AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Textile conservators are often faced with borrowing techniques and materials that originate from other industries. In this case study, knowledge from the theater costume, millinery, and couture fashion communities was utilized in developing a treatment for restoring the original design intent of a pink faille dress designed by African American designer Ann Lowe in the mid 1960s. Prior to display in Ann Lowe: American Couturier at Winterthur in 2023, conversations with the individual lender led to the decision to replace the original twenty-two pink ostrich feathers attached to the dress with modern feathers. The original feathers had become very fragile and flattened over time, therefore new feathers would honor the original artistic liveliness and intent of Ann Lowe’s design. White ostrich feathers were purchased from a specialized feather supplier in New York City and with advice from feather-related sources, the feathers were cut, washed, dyed, and curled to match an archival photo of the dress during its runway premier. In collaboration with Winterthur’s objects conservators, the feathers were curled using steam, a hair curler, and a diluted Aquazol-based “conservation hairspray” to keep the curls in place, an adhesive not commonly used in textile conservation. Storage systems were developed for the new and old feathers as well. This project was atypical for textile conservation treatment, however fashion objects frequently present new challenges and materials that require learning in action.