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On April 29, Los Angeles County Museum of Art held an exclusive breakfast and tour to showcase its most recent acquisition of European Fashions. A small group of guests was treated to a rare sneak peek of the upcoming exhibition, titled “Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700–1915.”

After some delicious muffins and tea, we proceeded to a guarded elevator. We entered a room where we were welcomed by Sharon S. Takeda, senior curator and department head of costume and textiles.

I couldn’t believe the dresses that I previously had only seen in history books were now just an arm’s length away.

Takeda began with the obligatory “don’t touch and no pictures” and followed with a brief explanation of the steps LACMA takes when acquiring a new collection. There were about 15 complete masterpieces, arranged from the 1700s to the 1900s. (The 15 looks on display will be part of the complete exhibition.) Takeda also explained about the art dealers, the funds needed, the task of identifying its authenticity, and, surprisingly, the complexities of shipping—after all, they’re works of art!

“Fashioning Fashion” will cover a 215-year history that will track the development of not just textiles, intricate beading, technology and social economics but also human evolution.

During the tour, one question did occur to me—and Takeda couldn’t confirm it (but makes a lot of sense to me). Perhaps the creation of French doors was a result of women’s wear. After all, trends at one point had dresses measuring up to 6 feet wide!

“Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915,” opens Oct. 2 and runs through Jan. 12, 2011.  The show is curated by Sharon S. Takeda, senior curator and department head of costume and textiles with Kaye D. Spilker, curator of costume and textiles. The installation was designed by Studio Pier Luigi Pizzi-Massimo Pizzi Gasparon. For more information, visit www.lacma.org.

Designer Raymundo Baltazar appeared on the second season of Bravo’s “Project Runway.” A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, he has worked as the international design director for Scanty clothing and launched his own collection in 2005. He has produced runway shows for Christian Audigier and Ed Hardy in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Barcelona.He has designed costumes for films including “Shooting LA,” “710/SPLIT,” “Playing with Dolls,” and “Laugh Pad,” and has worked in television for companies including The Jim Henson Company, Cartoon Network, Touchstone Pictures, NBC, ABC, FOX and Oxygen. He has appeared as a fashion consultant on ABC’s “What About Brian,” and was the lead stylist on campaigns for William Rast, People’s Liberation and Antik Denim. 

He is currently senior production manager for IG Apparel/LEEDS Manufacturing International.  

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