About Time: Fashion and Duration

Iris van Herpen (Dutch, born 1984). Dress, fall/winter 2012–13 haute couture. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Iris van Herpen, in honor of Harold Koda, 2016 (2016.185). Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978). Ball Gown, 1951. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Coulson, 1964 (2009.300.1311). Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope
Dresses by Iris van Herpen and Charles James, 2012 and 1951. Photos © Nicholas Alan Cope. Image: Costume Institute.

The PatternVault blog turns nine today! It’s been a pleasure writing about vintage fashion for you, for almost a decade.

Speaking of the passage of time, this year’s major Costume Institute show, About Time: Fashion and Duration, also considers questions of style and temporality.

Planned to mark the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 150th anniversary, the spring-summer exhibit has been postponed to open on October 29, 2020 (closing February 7, 2021). Luckily, thanks to Yale University Press, the exhibition catalogue is available to purchase, or preview online.

Book cover for About Time: Fashion & Duration by Andrew Bolton, 2020
Andrew Bolton, About Time: Fashion & Duration (Metropolitan Museum of Art 2020) Design: Joseph Logan and Anamaria Morris. Image: Yale / Google Books.

The preview — and exquisite black-and-white photography by Nicholas Alan Cope — gives a taste of the garments selected for the now-postponed exhibition. Curator Andrew Bolton pairs Drecoll with Rick Owens, and a WW1 Red Cross uniform with current-season Margiela by Galliano.

Dinner dress by Christoph Drecoll, ca. 1912. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope
Dinner dress by Christoph Drecoll, ca. 1912. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope. Image: Yale / Google Books.
Rick Owens Fall/Winter 2007-8. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope
Rick Owens Fall/Winter 2007-8. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope. Image: Yale / Google Books.
American Red Cross uniform, 1918. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope
American Red Cross uniform, 1918. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope. Image: Yale / Google Books.
John Galliano for Martin Margiela Spring 2020. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope
John Galliano for Martin Margiela Spring 2020. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope. Image: Yale / Google Books.

As I noted on Twitter, About Time also includes a look at the McQueen dress that is SHOWstudio’s latest Design Download.

Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2020. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope
Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2020. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope. Image: Yale / Google Books.
Detail, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2020. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope
Detail, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2020. Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope. Image: Yale / Google Books.

Happy blogiversary to me, and happy sesquicentennial to the Met!

Free Designer Pattern: Mary Quant Georgie Dress

Georgie dress by Mary Quant (ca. 1962) Image: V&A.

As part of its recent Mary Quant exhibit, the V&A shared a pattern for an early Quant design. The Georgie dress dates to the Bazaar days, before Quant’s deal with Butterick.

Photo: Richard Davis. Image: Harper’s Bazaar.
King's Road plaque: Dame Mary Quant, Fashion Designer, opened her boutique Bazaar on this site in 1955
King’s Road Bazaar plaque. Image: Fashion Network.

The V&A’s Georgie dress— purchased new in Truro, Cornwall — is striped cotton lined with cotton batiste.

'Georgie' dress, Mary Quant, 1962, England. Museum no. T.74-2018. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Given by Sarah E. Robinson
Georgie dress by Mary Quant, ca. 1962. Gift of Sarah E. Robinson. Image: V&A.

As Quant’s archive shows, the dress was also available in taffeta-lined chiffon as the Rosie, in black, pink, or jade.

1960s design for 'Georgie' and 'Rosie' dress by Mary Quant
Design for ‘Georgie’ and ‘Rosie’ dress by Mary Quant (ca. 1961-65) Image: V&A.

The Georgie pattern was developed from Quant’s original by London’s Alice & Co Patterns, a mother and daughter team with a connection to the museum: the younger generation, Lilia Prier Tisdall, works there as a costume display specialist.

Mary Quant’s Georgie dress in Ray Stitch fabric. Sewing pattern designed by Alice and Co Patterns. Image © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The dress has a surplice bodice, three-quarter sleeves, pleated skirt, and sash belt. For the original’s lively, reverse stripe effect, cut the skirt on a different grain than the sleeves and bodice.

Technical drawing for Mary Quant’s Georgie dress. Image: V&A.

The pattern gives detailed instructions, including for the pleated trim.

Making the Georgie dress. Image: V&A.

Download the Georgie dress pattern. (Instructions here.) The pattern has 7 pieces, arranged in 3 formats: A0, A4, and US Letter. Test square included to check scale.

Size: Two size ranges, UK 6–16 and 18–22

Yardage: 4m (4.5 yds) of 45″ fabric, 1m (1 1/8 yds) lining

Recommended fabrics: Soft cotton, cotton blends, or glazed cotton.

Seam allowance: 1cm (3/8″)

Notions: 56 cm (22″) flat zipper, interfacing for belt.

Notes: Skirt, frill, and belt pieces are to be drafted.

Click here for more instalments in my Free Designer Patterns series.

Georgie dress by Mary Quant, ca. 1962. Gift of Sarah E. Robinson. Image: V&A.