Historic Costume Collection

The Mount Mary College Historic Costume Collection serves as an educational, scholarly, and artistic resource for Mount Mary students and the Milwaukee community. The Collection preserves and exhibits historically significant garments and accessories, as well as fashion art, tools and periodicals. The collection's strength lies in its holdings of 20th century women's couture and ready-to-wear garments.

With over 9,000 pieces dating from 1750 to the present donated by local, national, and international sources, the Collection includes pieces from notable women with Wisconsin ties such as the chanteuse Hildegarde, designer Florence Eiseman, and actress Lynn Fontanne. Complimenting the collection are various garments from designers Chanel, Patou, Adrian, Irene, Charles James, Madame Gres and Karl Lagerfeld.

The Historic Costume Collection is supported by the Friends of Fashion, a philanthropic group which raises funds for the preservation of the Collection. Become a Friend of Fashion; contact (414) 443-3639. Questions regarding private tours, in-kind or financial contributions can be directed to the curator, Elizabeth Gaston.

The Fashion Department annually rotates the display in the Walter and Olive Stiemke Memorial Hall on the second floor of Notre Dame Hall. The exhibit is free and open to the public, however, the space is often reserved for meetings so please call ahead to ensure viewing is a possibility, (414) 258-4810.

Previous Exhibits at Mount Mary College

• View Art in Fashion in full screen.

  Art in Fashion - 2011 to 2012 (at right)
• Signature Style - 2010 to 2011
  
• Fashionable Milwaukee - 2009 to 2010
  
• Chic Shapes: The Architecture of Fashion - 2008 to 2009
  
• All the World's a Stage - 2007 to 2008
  
• Designed by Women:
  Fashions from 1900 to the present - 2006 to 2007
  
• The Designer's Eye: The Historic Costume Collection of Charles Kliebacker - 2005 to 2006 (lower right)
  
• Fantasy of Nature: Fashion, Flora and Fauna - 2004 to 2005
  
• Looking the Part: Lynn Fontanne - 2003 to 2004

See samples from previous exhibits.