Start Date
20-3-2024 4:00 PM
Description
Rebecca Kelly, the Director and Curator of the South County Museum in Rhode Island, brings a rich perspective to the study of fashion history. Her work highlights fashion during America’s Gilded Age (1870–1920). With expertise in textile history and conservation, Kelly’s recent Newport exhibition explored the fashion legacy of the Vanderbilt family, emphasizing how industrialization, mobility, and increased female participation in sports influenced more practical garment designs. With stories of immigrant designers like Catherine Donovan and Mollie O’Hara who built luxury fashion empires and expanded their brands beyond metropolitan centers, Kelly paints a vivid picture of how fashion shaped and followed the elite across cities and resort towns. She also highlights that the influence of these designers transcends just clothing, it’s a reflection of identity, innovation, and history that continues to inspire designers today.
Newport: Resort City of Fashion, 1870-1920
Rebecca Kelly, the Director and Curator of the South County Museum in Rhode Island, brings a rich perspective to the study of fashion history. Her work highlights fashion during America’s Gilded Age (1870–1920). With expertise in textile history and conservation, Kelly’s recent Newport exhibition explored the fashion legacy of the Vanderbilt family, emphasizing how industrialization, mobility, and increased female participation in sports influenced more practical garment designs. With stories of immigrant designers like Catherine Donovan and Mollie O’Hara who built luxury fashion empires and expanded their brands beyond metropolitan centers, Kelly paints a vivid picture of how fashion shaped and followed the elite across cities and resort towns. She also highlights that the influence of these designers transcends just clothing, it’s a reflection of identity, innovation, and history that continues to inspire designers today.
Comments
Summary by Caroline Luciano