#8. Unveiling History: Pauline Trigère's Garments at FIT Museum

FIT archive of Pauline Trigere

One of my very first Pauline Trigère research journeys was at my alma mater, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. After reviewing FIT’s digital archive of Pauline Trigère garment images, I selected five garments and made an appointment to exam them up close. The original purpose of my Trigère book was simply to make a full compilation of Ms.Trigère’s garments to document her trademarks styles and preserve her legacy. Much like one of my favorite books on designer Madeline Vionnet, (written by Jacqueline Demornex and published by Rizzoli), the beautiful photographs of the intricate seaming details are inspiring especially for designers to learn from. Whenever I see a particular silhouette or seaming detail, I get excited and have a tremendous respect for the genius of the creator. One of the garments from this appointment was a satin cape and dress combo in green and orange, the architectural shape was a very distinctive signature Trigère cut. A version with a different color combo in blue and green was on the cover of the 1962 November issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine. The same silhouette with a longer cape also was beautifully illustrated in a sketch by Fred Greenhill in the September issue of Vogue magazine two years earlier. I will have a separate blog later on this particular silhouette as it is as timeless and just as modern today. Vintage Trigère garments have been worn by Sara Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep and Kate Moss. I love the quote Ms.Trigère give at her acceptance of Legion of Honor Award ceremony in regard to the "future of fashion", Ms.Trigere's answer was: "Vintage."

November 21, December 19, 2017