FIDM Takes on Costume Research, Conservation and History

The Hollywood costume—from conception to restoration—was the topic of “Hollywood Master Designers of the Golden Age,” a panel discussion held April 24 at the Museum & Galleries of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles.

Museum curator Kevin L. Jones organized the panel, which included Academy Award–nominated costume designer Jacqueline West; Larry McQueen, owner of The Collection, an extensive collection of classic Hollywood costumes; and Daryl Maxwell, archivist for Universal Studios.

West was designing her ready-to-wear collection when she was hired as a creative consultant for the 1990 film “Henry & June.” She has since designed costumes for films including “Quills” and “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.”

“The most fun is being able to crawl into that time,” she said. “You read the script over and over until you know the characters inside and out, and then they dress themselves. When I designed my ready-to-wear line, I designed each piece with my customers in mind.”

McQueen discussed costume collecting and how the value of classic costumes has risen since Planet Hollywood made people aware of the possibility of owning such recognizable pieces of Hollywood history.

McQueen talked about the items that help document and authenticate the costumes. Most studios sew highly detailed typed labels into the costumes.

The size of a costume can also authenticate the item, noted McQueen, relating a story about a dress that was supposed to have been worn by Vivian Leigh in the shantytown scene in “Gone With the Wind.” McQueen said he doubted the authenticity of the dress because it had a 27-inch waist—far too large for tiny Leigh. The dress turned out to be authentic—in a way. McQueen found a photograph of Leigh wearing an identical dress and standing next to her—male—stunt double wearing the dress with the 27-inch waist.

The final segment of the discussion was about current studio efforts to preserve costumes and props.

Universal Studios archivist Maxwell said he and his crew read scripts during the principle-photography stage to determine which costumes, props and set dressing need to be preserved. A member of his team goes out with each production “to make sure everything created for the film stayed with the film.” After he and his staff see the finished film, they create a final list of items to archive. Everything is then labeled and stored based on archival museum standards, he said.

All three panelists discussed the need for a museum that would collect, preserve and exhibit film costumes and similar memorabilia.

Jones then led a private tour of an exhibition of classic costumes designed by costume designers Adrien, Orry-Kelly, Irene, Travis Banton, Walter Plunkett, Edith Head and Irene Sharaff. —Alison A. Nieder