Object Lessons
Read about different FRC objects through the lens of MA Fashion students. Written for FS8002 History and Theory I, each post includes an analysis of the object and a creative component.
(PDF file) Taking Flight Emilio Pucci and His Influence on Class and Jet Age (opens in new window)
Using a material culture approach, Bianca Zanotti analyses an Emilio Pucci dress to consider how the designer's work represented a new class and culture of women in the 1960s.
(PDF file) Recurring Romanticisms (opens in new window)
Isabella Pellegrino considers the historical context of a romantic dress from the early 20th century and how it may have been used to mentally escape reality.
(PDF file) Beading a Visual Psychology: A Study of an Evening Purse (opens in new window)
Denisa Marginean argues that both a 1930s evening purse and the famous Rorschach prints belong to a visual shift towards abstraction.
(PDF file) Velvet: Comfort or Culture? (opens in new window)
Prompted by personal experiences, Rehab Patel performs a close reading of a 1970s Afghani dress to learn how clothing influences cross-cultural identity and belonging for Afghani-Canadians.
(PDF file) Bridalwear: Romantic Historicism in the Late 19th Century
Erin Colquhoun takes an in-depth look at bridalwear during the Victorian era while examining a delicate gown from the time period.
(PDF file) Gucci: Overview of Ready to Wear Design (opens in new window)
Olena Vivcharyuk discusses the history of famed Italian fashion house, Gucci, paying particular attention to their RTW collection through the analysis of a Gucci cream coat with a fox-fur collar.
(PDF file) Plight of the Ryerson Copycat Lucite Bag (opens in new window)
Laura Dionne performs object-based research on a replica Lucite purse to learn about the decade-long trend of the 1950s.
(PDF file) Is There a Future for Fur? (opens in new window)
Yuting Tang takes a close look at a mink fur collar and the association of fur and luxury within a Canadian context while considering animal rights.
(PDF file) Imagining a Future of Disposability: Paper Fashion (opens in new window)
Bianca Garcia eflects on the relationship between the marketing of the paper dress as new technology and the futuristic thinking around outer space in the late 1960s.
(PDF file) Haori: An Aspect of Culture
Benedikte Goronga compares and contrasts the materiality between two Japanese haori jackets, one belonging to the FRC, and the other from a privately owned collection.
(PDF file) 1920s Brocade Opera Coat Reflecting Feminism and the “Modern Girl” (opens in new window)
Through the analysis of a 1920s opera coat, Dianna De Angelis discusses the rise of feminism and the birth of the "Modern Girl" in Canada.
(PDF file) Analysis of a 20th Century Boudoir Cap (opens in new window)
Madison Schmidt writes about the practicality of a 1900s boudoir cap and its historical symbolism of femininity.
(PDF file) Peacock Revolution
By examining a 1960s velveteen paisley blazer, Kaleigh Morris studies a period of change in men's fashion known as the peacock revolution.
(PDF file) Yvonne Lin: Analysis of the White Slashed Leather Minidress (opens in new window)
By analyzing an intricate garment created by TMU alum Yvonne Lin, Julia Birnie explores the use of 3D technology within fashion.
(PDF file) Oscar de la Renta: The History Behind the Boutique Label (opens in new window)
Brook Lindzon studies a 1970s Oscar de la Renta jumpsuit and the history behind boutique collections
(PDF file) Issey Miyake Trousers (opens in new window)
To learn how a pair of Pleats Please trousers by Issey Miyake fits into his design vernacular, Fedlande Fenelon and Eiro Issakidis take a deep dive into the designer's techniques and influences over the course of his forty-year career.
(PDF file) Did Mary Quant’s designs conform to or defy the gender roles of the 1960’s? (opens in new window)
Mariam Mansour and Samika Chadha question if the Ginger Group line was size friendly and its influence on Western women's fashion in the 21st century.
(PDF file) Collage Through Feminism and Textile (opens in new window)
Tricia Crivellaro illuminates the work of textile designer, Makiko Minagawa and seeks to understand how feminism can be evoked through a blanket coat created by the artist.
(PDF file) Military Influence on Fashion: The Bomber Jacket (opens in new window)
Sara Abraham discusses how the bomber jacket symbolized the shift from practicality to aesthetics in fashion.
(PDF file) Case Study of A Ballet Costume Headpiece From Raymonda (opens in new window)
By interviewing the original wearer, Julia Brucculieri learns more about the National Ballet of Canada's production of Raymonda, Act III.
(PDF file) The Celluloid Hair Comb and Its Troublesome Existence (opens in new window)
Sonali Prasad discusses the rich and troublesome history of the celluloid hair comb and the development of hair accessories.