Posted by:
Sarah Glenn

Conservation of a Vionnet Dress: Treatment begins…

The dress appears much dirtier in the bright conservation studio than in the dark store! The first stage of any garment treatment is to assess the object thoroughly: by looking...

Conservation

Conservation of a Vionnet Dress

This beautiful dress was designed by Madeline Vionnet in 1937 and was given to the V&A in 1968 by Cecil Beaton. It will be on display in the Horst: Photographer of Style...

The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 - 2014

Revealed: Creating undergarments for a Gucci dress

The Peek-a-Boo evening dress, so called because of its revealing cut out feature and provocatively low neckline, was designed by Tom Ford for Gucci’s Autumn/Winter 2004/5...

The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 - 2014

Well Heeled: Consolidating and stabilising a shoe sole

This shoe (T.143-1983) was made by Magli in cream patent leather with a polyurethane (ester) heel. The sole of the heel had become brittle and had broken into pieces. A tracing of...

The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 - 2014

Conserving a Pucci classic

This bikini with a classic Pucci pattern required an interventive treatment and mounting process before it could be displayed in the upcoming exhibition. The polyurethane foam...

Conservation

It’ll never last…. A Ferragamo patent shoe

Written by Sarah Glenn, Textile Conservator This Ferragamo ‘Vara’ pump shoe (T.91-1988) is going on display next year in The Glamour of Italian Fashion: 1945-2014. Ferragamo...

Conservation

Seeing the Unseen

Part of a Conservator’s job is to identify the materials used to create objects. One way of ‘seeing the unseen’ is by using X-radiography, which can reveal some interesting...

Conservation

From Club to Catwalk: From Studio to Gallery

Conservation and costume mounting work on the soon-to-be-open display of Club to Catwalk: Fashion from the 1980s is coming to fruition. Objects and mannequins are making their way...

Conservation

The Helmet

The helmet was treated by Andy Thackeray, an intern in Furniture Conservation. He describes his treatment below. - Cracked and lifting lacquer on the iron substrate rim of the...

Conservation

The head and arms

The head and arms of the Iki-ningyo were treated by Sofia Marques in sculpture conservation and Richard Mulholland in paper conservation. It appears that there is a very fine top...

Conservation

Sleeves

The sleeve on the armour was in the worst condition (in terms of the textiles) of all the pieces that made up the armour, and required the most intricate treatment. The silk...

Conservation

Thighguards

The thighguards are made from lacquer, lacing and silk damask. The damask was splitting in some areas and needed to be supported. First they were cleaned using a low suction...

Conservation

Textiles: Dyeing support fabric

Currently the furniture and textile conservators are working on the armour, with the textile work estimated at over 250 hours work. The textile conservation treatment requires a...

Conservation

Beginnings

As with all of the objects that make their way through the conservation department, the first job is to do a full assessment of the object. Each of the conservation departments...