The FIDM Museum & Library, Inc. was founded in 1978 to serve the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and the community. Since January 1999, the museum’s operations have been separate from the Library in order to offer more specialized care and attention to the specific needs of a costume collection, and museum-trained personnel have been added to the staff.
The FIDM Museum and Library, Inc. collects, preserves, and interprets fashion objects and support materials with outstanding design merit. It fosters student learning, public engagement, and recognition of the creative arts and entertainment industries by providing access to the collections through exhibitions, publications, and other research opportunities.
The museum is located on the ground floor of the Los Angeles campus of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and houses a collection of over 12,000 costumes, accessories and textiles from the 18th century through the present day, including film and theater costume. The FIDM Museum also houses the early Hollywood Costume Collection on loan from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Parks and Recreation. It presents the annual Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition at the galleries.
“FIDM Museum exhibitions are our gift to students and the community. Additionally, we want to acknowledge the generosity of all of our donors and supporters—past, present, and future—for their assistance in helping us to provide students, researchers, designers, and the public with resources to examine the role of historic fashion”
The FIDM Museum and Library, Inc. collects, preserves, and interprets fashion objects and support materials with outstanding design merit. It fosters student learning, public engagement, and recognition of the creative arts and entertainment industries by providing access to the collections through exhibitions, publications, and other research opportunities.
History:
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising was founded in 1969 by current FIDM President Tonian Hohberg. Hohberg envisioned an exciting learning environment where students could master art and design disciplines. FIDM has grown to encompass 25 majors on four campuses: San Francisco, Orange County, San Diego, and the original Downtown Los Angeles location. In 1973, the Fashion Design Department realized that design students would better understand textile drape, pattern structure, and finishing techniques if they had access to representative garments. Staff and faculty responded by raiding their personal closets to assemble the fledgling Museum’s first “collection.” The nonprofit entity FIDM Museum and Library, Inc. was formally established in 1978, and the institution was met with immediate enthusiasm. The initial holdings were enhanced by a generous gift of French haute couture ensembles from founding donor Betsy Bloomingdale.
As the years passed, the FIDM Museum grew along with the college. In 1985, the estate of Rudi Gernreich bequeathed the designer’s extensive archive to the FIDM Museum. When a new Los Angeles campus was constructed in 1990, the design incorporated designated storage for the Museum’s objects. Community outreach attracted new donors, as did the rotating Museum displays on FIDM campuses. The FIDM Gallery opened in 1993, providing a permanent exhibition space. The Museum began mounting exhibitions ranging from California sportswear to Hollywood costumes. In appreciation of the community’s longstanding and generous support, exhibitions are always free to the public.
During the 1990s, a curatorial department was established, the galleries expanded to 8,000 square feet, and the Museum Shop was opened. In 1998, the collection was divided into the research-oriented Permanent Collection and the hands-on Study Collection. In the intervening years, the Museum converted to a digital database, constructed state-of-the-art compact storage areas, and acquired the Annette Green Fragrance Archive. The Gianni Versace Menswear Archive is a recent standout acquisition, along with the Michel Arnaud Photography Archive. The caliber, connoisseurship, and interpretation of the Museum collections have grown and expanded toward educational exhibitions, documentary productions, catalogue publications, a respected blog presence, and social media activities.
Thanks to thousands of generous donors, the FIDM Museum Collections currently hold over 15,000 objects covering more than 200 years of history. Because the Museum focuses on the design merits of high fashion, most of the collections are dedicated to fashionable women’s dress, and acquisitions are determined primarily by how well an object represents its time period and a designer’s oeuvre. The collection also includes folk dress and non-Western garments. Accessories are another vital component, exhibited separately or used for head-to-toe mannequin dressing, helping to establish a complete understanding of how fashion is worn. Auxiliary ephemera such as periodicals, patterns, and photographs support the study of design by defining historical contexts. Additionally, interior textiles, swatch books, and embroidery samples complement the fashion holdings and ensure a rich understanding of related disciplines.
Collection
The collections of the FIDM Museum & Galleries span more than 200 years of fashion history. From Parisian haute couture to iconic film costumes and one-of-a-kind accessories, our collections offer a comprehensive overview of fashion’s key moments and most important tastemakers.
The FIDM Museum Permanent Collection contains 15,000 objects representing over 200 years of fashion history, including haute couture and ready-to-wear, non-Western dress, film costumes, textiles, jewelry, and fragrance. Two major archives—Rudi Gernreich and Gianni Versace Menswear—are highlights of the museum’s collection. New objects are acquired by purchase or donation with the goal of enriching our current holdings. Objects from the Permanent Collection are used for exhibition and research. In order to protect the Permanent Collection, objects are only available for viewing during scheduled exhibitions, and by appointment.
Museum Collection
Women’s, Men’s, and children’s garments, and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present.
Study Collection
Hands-on resource for education and inspiration that includes women’s, men’s, children’s garments, and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present.
Rudi Gernreich Archive
Garments, accessories, jewelry, and housewares, as well as related patterns, correspondence, and press materials dating from 1950–1985.
Versace Menswear Archive
Outerwear, day and evening wear, jewelry, and accessories, as well as look books dating from 1982–1997.
Textile Collection
Panels, swatches, and ribbons dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, including a large collection of Wiener Werkstatte samples.
Jewelry Collection
Fine and costume jewelry dating from the 18th century to the present.
Hollywood Costume Collection
Film costume and accessories dating from 1920 to the present.
Fragrance Collection
Perfume bottles and packaging, cosmetics, and related ephemera dating from 1900 to the present.
Special Collections
Documentary materials including books, patterns, magazines, photographs, fashion illustrations, catalogs, and designer archives dating from 1800 to the present.
The Annette Green Perfume Museum is in permanent residence at the FIDM Museum & Galleries, located on the 2nd floor.
Research
The FIDM Museum Study Collection is a hands-on resource available for use by students and researchers. Consisting of 1,500 objects, the FIDM Museum Study Collection spans 200 years of fashion history. In addition to haute couture, ready-to-wear, and non-Western garments, the Study Collection also contains accessories, textiles, and garment trims. FIDM faculty and students from all majors are encouraged to use the Study Collection for research and design inspiration
Objects are available for study on all four FIDM campuses—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego—with the largest group of Study Collection objects residing in the FIDM Museum at the Los Angeles campus.