Contributor - Rebecca
Rebecca's recent posts
Saying ‘au revoir’ to Class of 2019
As another academic year draws to a close, I want to reflect on the wonderful time I have had teaching my Class of 2019 MA Documenting Fashion students… The autumn term started with a breakfast to greet my new students—and it was clear what an interesting and sparky group they would be. During the initialRead more
Live Podcast Recording: What Do We Want From Fashion Writing And Imagery Now?
Please join us Friday 29 June, 2018 at the Courtauld Institute of Art 10:30am-12:00pm for a live recording of The Conversations with Jason Campbell & Henrietta Gallina podcast, open to all free admission Speakers include Jason Campbell – journalist, personal stylist and forecaster Henrietta Gallina – creative strategist Organised by Dr Rebecca Arnold – The Courtauld InstituteRead more
Book Review: The Hidden History of American Fashion: Rediscovering 20th Century Women Designers, edited by Nancy Deihl. Bloomsbury 2018.
Nancy Deihl has edited a fascinating compilation of sixteen essays each of which examines an American fashion designer whose work has been all but forgotten. The chosen examples are women who were successful in their day, and their style encompasses everything from custom-made to ready-to-wear, as well as demonstrating interconnections with the entertainment industry andRead more
Florence’s Nightdress Case & Embroidered History
Where do you keep your nightwear? Squashed under your pillow? Or neatly folded in a beautifully embroidered case that you made yourself? In the first decades of the 20th century, the latter was the more likely answer. Magazines contained examples to make and customise. Placed on the bed below your pillows, a nightdress caseRead more
Dressing for the Metropolis – Simmel in the City
How does your environment affect the way you dress? Of course, there’s the weather to be taken into consideration. But what about the type of place that you live? For example, are we shaped – literally and figuratively – by urban dwelling? Does the city impact not just the type of clothes we choose, butRead more
Addressing Images Talk Friday, February 9th
Every term we have a meeting of the Addressing Images Discussion Group. Actually, that makes it sound far too official and formal, what really happens is that anyone who feels like spending their lunch hour talking about fashion can drop in and join my students and me. This session opens up discussion of dress’ significanceRead more
‘A Document of Modern Living’: How to become a Fashion Illustrator
How do you advise a budding artist? Encourage and suggest the correct path to fashion success? Well, it seems Harper’s Bazaar (HB) solved this problem in 1933, in ‘The Road To Fashion Art,’ its response to a reader’s letter. Firstly, HB notes that becoming a fashion illustrator requires quite different skills from becoming a fashionRead more
Various Reasons why I love Fashion Magazines Christmas Present Lists
Well, I may as well admit it, I love fashion magazine gift lists. There is just something so optimistic in the boundless consumerism and bright colours that collide on page after page of present ‘ideas.’ These spreads speak to both the magazine’s notion of its own taste and identity – and that of itsRead more
Addressing Images
Every term we have a meeting of the Addressing Images Discussion Group. Actually, that makes it sound far too official and formal, what really happens is that anyone who feels like spending their lunch hour talking about fashion can drop in and join my students and me. It started as a way to share ideasRead more
Andrew Grima: Art Jewellery Uncut
There is something immediate about jeweller Andrew Grima’s work. His designs frequently used raw, uncut semi-precious stones, scattered with tiny diamonds and fronds of gold that frame the irregular surface of an opal or tourmaline. I first saw his work at a Bonham’s fine jewellery sale earlier this year, and was fascinated by the impactRead more