Newly renovated Hillestad Gallery unveiled in 'Little Black Dress' exhibit

Austerity, rebellion, anonymity, power and allurement. These are among the themes presented in the exhibit "Power and Pragmatism: Beyond the Little Black Dress," Oct. 12-Nov. 6 in the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The Department of Clothing, Textiles and Design will unveil its newly renovated gallery and showcase its historic costume collection in an exhibit of black clothing curated by UNL textiles, clothing and design professor Barbara Trout. The exhibit includes 48 garments, the earliest being a lace dress from the late 1860s, and the newest, a sweater designed in 1983 by Japanese deconstructionist fashion designer Rei Kawakubo.

An opening reception and public lecture is 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14 and will feature commentary on the power of wearing black presented by Trout and Harriet McLeod, assistant professor of textiles, clothing and design. Exciting original garments by students of the department will be modeled. Guests are encouraged to pull their favorite black attire from their closets and come dressed in black.

The process of pulling together a large group of black garments not limited to the "little black dress" results in several messages on the subject of dress and adornment. The grouping points out the practical, conservative nature of Nebraska dress in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 48 garments in the exhibition represent only a small portion of the total number of black garments in the collection. When grouped together they supply evidence of the refined cut and sculptural quality of black dress in relation to the body.

Limiting the selection to black allows the viewer to read the depth and richness of the fabrics and to focus on the wide range of surface treatments used on the garments. These include beadwork, applique and tunnel stitching. Many of the items are functioning as garments for work, for exercise and for mourning. The variety of types of garments span over 100 years and reveal various meanings. City dwellers' dress bridges day and night; the anti-fashion statements of young designers challenge conservative notions of propriety.

An exhibit of this depth is really only possible because of the donors who make a conscious decision to preserve important items of dress by donating these item to UNL's Textiles Clothing and Design collection, in the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design in the College of Education and Human Sciences. One such donor is Katie Best of Omaha, some of whose garments are included in the exhibition. She is a longtime collector and member of the Costume Society of America.

Although the exhibit explores the range of motives for wearing black, it will include several renditions of not only the "little black dress," but the "powerful black suit." One example is a rich velvet shirt dress by Anne Fogarty, donated by the late Mary Louise Babst, one of Lincoln's fashion authorities. Another donor, Marjorie Woods, has played a significant role in building the late 20th century part of the historic costume collection. The 1960s designers represented in her donations include Pierre Cardin and Norman Norell. James Galanos will be represented thanks to donations from Joan Furr. Other garments of note are a wool swimming suit from the 1890s and a rare lace jacket featuring pagoda sleeves and botanical motifs. This range of garments explores concepts related to the roles that dress plays in embodying uniformity on the one hand, and individuality on the other.

The Hillestad Gallery is part of the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences and is located on the second floor of the Home Economics Building, north of 35th Street and East Campus Loop. The gallery is open to the public without charge Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends by special request. Call (402) 472-2911 to request weekend opening. The gallery is closed during university holidays and between shows.