Halston Collection on display in Beaman Library for Nashville Fashion Week

Janel Shoun | 

Lipscomb Fashion Week

Halston Collection Display
The Look for Less Fashion Show
Nashville Fashion Week Educational Panels (Wednesday, March 30)
Nashville Fashion Week Educational Panels (Thursday, March 31)

See the WSMV Channel 4 coverage of the exhibit

A Halston design included in the exhibit this week.
A photo from the Lipscomb collection depicting model Karen Bjornson with designer Halston.
One of the Halston dresses in the exhibit, when it was on display at Cheekwood.
Many watercolor sketches like this one are on display in the exhibit.
Another of the designs selected for the exhibit.
A photo from the collection depicting model Susan Hess modeling a dress from Halston's fall 1981 collection. Photo by Stan Papic
The public will have a rare opportunity during Lexus Nashville Fashion Week, March 28-April 2, to see selections from Lipscomb University’s valuable collection of patterns, sketches, memorabilia and dresses designed by famed American design house, Halston.

This outstanding collection of garments, portfolios, patterns and other memorabilia from Halston’s heyday in the 1960s and '70s is one of the finest collections of its type and is an outstanding example of historical costumes from a 20th century designer.

Admittance to the Halston Collection display, held in Lipscomb’s Beaman Library, is free. The library is open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is best accessed from the Belmont Boulevard entrance to campus.

The display is coordinated by Lipscomb's fashion merchandising seniors in the Family and consumer sciences department of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Halston comes to Lipscomb
 
This will be one of the very few opportunities Middle Tennessean’s have had to see items from the collection since its first public exhibition in 2005 shortly after Lipscomb’s acquisition of the collection.
 
The Halston Collection was donated to Lipscomb’s fashion merchandising program by Georgette Mosbacher, president and CEO of Borghese Cosmetics in New York City. Fashion design majors at Lipscomb study the collection to better understand how fine fashions are conceived, designed on paper, presented on the runway and brought to the fashion market.
 
In 2002, Mosbacher, at the time being relatively new to her position, received a large bill for a storage unit and discovered that the company owned a large collection of Halston evening dresses, other garments and documents. As part of her cost-cutting measures at Borghese, Mosbacher offered to give the collection to the Fashion Institute of Technology.
 
The fashion institute sent Mosbacher a list of universities who had indicated they would like to receive fashion donations. Mosbacher’s eye was drawn to Lipscomb because her mother Dorothy Shepherd lives in Nashville.
 
The shipment to Lipscomb comprised more than 80 boxes of clothing and documents. Included in the assortment were more than 60 garments including a large selection of evening dresses. Most of the dresses were runway samples, typically worn by models at a New York fashion show and then put away. Other items included blouses, skirts, suits, jackets, sketch books, water colors, press clippings, order forms, patterns, videos, collection presentations, TV spots and interviews with Halston at the height of his popularity.
 
The Halston collection is rarely displayed and has only been showcased three times before. In 2005 and 2008, many of the garments were modeled for local fund-raisers. Also in 2005, 17 of the garments and much of the memorabilia were on display at the Cheekwood Museum of Art.
 
Halston: Modern and revolutionary designer of the '70s
(The following information was provided by Cheekwood Museum of Art.)
 
The Halston collection is named after American fashion pioneer and designer, Roy Frowick Halston, who became known simply as Halston.
 
Halston first entered the fashion scene as a hat designer in the early 1960s. His first hat was featured on the cover of Harpers Bazaar when he was only 28. He is most noted for his design of the pillbox hat, worn by Jackie Kennedy at President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural in 1962. Halston expanded to a full fashion line in 1968 and within seven years became one of the top designers in the world. Halston is famous for creating a minimalist aesthetic which influenced many designers in the late 1980s and '90s. Top designers in today’s fashion world such as Gucci’s Tom Ford and Donna Karan still credit Halston as a major influence.
 
Halston was the first to use print models in runway shows, a precursor to the “supermodel.” He elevated American sportswear to a new level, reinvented the twin sweater set, made ultra suede a staple in the American closet, and helped establish America as a recognizable force in international fashion.
 
Halston also designed for Hollywood celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball, Lauren Bacall, Liza Minnelli and Princess Grace, creating clothes that reflected the mix of practicality and glamour during the 1970s.

The Look for Less Fashion Show

Lipscomb's fashion merchandising seniors and the fashion club present The Look for Less Fashion Show, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 28, in the Shamblin Theatre. Coordinated completely by students, the fashion show will feature retail outfits from Dillards as well as similar looks from ThriftSmart. Students will show how to get the same look for less with the thrift store clothing.

The fashion show is free and open to the public and door prizes will be given away.

Nashville Fashion Week Educational Panels

Lexus Nashville Fashion Week is a city-wide celebration of Nashville’s thriving fashion and retail community and its vast array of creative talent – featuring local, regional and national design talent in fashion events and shows, and encouraging both Nashvillians and visitors to explore the city’s diverse fashion and retail spaces throughout the week with promotions, partnerships and educational workshops.

The Fashion Ad
Wednesday, March 30, 12 p.m.
Ezell Center, One University Park Drive, 37204
-- Michael Howard, photographer
-- Amanda McRae, fashion/wardrobe stylist
-- Salome Steinman, model; Bravo’s “Make Me a Supermodel”

From the images of supermodels shot by Steven Miesel to celebrities like Nicole Kidman who grace the covers and pages of fashion magazines, the fashion ad can be just as important as the collection itself. Those designs and a collection’s aesthetic must be “presented” to the rest of the world. How does a collection translate to a thought-provoking, culturally relevant presentation that connects to the lifestyle of the consumer (or the lifestyle to which that consumer aspires)? With a myriad of creative, technical, budgetary and schedule choices to make, how does a team come together to produce what becomes the iconic fashion ad?

Panels are free, but registration is required. REGISTER HERE!

Retail Reality
Wednesday, March 30, 1:45 p.m.
Ezell Center, One University Park Drive, 37204

Jacob Keiser, visual merchandiser
David Levy, co-owner, Levy’s
Rhett Murdaugh, manager, imogene + willie
Dena Ferrell Nance, owner and founder, whats-in-store

In an era when “shop local” is both a frequent marketing slogan and an economic rallying cry, local businesses and boutiques can provide the sort of unique products, designs and experiences that savvy consumers seek. But for every small boutique that succeeds and prospers, many more fail. What’s the reality behind small, local retail endeavors? From financing and merchandising to marketing and day-to-day operations, what does it take to turn a boutique dream into a thriving business?

Panels are free, but registration is required. REGISTER HERE!

Where Fashion and Web 2.0 Collide
Thursday, March 31, 12 p.m.
Ezell Center, One University Park Drive, 37204

Dave Delaney, social media strategist, davemadethat.com
Nicholas Holland, CEO, Centresource Interactive Agency
Rachel Lang, marketing director, Project Artisan
Zarna Surti, blogger, Zarna’s Runway

In the last few years, small online start-ups (i.e. Gilt Groupe, ModCloth) have exploded into multi-million endeavors, attracting worldwide attention and financing. And, in many cases, more established fashion companies are still behind the curve in shaping and implementing an effective online identity and presence. As the digital world changes how we shop for fashion, what are the challenges and opportunities for the fashion industry?

Panels are free, but registration is required. REGISTER HERE!

American Luxury
Thursday, March 31, 1:45 p.m.
Ezell Center, One University Park Drive, 37204

Jeff Garner, designer, Prophetik
Robin Keyser, founder, Project Artisan
Matt Springer, manager, Billy Reid

What is the current state of the luxury market, and how does it differ in the U.S. from older, more established markets in cities like Paris and Milan? As U.S. companies draw on their own heritage to reinvigorate their brands (i.e., Woolrich, Carhartt, Schott), are they defining a new kind of uniquely American luxury market that involves being eco-friendly and focuses on sustainability? What roles are small design firms and local boutiques playing in the development of new parameters for what constitutes “luxury” in fashion?

Panels are free, but registration is required. REGISTER HERE!