ReFashioning History Fundraiser Dazzles with History-Inspired Designs

Fashion design students and professional fashion designers competed for four prizes at Evanston History Center inaugural Fundraising for ReFashioning History.

Earlier this year, the museum put out a call for designers to explore its vast collection of historic clothing dating back to Evanston’s earliest days. Designers were asked to draw inspiration from these pieces to design their own outfits.

As general director of the museum Deborah Kasindorf explained at the event, held at the Historic Center on the evening of June 27, that the museum wanted to bridge the past and present while celebrating Chicago-area clothing design and attracting Pay attention to the museum.

The event also marked the opening of the eponymous exhibition, which features some of the original pieces and the outfits they inspired. The exhibition is on display on the museum’s second floor.

Thirty designers submitted their pieces and a jury selected them to 12 finalists. Each finalist displayed their design, sometimes wearing it themselves and sometimes alongside a model. Fundraiser attendees had the chance to view the pieces and ask questions. Four winners were selected from the finalists.

The finalists were a mix of fashion designers, costume designers and fashion accessory designers at different stages of their careers. Some submitted outfits that would be historically appropriate, while others used the collections as inspiration for something decidedly modern.

Designers who spoke at the Roundtable described the event as a great opportunity to enhance their resume and, for those further along in their careers, a great way to promote their business.

The path to fundraising

Kasindorf said that like all museums, the Evanston History Center keeps much of its collection in storage. When she and Rachel JennensThe museum’s costume curator looked at their clothing collection and decided they “should do something with this.”

“We all know, or at least I hope we know, that history matters,” Kasindorf told fundraisers. “It’s a challenge these days, with other things going on, to make history matter in a personal and authentic way.”

Guests mingle at ReFashioning History’s inaugural fundraiser on June 27. Credit: Jörg Metzner

The museum put out a call for submissions earlier this year. The designers who spoke to the Roundtable said they learned about the idea through current and former faculty, social media posts, and, in some cases, family members. They were given the opportunity to view the collection and take photos, and were given a lot of leeway in where they would draw inspiration.

Kasindorf said starting an event from scratch is a daunting task and she has difficulty explaining how the event works to potential attendees. But in the end, she said, any fears that fundraising would fail proved unfounded.

“Even though it was a completely new event, we received a lot of support,” she said.

Behind the creations

Designer Aurora Liston (left) and model Alex Duncan. Credit: Jörg Metzner

Aurora Liston, who grew up in Evanston and is a fashion student at Columbia College Chicago, took inspiration from a pair of red shoes and a dress to create a crimson outfit dyed with a cochineal-repellent dye.

“I liked the frilly side of the original outfit, so I used that for the models and the skirt,” she said. “I’ve done a few fashion shows, but this is my first time competing, so it was a lot of fun.”

Liston said the competition was her first time entering the museum.

“It was really amazing to see,” she said. “I felt like I was in a historical drama.”

Designer Kaine Bautista (left) and model Yngride Jeanphilippe. Credit: Jörg Metzner

Inspirations for designs come from many sources. For example, Kaine Bautista, a fashion design student at the School of the Art Institute from Arlington Heights, said the inspiration for her dress was a pair of shoes with small mirrors.

Several designers responded to the fashion sensibilities of the original era.

Designer Madeleine Ibach, from Chicago, said she took the basic shape of an 1850s dress to create an outfit that emphasized bare shoulders and collarbones – something that would have been frowned upon in the mid-1850s. Nineteenth century.

“I wanted something more modern, more risky,” Ibach said.

Designer Madeleine Ibach (left) and model Catherine Winterz. Credit: Jörg Metzner

Chicago fashion designer Maribel Melanson, whose business who makes designer patterns, adopted a similar tactic, saying she wanted to “emphasize and provoke through fashion” with her opaque butterfly dress.

“It’s flashy and elegant,” she said.

On the other hand, several finalists were costume designers who stayed true to the fashion sensibilities of the original era.

Grace Koehler, of Chicago, said she already wears late 19th and early 20th century clothing in her daily life because she loves the style. So it made sense for her to design a dress with a cape that she could wear later. The cape had pockets, which, she noted wryly, was more than could be said of much of today’s women’s clothing.

Designer and model Grace Koehler.
Credit: Jörg Metzner

It was not unusual to see a collaboration.

Lauren Evans, a senior at Columbia College and a native of Plainfield, a southwest suburb of the city, was inspired by a World War II-era uniform and street fashion.

“This is definitely something very new for me,” she said. “I’ve never done an event like this before. It’s a new experience and I’m just happy to be here.”

Her friend Enrique Sahagun, a fashion student at Columbia, modeled the outfit. He said he had modeled before, but never at an event like this.

“It’s a really good experience. I think I bring a unique perspective because as a fashion designer, you pay attention (to what goes into making clothes),” he said. “It’s great to see my friends being creative and able to express themselves.”

Designer Lauren Evans (right) and model Enrique Sahgun. Credit: Jörg Metzner

DePaul University students Abeline Glenzinski and Riley Trzeciak took this collaboration even further.

Trzeciak modeled the outfit they designed together, taking inspiration from an 1860s dress that reminded them of a bird. They also worked together to sew the dress.

“It’s a pretty equal job for everyone,” Trzeciak said.

Designer Abeline Glenzinski (left) and model Riley Trzeciak. Credit: Jörg Metzner

The winners

Fashion designer, SAIC instructor and former Chef nominee Tommy Walton presented the awards. He said he was happy to take part in the event “and support the next generation of designers”, describing them as a “panoramic of talented people”.

“I want to congratulate everybody,” Walton said. “Everybody deserves a round of applause.”

Deborah Kasindorf (left), executive director of the Evanston History Center, and Tommy Walton, faculty member at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, co-founder of design duo Price Walton and FOX-TV reality TV chef Chef Cooking competition. Credit: Jörg Metzner

He said that with the popularity of the Netflix adaptation of The Bridgerton Chronicle novels, “we all live for costume dramas,” emphasizing the word “live.”

“I think some of our designers are passing something on,” Walton said.

When he announced the winners, he made a point of congratulating them individually.

Clothing and hat designer Gregory Graham, of Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, submitted a hat, and Walton said that as someone who grew up in Arkansas, he appreciated a well-made hat.

Graham told the Roundtable that fashion shows tend to overlook accessories, so he was pleasantly surprised to be one of the winners.

“It’s wonderful,” he said. “I’m super excited.”

Gregory Graham
Credit: Jörg Metzner

Walton hailed Melanson’s “seamless confection” as “absolutely wonderful.”

“I’m just excited to get started exploring my business and this opportunity, really,” Melanson told the Roundtable.

Walton praised Glenzinski and Trzeciak for their collaboration.

“It’s great to have two people, two like-minded individuals, supporting each other,” he said. “That’s very important in the fashion industry.”

“It’s a great feeling,” Trzeciak told the Roundtable. “We’ve worked hard for this and it’s great to be recognized. »

“It’s very rewarding,” Glenzinski added. “Working with a friend is a lot of fun. »

Bautista was the “last but not least” fourth winner.

“Look at it — it’s wonderful, it’s sexy, it’s super cool,” Walton said as Bautista and Yngride Jeanphilippe, an Evanstonian who modeled the dress, walked to the front.

“It’s super exciting. Super cool,” Bautista told the Roundtable.