Located on the seventh floor of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, the Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection contains thousands of women鈥檚 garments and accessories from the past two centuries.
The first thing one notices upon entering 51爆料网鈥檚 is the temperature.
鈥淲e keep everything cold to reduce the rate of decay,鈥� says Kirsten Schoonmaker, an assistant teaching professor in the . 鈥淏ecause textiles are organic and fragile, environmental control is vital to their preservation.鈥�
Occupying the seventh floor of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse in downtown Syracuse, the 92-year-old collection is curated by Schoonmaker鈥檚 colleague, Professor Jeffrey Mayer, who also coordinates the fashion design B.F.A. program.
They point out that the collection contains more than 3,200 functional and decorative objects for women from the past two centuries. Special emphasis is on the American Progressive Era (1890-1920), marking the transition from rigid Victorianism to a more functional, informal aesthetic.
Also featured are garments and accessories by such 20th-century stylists as Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass and Mary McFadden.
鈥淥ur holdings highlight a range of textiles, fashions and production techniques,鈥� observes Schoonmaker, noting that some of the objects鈥攍ike the gown that Vanessa Williams 鈥�85 wore upon being crowned Miss America鈥攈ave compelling backstories.
Kieran Romano, a senior majoring in fashion design, marvels at the sartorial splendor. 鈥淢any pieces are rare and very delicate,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e wrapped in acid-free tissue for their own protection.鈥�
Of course, he and Schoonmaker have more than conservation on their minds.
The collection provides hands-on access to period objects, explains Kirsten Schoonmaker, an assistant teaching professor in the School of Design. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e vital educational tools.鈥�
鈥淚n our industry, there鈥檚 a big debate over preservation and accessibility,鈥� says Schoonmaker, who鈥檚 based in the (VPA). 鈥淚 believe we should let students hold, manage and manipulate objects. They鈥檙e vital educational tools.鈥�
Romano agrees, noting 鈥減hysical engagement鈥� with the collection informs his practice, whether he鈥檚 creating original garments or recreating existing ones.
An aspiring technical designer, Romano is excited about VPA鈥檚 acquisition of 2,500 pieces from the estate of Claire Shaeffer, a legendary couture expert and educator.
鈥淭hey will inspire students, teachers and scholars for generations to come,鈥� he adds.
Fashion as Art
鈥淚n our industry, there鈥檚 a big debate over preservation and accessibility,鈥� says Schoonmaker (right), a self-avowed 鈥済arment archaeologist.鈥� 鈥淚 believe we should let students hold, manage and manipulate objects.鈥�
Spring semester is a critical time for Schoonmaker鈥檚 students because it coincides with the Senior Capstone Fashion Show in March and the Met Gala in May.
Microscopy supports the conservation and study of the Genet Costume Collection, revealing detailed information about how historical clothing has been made and utilized.
This year鈥檚 capstone featured collections by 26 seniors, the largest cohort in recent memory.
Senior Paige Mathes spent months constructing a small, tightly curated capsule of pieces鈥攁 鈥渟ix-look collection,鈥� in runway parlance. Although her pieces leaned toward high fashion, they drew inspiration from vintage cocoon coats in the Genet collection.
鈥淚 looked at their construction up close and then used them as reference for my own design process,鈥� says Mathes, whose award-winning collection included an eclectic black and white set made from woodgrain faux fur, boiled wool knit and felt.
Mathes credits Syracuse 鈥渋n a big way鈥� for helping her find her voice. 鈥淚鈥檝e had a stutter my whole life, so non-verbal communication is close to my heart,鈥� she says. 鈥淔ashion enables me to express myself on my own terms.鈥�
Kieran Romano 鈥�26 says 鈥減hysical engagement鈥� with the collection informs his practice, whether he鈥檚 creating original garments or recreating existing ones.
Romano also considers fashion a form of self-expression, one that communicates moods and values. Even a seemingly innocuous activity, like converting 2D flat sketches to 3D designs, can 鈥渟peak volumes about one鈥檚 identity,鈥� he says.
鈥淚鈥檓 more interested in making period-accurate clothing than sourcing mass-produced materials,鈥� says Romano, a whose interests include drawing, sewing and dyeing.
Like most aspiring designers, he splits time between Syracuse and New York City, having interned at such luxury brands as Proenza Schouler and Kiki de Montparnasse.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art鈥檚 Costume Institute is another reason to visit Manhattan. For Schoonmaker鈥檚 students, the institute鈥檚 33,000-piece collection, spanning 5,000 years, is a laboratory of sorts.
鈥淭he Met Gala, which raises money for the institute, is important not just for philanthropic reasons,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t embodies what we teach here, that fashion is art.鈥�
Theoretical Knowledge, Practical Experience
Committed to longevity and artisanal craftsmanship, haute couture (鈥渉igh dressmaking鈥�) provides a blueprint for sustainable design practices, Schoonmaker explains.
Students like Mathes and Romano reflect the current crop of designers, blending creativity, innovation and sustainability.
Not that zero-waste is a new concept.
A self-avowed 鈥済arment archaeologist,鈥� Schoonmaker explains how early designers used natural, biodegradable materials to create garments that were easy to repair, reuse or repurpose.
That changed in the second half of the 20th century with the advent of 鈥渇ast fashion.鈥� The market suddenly became flooded with inexpensive, low-quality clothing while wreaking havoc on the environment.
鈥淣ow it鈥檚 quantity over quality,鈥� says Schoonmaker, who teaches in the fashion design and programs.
The Genet Costume Collection informs contemporary pieces in the Senior Capstone Fashion Show. This year鈥檚 event featured 26 seniors, the largest cohort in years.
Fast fashion stands in sharp contrast to haute couture, which refers to exclusive, custom-fitted garments. 鈥淢y job is to see that students understand both approaches,鈥� Schoonmaker adds.
Because fashion design is a broad, interdisciplinary field, many of her students declare minors to complement their learning. They include Kai Blunt 鈥�26, who minors in and . He wants to work in industry before earning a master鈥檚 degree in museum conservation.
Blunt lauds VPA鈥檚 holistic approach. 鈥淲here else,鈥� he asks rhetorically, 鈥渃an you study technical design, silversmithing, fashion marketing, and museum conservation and curatorship all at the same time?鈥�
And having a teaching collection that 鈥渂ridges theoretical knowledge with practical experience is a phenomenal recruiting tool,鈥� says Schoonmaker, who鈥檚 organizing a two-day, multi-site program in June for the Textile Society of America.
Access equals opportunity. Blunt recalls helping mount and install a Victorian-era velvet dolman coat for a class exhibition.
鈥淚t was one of the greatest experiences I鈥檝e ever had,鈥� he exclaims, adding that the piece predates the 20th century. 鈥淚nteracting with properly tailored garments is what hands-on learning is all about.鈥�
