1948 Molyneux
Recreation
I created a muslin reconstruction of a 1943 Molyneux women’s suit to serve as an interactive component for an upcoming exhibition, Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities, curated by Dr. Colleen Hill (spring 2025).
I drafted a pattern through a combination of taking measurements from the original garment and tracing the seams of the garment with Tyvek. These two techniques were used to ensure accuracy despite the distortion of the wool fabric through wear. The dress was created in undyed muslin, with polyfelt batting used to create volume such as the shoulder pads and padded belt.
The toile will become a part of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Graduate Study toile collection after the exhibition closes.
The toile & the original ensemble installed in the exhibition Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities (spring 2025, The Museum at FIT).
Molyneux (1891 - 1974), Dress, c. 1948. Wool houndstooth. Gift of Mrs. Ephraim London, Mrs. Rowland Mindlin & Mrs. Walter Eytan In Memory of Mrs. M. Lincoln Schuster. The large pockets at the hips of this dress by Molyneux protrude even when empty. Rather than function as a replacement for a woman’s handbag, the pockets help to create the illusion of a narrower waist, corresponding to the fashionable postwar silhouette.
Muslin toile, version 3.
Preliminary measurements & patterning of the sleeve pieces. The wool check had likely been steam shaped during construction, and had felted and warped due to the heat & moisture of being worn, especially at the armhole. Due to these distortions, patterning was complex. I used a line of checks as a point of reference, measuring out & up to plot points on the armhole curve.
Detail of the bound buttonholes on the third iteration of the toile, while in the process of placing the pockets.