Washington D.C. prides itself on wonderful museums and art galleries. One of the truly outstanding ones, in my opinion, is Hillwood. The former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post (who bought it in 1955) is known for its comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art, a French decorate art collection, and 25 acres of gardens and woodlands.
Post is an icon. A heiress to the Post cereal empire, she carved her own place in fast changing society. She made her mark as a charitable person and a great entrepreneur. I very much enjoy learning about her life and Hillwood's latest exhibition - "Ingenue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion from the Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post" - is a wonderful resource to learn about Post through her passion for fashion. And fashion is, of course, a passion of mine, too.
The exhibition is not grand, but it is well-curated and informative. As you walk through the exhibition hall, you will discover designs, fabrics, and styles that distinguished seven decades in the life of Post's apparel. Post, a great strategist when it came to her status as a woman of high social and economic standing, used fashion to represent herself and to project her role in society. She had fun with fashion and while fashion underwent rapid changes over time, Post was able to constantly reflect her cheerful personality.
"Throughout her life, Marjorie treated her clothing in much the same manner as her art collection," explains Hillwood's associate curator of textiles and curator of the exhibition, Howard Vincent Kurtz. "She knew that her clothing represented not just her own style, but a record of women's fashion. Thanks to that vision, today Hillwood has a singularly complete collection of costumes and accessories that is a resource for the study of American style and the changing role of women in the 20th century."
So, scroll down and enjoy the wonderful designs that will give you a peek into the life of an outstanding woman.
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is located at 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008. "Ingenue to Icon" is on display until December 31, 2015.
Post is an icon. A heiress to the Post cereal empire, she carved her own place in fast changing society. She made her mark as a charitable person and a great entrepreneur. I very much enjoy learning about her life and Hillwood's latest exhibition - "Ingenue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion from the Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post" - is a wonderful resource to learn about Post through her passion for fashion. And fashion is, of course, a passion of mine, too.
The exhibition is not grand, but it is well-curated and informative. As you walk through the exhibition hall, you will discover designs, fabrics, and styles that distinguished seven decades in the life of Post's apparel. Post, a great strategist when it came to her status as a woman of high social and economic standing, used fashion to represent herself and to project her role in society. She had fun with fashion and while fashion underwent rapid changes over time, Post was able to constantly reflect her cheerful personality.
"Throughout her life, Marjorie treated her clothing in much the same manner as her art collection," explains Hillwood's associate curator of textiles and curator of the exhibition, Howard Vincent Kurtz. "She knew that her clothing represented not just her own style, but a record of women's fashion. Thanks to that vision, today Hillwood has a singularly complete collection of costumes and accessories that is a resource for the study of American style and the changing role of women in the 20th century."
So, scroll down and enjoy the wonderful designs that will give you a peek into the life of an outstanding woman.
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is located at 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008. "Ingenue to Icon" is on display until December 31, 2015.
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