Modern Ritual: The Art of Mary McFadden
May 11, 2024 to October 11, 2024
Drexel University pays tribute to the "Modern Ritual" of fashion icon Mary McFadden with an exhibition that celebrates the incredible influence of the American designer. Modern Ritual: The Art of Mary McFadden places her work in the context of her artistry and technique, highlighting methods that include her signature Marii pleating, one-of-a-kind hand-painted textiles, and opulent beading and embellishment.
Now offering: Open House Wednesdays, 12pm-4pm. Self-guided. No reservation needed.
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Venus and Diana: Fashioning the Jazz Age
November 5th, 2021 - May 6th, 2022
A stunning collection of women’s fashions from the 1920s will be on display from Friday, Nov. 5 – Friday, April 8, as part of Venus & Diana: Fashioning the Jazz Age, presented by Drexel University’s Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection (FHCC) of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.
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2020: The Clothes We Wore and the Stories They Tell
A Community-based Digital Exhibition
2020: The Clothes We Wore and the Stories They Tell is the first online exhibition from the Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection at Drexel University (FHCC). The objects included in this exhibition were submitted by members of the Drexel community as the most reflective of their 2020 experience, a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic and further marked by racial, social, and political unrest.
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Gateway to the University: The Collections at Drexel
The inaugural exhibition in the new gallery, curated by Cara Fry and Derek Gillman, is designed to provide a window into Drexel’s extraordinary collections which range from rare books to couture; from natural science to fine and applied arts. Every piece in the show is a treasure – including a Rittenhouse Orrery clock from 1873, a 1991 James Galanos evening gown, a 450 million year old slab of fossilized trilobites and a 16th century Paracelsus incunabulum. Also highlighted is an 1876 William Morris textile which serves as a fascinating case study for the way in which the objects in the Drexel collections invite interdisciplinary teaching and research and thereby provide historical context and contemporary relevance.
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Suit Yourself: 75 Years of Powerful Style
October 11, 2019 - March 13, 2020
Drexel University's Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection (FHCC) of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design will showcase the many revolving styles of women’s suits with its next exhibition Suit Yourself! 75 Years of Powerful Style Friday, opening Oct. 11 through Thursday, March 13.
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A Philadelphia Store-y: 25 Years of Nicole Miller Philadelphia
April 12, 2019 - August 30, 2019
The Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection (FHCC) of Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design will present a retrospective exhibition highlighting work by renowned fashion designer Nicole Miller. The exhibition A Philadelphia Store-y: 25 Years of Nicole Miller Philadelphia (April 12-August 30, 2019) will pay tribute to the retailer’s contributions to fashion and philanthropy in the city.
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The Fox Collection, 2008 - 2018: A Decade of Renewal
September 28, 2018 - March 23, 2019
The Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection at Drexel University is celebrating the opening of their custom-built gallery with The Fox Collection, 2008-2018: A Decade of Renewal.
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James Galanos: Design Integrity
October 19, 2018 - December 21, 2018 and January 8, 2019 - January 27, 2019
Pearlstein Gallery
The exhibit will place his work in the context of American fashion from the post-war period through the 1990s and celebrate his innovative approach to construction and embellishment. This reevaluation will assert his role as one of the premier designers of the 20th century and will be designed to appeal to younger audiences who may not be familiar with his work. The exhibition will draw heavily from the primary materials of the James G. Galanos Archive at Drexel University, creating an immersive experience and allowing for a greater understanding of this intensely private designer. On view will be approximately 60 ensembles alongside a rich array of sketches, photographs and other related materials. The exhibition is organized by Clare Sauro, FHCC director and chief curator.
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Philadelphia In Style: A Century of Fashion
March 13, 2016 - June 26, 2016
Philadelphia in Style: A Century of Fashion from the Robert & Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection, Drexel University illuminates the rich sartorial legacy of a city that has often been overshadowed by New York, but in reality has played a significant role in American fashion
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Immortal Beauty
October 2, 2015 - December 12, 2015
From a fragment of 16th century Italian velvet to an evening dress by New York designer Alexander Wang from 2012, the first large-scale, retrospective exhibition of highlights from Drexel University’s Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection (FHCC) will trace the arc of fashion history over the course of more than three centuries.
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