kleibacker's class act

Excellent craftsmanship humbles me. I visited "Kleibacker's Class Act: Storied Designers/Women of Note" at the Columbus Museum of Art, and saw 43 perfectly constructed garments made between 1904 and 2008. Boy, do I have a long way to go.

mini-dress detail, Paco Rabanne, late 1960's

ball gown detail, attributed to Jaques Doucet, 1904

Look at the attention paid to finishing on that sequined hem. Holy moly. And even though this next photo is blurry,  you can just make out the single thread holding the draping in place along the arm. 

evening dress detail, Yves Saint Laurent, 1990's

I entered the exhibit through the side gallery, so I did not see the single "No photos please" sign until I exited by the main entrance. Too late. But I did not use a flash, and I touched nothing. Except the 1960's Charles Kleibacker muslins that had sign inviting me to do so.

bodice muslin detail, Charles Kleibacker, 1960's

Do you see what I see? The seams are clipped at the side seam along the curve at the waist, but instead of just being cut perpendicular to the seam they are clipped at an angle. That means the cuts are on the bias so they won't unravel. Genius! And that attention to detail is on a muslin mock-up. The Keinbacker muslin corner was my favorite part of the whole exhibit, and I would make a trip back to the museum just to look at them again. 

If you happen to find yourself in Columbus, Ohio, the exhibit runs through July 5th.