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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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It is one of the biggest cultural events on the planet. But at its core, this is a giant high-end costume party.
To New York now, where the glitterati have gathered in a range of wild outfits for this year's Met Gala. Celebrities, musicians, actors and even YouTube stars proud the carpet in flamboyant outfits celebrating the theme.
It's actually a fundraising event for the museum's Costume Institute.
Flash bulbs, spectacle, outfits engineered to break the internet. But behind all of this is a story of sharp turns, near misses, and a few moments where this whole thing almost didn't happen.
World history in terms of costume and dress would have been lost to an extent that I don't think people understand today.
And if it wasn't for a handful of women, a huge chunk of fashion history would have disappeared.
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Chapter 2: What is the history behind the Met Gala's theme of Costume Art?
There were 500 pieces in this collection.
It's quite large, especially if you think about how expensive these pieces are.
This collection belonged to a very serious looking woman. Very strong eyebrows and wavy dark hair. And as far as every photo I can see of her, quite pursed lips. Irene Lewison. But who exactly was that?
Well, she was a socialite, a philanthropist, and she was in charge of a theatre company. So she was a wealthy woman from the New York scene that was interested in art. So you just have to think about it as some very wealthy people collect paintings or sculptures, and Irene was interested in clothing.
In 1937, she co-founded the Museum of Costume Art to promote fashion as, well, art, something with cultural significance.
to have a space where people could study these costumes, both for other designers to see it, for students interested in these costumes, but also to preserve costumes as an art form. She wanted to bring the same attention that other forms of arts had to clothing. So that's why she created it into a museum.
The museum sort of bubbles along, and then in 1944, sadly, Irene dies of lung cancer. And at that point, the collection that she and the Museum of Costume Art have amassed, it's now 8,000 pieces. And suddenly that collection, and indeed the future of the whole museum, hangs in the balance.
The museum was quite well organized with a board constituted of very important women in the fashion scene in New York City. So some of them, led by Eleanor Lambert, who was a very famous publicist in the fashion scene and in the art world, together with Dorothy Shaver, who was the president of one of the biggest department stores in New York City.
They decide to save these costumes and to do something with them. They didn't want to let this museum die.
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Chapter 3: Who was Irene Lewison and why is she significant to fashion history?
I don't think so. I think what Diana Breland did many times goes undiscussed. It's something that is a myth of the past because everyone wants to take credit about the grandeur of the Met Gala. I don't think they would have found the same path to spectacle.
If we go all the way back to really the woman that kind of is the genesis of this, Irene, with that incredible collection of costumes from the beginning... What do you think she would make of what's become of her costume collection and the annual spectacle that's kind of held in its honour?
Well, Irene had one goal. She wanted to have costume considered as art and fashion considered as art. And that, it has happened. But what I think that she never saw coming was that this would be happening in one of the biggest museums of the world. I don't think she could imagine the extent to which this would grow.
If that collection had been thrown away, what would have been lost? What sort of pieces are we talking about?
I think world history in terms of costume and dress. would have been lost to an extent that I don't think people understand today. I think these discussions about is fashion art, is costume art, is dress something important to preserve, continue to be a site of contention. It's not that it is solved. It's an amazing part of history.
Elizabeth, thank you for taking us through the story of these incredible women that have brought us this incredible event.
Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
Dr. Elizabeth Lundén is from the Library of Congress in the United States. This episode was produced by Zoe Ferguson and Rebecca Metcalfe.
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Chapter 4: How did the Museum of Costume Art come into existence?
Sound engineering by Simon Branthwaite. Now, if you've got a story idea, a weird little historical kernel that you think we should dig into, you know the deal. No one saw it coming at abc.net.au. I'm going to say it again. No one saw it coming at abc.net.au. No One Saw It Coming is made on Gadigal land in Sydney, Australia for ABC Radio National.
I'm Mark Finnell and I'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Bye.
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