| The Kent State Museum of Fashion |
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| Written by Wendy Innes |
| Monday, 29 June 2009 15:05 |
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OHIO The Kent State Museum of Fashion is in the midst of a resurgent renaissance thanks in large part to its curator, Anne Bissonette. Established in 1985, the museum has spent the last quarter century growing into a place for budding fashion designers to study, and for the world to appreciate works of the masters. Dr. Bissonette has been integral in the success of retaining individual pieces in its collection as well as building its viability as a teaching museum.
In 1982, Ohio native Shannon Rodgers and his boss Jerry Silverman, world renowned designer of Jerry Silverman, Inc. met with President Brage Golding of Kent State University. The president had been considering starting a curriculum of fashion design and marketing. Since the early 1960s, Rodgers and Silverman had been collecting fashion, costuming, and works of art. Upon hearing Golding’s plan, Silverman was happy to place his collection at Kent State. Unfortunately, Jerry was unable to see the fruits of his labor on display, as he died the year before the museum opened.  1900s gowns from Kent It was not without his efforts that the museum came to be in the first place. The site of the collection was to be Rockwell Hall, formerly a library on campus built in 1926 and not ready to house artifacts to museum standards. So, Silverman and Rodgers took a lead role in the $6 million fund raising campaign to enable the University to protect the pieces that the men were donating. After Silverman’s death, Rodgers continued to carry the spirit with which the idea was formed, and in 1990 the final renovations were complete and the grand opening of the full museum took place. In addition, the remaining space in the building was dedicated to the Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising. It was the foresight of President Golding that brought about the school in the first place, but it was the vision of Rodgers and Silverman that made it work. There are many museums that harbor collections that have no scholastic value, but the Kent State collection breaks the mold of museum culture by offering its collection as a template on which to learn as well as a testament to the original collectors. The University’s school of Fashion Design and Merchandising instructs prospective students in everything from producing shows to designing clothes. Of special interest, there are required courses in forecasting trends in fashion and several courses in buying fashion for dealers and houses. The curriculum that Silverman and Rodgers inspired goes far beyond the typical design degree. Perhaps it is because Rodgers stayed in Kent until his death in 1996 and served as curator and director of the museum, making him a living source of information that the students could study.  Vionnet Exhibit The collection itself originally contained 4000 costumes, 1000 works of art, and a 5000 volume reference library. That not a bad start for a museum that heretofore did not exist. The collection now includes over 20,000 pieces. By comparison, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute contains just over 31,000 pieces, and is considered the penultimate collection of fashion in the world. The segments of their collection are far reaching and fitting of a quality teaching museum. Fashion and costuming is merely one section of the work on display. There is an extensive collection of regional costuming that focuses on traditional dress, such as Silverman’s collection of robes from the Chinese Manchu dynasty. There is a study within the museum of American textiles throughout the nation’s history. This is all in addition to various decorative arts and glass collections donated by prominent Ohioans and alumni of the University. And it is on this rich backdrop that Dr. Anne Bissonette has been able to further build on the success of the school and museum itself. Dr. Bissonette has worked diligently to make the Kent State Museum a place where students and the general public can come to observe and get ideas from some of the finest designers in the fashion world. Currently, Michael Kors, of “Project Runway” fame, is being featured in an exhibition of his work with Wendy Zuckerwise Ritter, a prominent fashion saleswoman and Ohioan who helped him establish his own fashion house on Madison Avenue in the 1980s. The display highlights the continued need for modern design and the use of simplicity in form that makes good fashion marketable. In June, an exhibition of the Gazette du Bon Ton, an early 20th century fashion magazine will begin at the museum. According to its website, the Bon Ton sought to be, “the place where couturiers and painters collaborate to compose the silhouette of their time." Eventually, the artists from this magazine, painting their impressions of style of the time became the first cover artists for the magazine Vogue. Another display coming to Kent thanks to Dr. Bissonette features the work of George Stavropoulos. The Greek designer, known for his work with chiffon and lace, was a fashion force to be reckoned with from 1961 until 1991. In fact, he was the personal designer for First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. The exhibition will focus on his knowledge of draping technique which coincides with two classes in the fashion design school. The exhibit will also feature a guest curator, Kasey Bland. There have been a number of past exhibits that truly enhance students’ careers at Kent State thanks to its Museum of Fashion. Recently, Yves Saint Laurent was on display, as well as quilting techniques, Japanese design, and even paper dolls were shown. The use of rotating exhibits to highlights aspects of the fashion industry that college students in Northern Ohio would normally not be exposed to is a credit to Dr. Bissonette, to the museum, and to the University. Through Dr. Golding’s foresight, and Rodger’s and Silverman’s vision, the world can look forward to more great fashion design for a long time to come. The Museum is located in Kent, Ohio and is open to the general public for a nominal fee. For the budding designer or the typical fashionista, Rockwell Hall is a must see. Bookmark us: 
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 July 2009 18:23 |