Frederick
Stibbert Museum
So... it was quite a hike up to the Stibbert Museum, but when I finally arrived, I was super excited! I could not wait to see what Stibbert's collection had to offer. I was unaware that Frederick stibbert was born into a military family. I found this to be quite interesting. He inherited his families money at the young age of 20, and began his collection immediately.
Frederick
Stibbert left his collection following his death for public access. Since Stibbert was born into a
military family, it is clear why a majority of his collection contains armor
pieces.
I spent little time in the
rooms where the armor were present because I was so anxious to see the
Farragamo exhibition; however, what I did see of his armor collection was
INCREDIBLE.
One
of the helmets had an animal face on the front where the eye cover should have
been. It was very interesting to see the animal on the front of the helmet. It
seemed almost like the human wearing this helmet was trying to resemble some
type of animal. Unfortunately, we were unable to take photos at the museum, so
I do not have a photo to show.
Another
piece of armor I saw had a cross on the chest protector. Even in battle, it was
evident that the people still embodied their Christianity.
I
did not know that Frederick Stibbert owned Napoleon’s cloak and undergarment
vest. Napoleon’s cloak was green velvet, symbolizing the king in Italy. The bottom of the cloak had gold embroidery
accents. The inside of the cloak had the letter N embroidered in various spots
to stand for Napoleon. I have never seen letters embroidered on royal clothing
like this before so it was quite remarkable. Napoleon’s vest was a yellow, gold
color with intricate embroidery. The vest was made of velvet and was to be worn
underneath his cloak.
I was most excited to see the Farragamo exhibition! I love her clothing, but I am unable to afford it in the states. This is what I learned about Farragamo's daughter and the origin of their business.
Giovanna
Farragamo took over her fathers business, originally in shoemaking, and created
fashion designs that defined Italy forever. The collection at the Stibbert
Museum shows Giovanna Farragamo’s collection from 1967-1982, originally presented
at Sala Bianca.
One
of my favorite collections of Giovanna’s was in her summer collection of 1982.
The collection was comprised of light fabrics, such as linen, and contained
only the colors black and white. There were black and white stripes that created
interesting symmetry. One of my favorite pieces from her summer collection was
a cotton vertical striped dress that had a white collar. At the hips, the
stripes criss-crossed which created a delicate illusion. The skirt of the
dress was flowy and the black and white stripes added pleats and body to the
skirt. I feel as though this dress embodies the
mod fashion that was present in the 80s.
The
1969 flared yellow-silk dress with gold sleeve embroidery caught my eye at the
museum. The dress had a slight flare at the waist, which seems to create a
flattering silhouette. The sleeves
of the dress were cuffed and the gold embroidery added a soft, unique touch to
the yellow dress. There is a chiffon scarf to be worn with the dress, which
adds an extra boost of style and character to the dress. This dress looks like
it could be worn on a cruise or at a fancy summer party.
By
far my favorite piece of Farragamo’s collection was the orange floor-length
gown. This gown had a high neckline made of pure sequins and beading that
continued straight down to the floor of the dress and forming a waistband belt. The
beading had black accents, which caught my eye at the museum. The color
contrast was brilliant in this dress. The black accents truly make the dress
special. I believe the beaded neckline demonstrates a more high-end look, as
this dress should have been worn at a black-tie event. I wish I could wear this dress!!!
Well thats all for now,
Amalia
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