History and haute couture will intermingle for one unforgettable night at “Threads”, the Missouri Historical Society’s inaugural cocktail party and runway show.
“Threads: History Never Looked So Haute” is planned for Saturday, April 13, at the Missouri History Museum, showcasing couture pieces inspired by the Missouri Historical Society collection, and designed by Project Runway alumni and St. Louis fashion students.
The Missouri Historical Society’s first-ever biennial fundraiser of its kind will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a pre-show cocktail party and VIP reception, followed by the history-inspired runway show, and capped off with a dessert reception.
Project Runway alums include Laura Kathleen Baker, Margarita Alvarez, Anthony Ryan Auld, Michael Drummond, Michelle Lesniak, Viktor Luna, Joshua McKinley and Amanda Valentine. Participating students are Anna Heinhold and Natalia Soares da Silva from Lindenwood University, and Meredith Liu and Katherine Zhao from Washington University.
From the more than 18,000 pieces of clothing and textiles in the museum’s collection, a few select items will get their turn in the spotlight, according to Missouri History Museum senior curator Shannon Meyer.
“Designers were given images of 40 artifacts pre-selected from the collection and asked to choose one as their inspiration piece,” explained Meyer. “The selections included things like a circa-1900 fireman’s parade shirt, a 1950s prom dress, a late 18th-century ladies’ pocket watch and a St. Louis City flag.”
But there are thousands more in the collection that are noteworthy and tied into the history of city.
“The collection is really strong in St. Louis companies, designers and dressmakers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but we also have pieces from internationally known designers such as Charles Frederick Worth, Christian Dior and Charles James,” Meyer said. “Some of the most interesting and rare items we have are the second-day wedding clothes of Auguste and Marie Therese Cerre Chouteau from 1786, clothing worn by “The Lavender Lady” Lillian Lemp, dance costumes from the Katherine Dunham dance troupe, and Charles Lindbergh’s flight suit from 1927.”
Meyer says the Threads event is one way to raise awareness of the importance of preservation of clothing and textiles.
“So much information can be learned from these items. For example, the clothing we have that was made in St. Louis helps to tell the story of St. Louis business and industry, the garment district, individual dressmakers and milliners, women’s work, etc.,” she explained. “Collecting clothing also helps show the evolution of styles and how production changes over time. Clothing is also very personal. Not only does it reveal things like a person’s height, size, or gender, but it also helps to convey information about social class, culture, and even etiquette.”
Meyer adds textile preservation is a more delicate process than preserving a standard museum artifact.
“The clothing and textile collection is stored in a temperature and humidity controlled storeroom,” she noted. “We use only archival materials such as acid-free paper and storage boxes, as well as padded hangers. We try to limit exhibit display times to six months or less because light can be very damaging to textiles, which is why we also keep light levels very low in gallery spaces.”
Following the Threads event, the new designs created by Project Runway stars and fashion students will be installed in an atrium show on the lower level of the museum. The Threads atrium show is free and open to the public and will run through July 14, 2019.
Veronica McDonnell is the event chair; Laura Kathleen Baker and Michael Drummond are runway committee co-chairs.
General admission tickets are available for $175; VIP tickets with reserved seating are $500 each. For ticket information and other details, visit mohistory.org/threads or call (314) 367-9457.
Gazelle is serving as the event’s media sponsor.
