By Anya Haber
ScadConnector
Jan. 14, 2016
Museum of Fashion and Film’s exhibition “Embellished: Adornment Through the Ages,” open until Sunday, Jan. 29, features a collection that has never been on display in the U.S. – until now.
The exhibition, a collection of unique accessories from the 1700’s-1960’s, details a timeline of fashion and its relationship between form and function.
More intriguing than the accessories themselves are the socio-political stories surrounding them. Although on the surface, these pieces are just mere accessories, they tell a story of the ever-changing historical and political landscape.
One trend, highlighted as the exhibition advances in year, is the ever-changing purses of different decades. The first female handbags were made by their owners because there wasn’t an industry or profession dedicated to the construction of bags. The initial purses were first worn underneath clothing, attached to the waistline. However, as the construction of clothing’s chosen waistline evolved, the evolution of the handbag followed, becoming more elaborate and ornate once they became accessories visible outside the garment. A similar pattern between the relationship of skirts and shoes emerged as well.