabilia. The collection spans from the regency period to today and also homes textiles from as far back as the 7th Century! Designers include some of the French greats such as Poiret, Vionnet, Schiaparelli and Dior.

Title of the Event: Neilli Mulcahy – Irish Haute Couture of the 1950’s and 60’s
Venue: Collins Barracks, Dublin.
Finishing Date: Ongoing until further notice.
Web: www.museum.ie
 
This exhibition looks at the work of the Irish fashion designer, Neillí Mulcahy. From 1951 to 1969 Neillí ran a successful Dublin salon producing haute couture garments. She was known for her innovative use of Irish tweeds and collaborated with hand weavers to produce fabrics in lightweight weaves and vibrant colours. Neillí’s use of fabrics, the presentation of her annual collection, and her success in America are some of the themes explored. The exhibition includes a selection of day and evening wear supported by contemporary photography, fashion illustrations, newspaper cuttings and items from Neillí’s archive.

Images courtesy of the National Museum

Title of the Event: Style Icon Museum
Venue: Newbridge Silverware Showrooms,
Co. Kildare
Finishing Date: Permanent Exhibition
Web: http://www.newbridgesilverware.com

This is a brand new museum, opened in June 2007 housing a collection of iconic dresses and gowns once worn by stars such as Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Ingrid Bergman, and Jean Simmons. Newbridge are a well established Irish silverware design emporium and have recently focused their marketing at their jewellery collection. They have used iconic fashionistas such as Miss World: Rosanna Davidson and Yasmin Le Bon to be the faces of Newbridge Jewellery in the past couple of years. There is a new addition to the collection of the pink cocktail dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys in 1961, as well as more modern gowns worn by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Barbara Streisand.

Above: Marilyn Monroe
Images courtesy of the Newbridge Silverware Showrooms

Title of the Event:The Way we wore
Venue: Collins Barracks, Dublin
Finishing Date: Permanent exhibition
Admission: Admission is free.
Web: www.museum.ie

`The way we wore`. This exhibition displays a historic collection of Irish clothing and jewellery from the past 250 years. Many of us think of Irish clothing as home-made aran jumpers and head scarves; however this exhibition shows that the majority of Irish people from 1760-1960 dressed in styles which competed with the fashion conscious Europeans of their time.

Images courtesy of the National Museum

Images courtesy of Tassenmuseum Hendrikje, Amsterdam

Images courtesy of Kunsthal, Rotterdam

Title of Event: Dressing the body
Venue: Museu Textil I d`Indumentaria, Barcelona
Dates: ongoing exhibition
Web: www.dhub-bcn.cat

This new permanent exhibition in the Textile museum looks at how clothing affects our bodies-does it restrict or free? Does is gently wrap or harshly bind? It is presented in a conceptual display of clothing, mannequins, photos and historical pieces and asks the visitor to analyse the concept themselves; looking at old and new ways of altering the body such as plastic surgery. The museum also houses many other beautiful clothing collections such as garments from the court of Louis XVI, French Regency and Art deco designs.


Images courtesy of Museu Textil I d`Indumentaria, Barcelona

Title of Event: Finland`s queen of fashion-Voukko
Venue: Rohsska Museum,Gothenburg
Satrting Date: 2 June 09
Finishing Date: 31 January 2010
Web: www.designmuseum.se

This exhibition pays tribute to Finnish fashion designer Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmensniemi known as one of the last great Nordic modernists. Her clothes are free and fun and she uses colour and print in bold statements. Her designs have been worn by presidents in both the US and Finland. This display examines the development of her style over the years and will also showcase her forthcoming 2010 collection.

Title of the Event: Vionnet
Venue: Fashion Museum, Bath
Starting Date: 05 December 2009
Finishing Date: 31 December 2010
Web: http://www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/

This is a rare exhibition of 1930`s evening dresses which are exquisite examples of Vionnet`s skill and craftsmanship in draping and sculpting to the body. The exhibition is a collaboration with the Bath museum of Costume, the V and A and the Bowes Museum. Vionnet is regarded as one of the first ever fashion designers, and known as the “queen of the bias cut”, and beginning the trend towards designer brands.

Title of the Event:
Textiles and Dress
Venue:
The Bowes Museum, Teesdale
Date: Ongoing
Web: Click Here

This is a lovely collection of European fashion and textiles from the 15th to 19th centuries. There are French tapestries, upholstery fabrics , needlework, bedcovers, ecclesiastical samples and woven carpets as well as a large selection of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories from the 1860`s to the 1960`s, including fashion plates, haute couture and a series of wedding dresses. See website for more details.
 

Title of the Event: Foale and Tuffin-Made in England
Venue: Fashion and Textile Museum
Starting Date: 23 October 2009
Finishing Date: 24 February 2010
Web: www.ftmlondon.org

Foale and Tuffin were two very influential designers who were at the heart of the design and cultural revolution of the 60`s in London. The Foale and Tuffin label was born as a brand for cool girls who loved to wear mini-dresses, colourful and pop-inspired designs and trendy trouser suits. The brand was thought to be way ahead of its time in the style stakes. This exhibition shows a vivid and exciting range of clothing from this dynamic duo and re-creates the changing look of the London popular culture at the time. It also tells the tale of two female designers who started their own business with a mere £200 to their names!

Images courtesy of the Fashion and Textile Museum

Title of the Event: Knit and Stitch Show 2010
Venue: Various
Date: Various
Web: www.twistedthread.com

The knitting and stitching shows are back this November, and include the festival of quilts and the stitch and craft fair 2010. although the main clientele may be at home in a hand-knitted cardigan with matching hat and gloves and a tapestry bag, these are fantastic places for innovative customizing ideas. Embroidery, knitting, crochet, felting, tapestry, pleating, weaving and all sorts of beading and fabric art will give you lots of inspiration! See website for venues and dates.

Images courtesy of the Knit and Stitch Show

Title of the Event: Urban Evolution
Venue: Hatworks Millinery Museum
Starting Date: 11 November 2009
Finishing Date: 28 February 2010
Web: www.hatworks.org.uk

This exhibition charts the evolution of the hat from teetering on top of a 60`s beehive hairstyle to contemporary styles of today from designers such as Philip Tracey. The 60`s were an explosion of fashion and style-in the hat and headwear world also. See retro wigs and cool hats and see how they were made and marketed in all sorts of colours and fabrics.
There are some great events for kids planned for Christmas at Hatworks also.

Images courtesy of the Hatworks Millinery Museum

Title of the Event: Bill Gibb – A personal journey
Venue: Fashion Museum - Bath
End Date: 7th March 2010
Web: www.fashionmuseum.co.uk

Coinciding with the publication of the book Bill Gibb: Fashion and Fantasy by former fashion editor of Elle magazine and The Times Iain R. Webb, Bath Fashion Museum has unveiled a display of approximately 20 ensembles by this highly revered  British fashion designer. The centre piece of this new display will be one of the museums most iconic pieces, a hippie inspired tartan, floral print and fair-isle look dress. This dress was in fact selected as Dress of the year in 1970, so is an iconic piece of British Fashion in itself.
This exhibition in which the displayed garments which were selected by the author Webb himself along with the fashion museum, display the fashion genius of this little- recognised genius of British Fashion.

Images courtesy of the Fashion Museum - Bath

Above: 2 pictures taken from the Gibb collection. All images courtesy of Bath Fashion Museum.

Title of Event: Dresses from History
Venue: Bath Fashion Museum
Starting Date: 16 Feb 2008
Finishing Date : On going until further notice.
Web: www.fashionmueseum.co.uk

Displaying dresses and ensembles from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian periods, this display entitled Dresses from History shows a carefully chosen selection of dresses from the museums collection. Specialist textile conservators have prepared the dresses for the exhibition using different conservation treatments for the different dresses. All the height of fashion at the time, the chosen dresses displays highly decorative qualities. One of the most ornate been a glittering court dress of French brocaded silk with gold thread in a floral print dating from around 1760.The most lavish of clothing was worn to functions at court and this is a wonderful example of this splendid opulence. The display also includes two special exhibits which give the Victorian and Regency dresses a Royal historical context. A black silk dress worn by Queen Victoria in the 1890’s towards the end of her reign is included, black emphasising how the Queen mourned the death of her husband Prince Albert from his death in 1861 until her death in 1901.
Museum admission: £7

Title of the Event: The William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery
Venue: Victoria and Albert Museum
Starting Date:
Finishing Date: Ongoing until further notice
Web: Click Here

This beautiful collection of jewellery exhibits 3,500 jewels from the V and A`s jewellery collection. It looks mainly at European jewellery from the past 800 years at the splendour of the ornamentation of the courts. Historic gems include jewels and pendants given by Queen Elizabeth I to her courtiers and the diamonds of Catherine the Great of Russia. Other features of the collection include pieces from the French art Nouveau movement, and pieces form Cartier and Tiffany. There is also contemporary work on view from over 140 living craftsmen and women.

Title of the Event: The Footwear Collection
Venue: Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
Finishing Date: On going until further notice
Web: Click Here

This unique collection houses footwear that dates from the ancient Egyptians and Romans through to present day! There are also footwear accessories such shoehorns, shoelaces, shoemaking tools, window displays and trade catalogues and photographs. The history of the shoe obviously runs side by side with the history of costume but is in itself a fascinating industry. The collection consists of more than 12,000 items which also includes fine art representations of shoes and footwear. A fantastic opportunity to let your shoes fetishes roam free!

Images courtesy of the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

Title of the Event: Costumes and textiles
Venue: The Museum of the City of New York
Date: ongoing exhibition
Web: www.mcny.org

The museum of the city of New York houses over 25,000 fashion garments and accessories dating from the mid 1700`s up to today. All the pieces on display have a link to New York or the key NY figures who wore them. The collection captures not only the history of the garments related to NYC but also the changing attitudes and evolving society of its citizens. Pieces include work by Charles Worth and Valentina, clippings from Vintage periodicals, photographs, fans, purses, stockings, jewellery, store catalogues and much more!

Images courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York

Title of Event: Fashion in Bloom
Venue: The Indianapolis Museum of Art
Starting Date: 4 April 09
Finishing Date: 31 January 2010
Web:  www.imamuseum.org

This is a lovely selection from the museums extensive collection of historical costumes and focuses on a 25 piece display of floral motifs and patterns on clothing items. Flowers appear in print, embroidery, beading and brocade with designs from Bill Bass, Givenchy and many more. Fashion in bloom highlights the significant shift in female silhouettes from the 1700`s to the 1970`s.

all images courtesy of the Indianapolis Museum of art

Title of the Event: The Annette Green Perfume Museum
Venue: Los Angeles campus, Free of charge , Also on permanent exhibition at the, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Finishing Date: On going
Web:

Approx 150 objects are exhibited and rotated in this permanent exhibit that is the only one of its kind in the States .Annette Green has been one of the key people in the world of fragrance since the 1960`s and today is one of the U.S. `s leading authority on perfume and scent. Her collection comprises of over 2000 pieces which include perfume bottles, written historical notes and sketches from the 1800s to today.

Images courtesy of the Annette Green Perfume Museum

Images courtesy of the Kent State University Museum

Title of the Event: American Quilt Classics 1890-1980: The Bresler Collection
Venue: Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte NC
Finishing Date: 6th February 2010
Web: http://www.mintmuseum.org/

Crafty couple Fleur and Charles Bresler have collected quilts for many years. The intricate work of quilting displays not only huge visual impact but also references historical culture, fabric, dyes and aesthetics. Quilts often tell a story pictorially, but also in their make –up and materials. This exhibition of 36 quilts features unique examples of historical stitching, craft and dying techniques.

1. UNKNOWN ARTIST.Appliqué Quilt circa 1870-1890, hand-appliquéd and quilted cotton. Gift of Fleur and Charles Bresler.

2. RUTHIE STUBBS. American, 19th Century Charm Quilt, circa 1880, hand-pieced and quilted cotton, chintz. Gift of Fleur and Charles Bresler.

3. UNKNOWN ARTIST. American, 20th century Phebe Warner Quilt circa 1930s, hand-appliquéd, quilted, and embroidered cotton, satin, wool thread. Gift of Fleur and Charles Bresler.

Images courtesy of the Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte NC

Images courtesy of FIDM

All images courtesy of photography @ FIT

Delman cocktail shoe, multi-colour floral print with gold brocade, circa 1958,USA. On loan from Delman Archive

Delman day shoe, black silk faille, circa 1937, USA. On loan from Delman Archive
 
All images courtesy of photography @ FIT