I am one of 5 designers that has been selected to create an ensemble inspired by 1950's furniture from the permanent collection at the Minnesota History Center for the annual Retrorama fashion show! For the event, the History Center is creating 5 rooms such as a kitchen, dining room, and rec room. I have been assigned the outdoors (often an extension of the domestic interior), and my piece is heavily inspired by the Center's Boomerang Chair - a fabulous outdoor seating piece in the quintessential 1950's style.
I am creating my garment on my knitting machine. Just as the 1950s are defined by ease, convenience, and mechanization, allowing for more leisure time, I explore these ideals of perfection by machine knitting neat, concise stitches and even texture - not to mention that it is faster than hand knitting! I have taken the pattern elements of the Boomerang Chair, and reinterpreted them on the skirt through a technique called intarsia. The styling of the garment itself is a nod to a classic 1950s playsuit – the ultimate feminine, leisure time ensemble, but with less modesty. You'll have to come to the show to see the finished piece for yourself, but here's a teaser of my work in progress.
The evening will be filled with history, excitement, and fine fashion! May 15th from 7pm to 11 pm at the Minnesota History Center.
Tickets are $15 or $12 for members
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