Introduction Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details. Sherlock Holmes, A Case of Identity (1892) Danielle Whitfield 2
Introduction Danielle Whitfield You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. Sherlock Holmes, The Scandal in Bohemia (1892) ny gallery archive contains a large number of works that remain unattributed – ‘makers unknown’. Anonymous and often inscrutable, these objects have the capacity to excite our curiosity at a time when the world is besieged by brands and logos. Within fashion especially, the contrast between today’s superstar couturiers and the nameless dressmakers and tailors of earlier centuries could not be greater. Fashion Detective takes a selection of miscellaneous nineteenth-century garments and accessories from the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection as the starting point for a series of investigations. Using material evidence, forensics and newly commissioned fictions as alternate interpretative strategies, the exhibition is an encounter with the art of detection. Taking its cue from tropes of Victorian crime fiction, Fashion Detective is divided into a series of ‘cases’ that present the visitor with different investigative paths and narrative opportunities. From fakes and forgeries to poisonous dyes, concealed clues and mysterious marks to missing persons, the exhibition places objects under close examination. Each case follows a specific course of analysis that encourages thinking differently about what we see and what we know. Fashion Detective is not intended as a comprehensive study of nineteenth-century dress. Rather, it is an exhibition about modes of investigation; about leads, encounters, discoveries, stories, science and speculation. It is about the detective work that curators and conservators undertake, and what this can reveal. Ultimately it is about questions – many of which will never be answered. Reading fashion Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details. Sherlock Holmes, A Case of Identity (1892) Learning how to ‘read’ a dress has been an important concern for fashion studies scholars in recent years. Drawing on the work of art historian Jules Prown, Valerie Steele, Director and Chief Curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, describes the process as involving three stages: description, deduction and speculation. 1 The description stage records the physical characteristics and features of a garment, including its measurements, medium, construction details, style, colour, texture, use and wear. It establishes whether or not an object is complete, whether it has been altered or repaired and flags questions about authenticity. The deduction stage involves reflection on the sensory interaction between ‘object and the perceiver’. 2 It considers the garment in terms of how it would have been worn, what it might feel like to wear, what it reveals about the wearer’s taste or social status and how it compares to other examples. The speculation stage involves ‘framing [a] hypothesis and questions’ for testing against external evidence. These questions in turn drive specific paths of research. 3 Fashion and forgery I’d be more worried if my product wasn’t being copied. Miuccia Prada 4 Unknown (France), Bodice, c.1885 (label detail) The central question in ‘The case of the fake Worth’ is about attribution: is the labelled Bodice, c.1885, a fake couture garment? Is the label a forgery? While the answer is more complex than a simple yes or no, detailed object-based analysis was essential to the conclusion. Clues gleaned from the garment’s construction (stitching, pattern pieces, boning, finishing techniques, alterations, labelling and fabric choice), stylistic analysis (knowledge of the designer’s oeuvre) and historical research all formed part of the material evidence. Mary Richardson, Sampler, 1783 3
- Page 1 and 2: Danielle Whitfield
- Page 3: Foreword Fashion Detective is an ex
- Page 7 and 8: Unknown, England, Dress, c.1865 (de
- Page 9 and 10: Within the exhibition, four ghostly
- Page 11 and 12: Unknown, Australia, Dress, c.1865 1
- Page 13 and 14: Unknown, Australia, Wedding dress,
- Page 15 and 16: 14 The case of the fake Worth
- Page 17 and 18: Evidence According to Worth’s bio
- Page 19 and 20: THE REAL McCOY He followed her to a
- Page 21 and 22: Unknown, Australia, Waistcoat, 1890
- Page 23 and 24: 23 The case of the poisonous pigmen
- Page 25 and 26: x 1E3 Pulses 5 Calcium 19th century
- Page 27 and 28: Sulari Gentill eginald Kane was unt
- Page 29 and 30: 29 The secret in the doll’s dress
- Page 31 and 32: In the nineteenth century paper was
- Page 33 and 34: PAPER PIECING It is exquisite. Piec
- Page 35 and 36: It is a perfect fit. It requires no
- Page 37 and 38: 37 The case of the fraudulent fur
- Page 39 and 40: Evidence On examination it can be s
- Page 41 and 42: ESCAPE FROM GRANTCHESTER MANOR It i
- Page 43 and 44: I probably have a few days, thought
- Page 45 and 46: List of works Note to reader The li
- Page 47 and 48: Unknown, England Sailor suit (c.190
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