Black fashion museum designs at the Smithsonian

Black fashion museum designs once housed by the National African American Museum of History and Culture has found a new residing place at the Smithsonian. The black Fashion Museum   consisted of an array of clothing items some as old as the early 1800’s. Some of the designers included Rosa Parks and  Ann Lowe.  Some Garments were actually created by slaves like Louvenia Price, who fashioned an exquisite opera gown made of velvet.  It is  undeniably lavish right down to the  broad puffy sleeves and fur trim. It seems something so extravagant could only be fit for someone of prominent stature.

The black fashion museum was founded by Lois Alexander Lane. The museum opened to the public in 1979.  It was located in Harlem then moved to Washington. After Lanes death in 1997 at the age of 91, her daughter, Joyce Bailey, sought to take over the museum and keep  what her mother  so diligently  treasured. Bailey lived on a modest income as a biology teacher and had a painstaking time maintaining the museum. The museum held over 1000 artifacts and needed proper care which was difficult at times. There were little grants and money especially due to the financial meltdown which encompassed many businesses.   The collection was continuously susceptible to poor ventilation and high humidity. The building had no AC or heating system.

There was also little room for larger items which were crammed into draws and folded to ensure more room. Some garments were placed on wire hangers exposed to the humidity.  Bailey needed a place   for this grand collection and not just any place. A place which would appreciate the significance of the collection. Meanwhile at the Smithsonian, director, Lonnie Bunch III was searching for some real history through fashion that would depict the times like a storybook, however with subtle emotion. Bunch was raised in New Jersey and had been working in museums around the country.

Baileys collection was a time line of ensembles such as costumes from “The Wiz” and other black productions.  The collection also included some of performer, Pearl Baileys attire.  The very dress Rosa Parks was making at the time of her infamous arrest for not giving up her seat to a white passenger. One of the most famous designers was Ann Lowe, who designed some of the most distinguished gowns for The Roosevelt’s and Rockefellers. She designed Jacquelyn Bouvier’s wedding gown for her marriage to John F. Kennedy in 1953. Lowe died in 1981 and was financially drained. 

She actually had to remake the wedding gown for the Kennedys due to   unfortunate   water damage in her studio.  It is these stories which add meaning to each piece of garment; a piece of living history with each thread. Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute in Suitland has enough space and more over to accommodate the collection. The museum has a maze of storage facilities and research laboratories on site to test and help preserve each garment.  This high tech facility will be responsible for cataloging each item. Hopefully visitors will be able to appreciate how history   can present itself in different forms. Instead of gazing  at a painting on a wall, one can  imagine  each piece  belonging to  someone  just like them, moving their way through time  and place to reveal  a very down to earth  3 dimensional story.