An exhibition at the Valentine in Richmond explores Virginia women and the social significance of fashion.
Fabric Department in St. Luke’s Emporium, 1905 Graphic reproduction.
Image courtesy of the Valentine
Upon entrance to Pretty Powerful: Fashion and Virginia Women, which opened earlier this year at the Valentine museum in Richmond, visitors are greeted by stories of women who’ve established a reign in retail. From Deborah Boschen, who champions the “slow fashion” movement focusing on ethically made long-lasting designs, to Maggie Lena Walker, who opened St. Luke’s Emporium department store to offer both affordable style and employment opportunities for African-American women in the city, the exhibition explores how women have empowered other women through fashion since the 19th century.
Put together by Kristen Stewart, the curator of costumes and textiles at the Valentine, Pretty Powerful presents the evolution of fashion and how it’s interwoven with Richmond history in three sections: millinery, dressmaking and design. At a time when hats defined a woman’s outfits, accessibility among different socioeconomic statuses provided personal expression. Dressmaking inspired female entrepreneurship, while design allowed women to take the forefront of the fashion world and adapt it to female needs.
Wedding Dress worn by Joyce Hayes Melton, 1953, Deliah Cheatham.
For Stewart, the representation of women designers, as well as support from Richmond women for those designers, in the Valentine’s 35,000-piece collection is what inspired her to build the exhibition.
“I want to celebrate the women who have made strides,” Stewart says. “I wanted to add to that conversation the many ways in which women have persisted and succeeded.”
Whether it’s the influence on women through day-to-night suits designed by Adele Simpson and Gloria Sachs or transcending race by Fannie Criss, a famous and exclusive African-American dressmaker, the exhibition shows how fashion has led to recognizing a woman’s capability in the workplace.
“Give her [a woman] a stitch and she’ll make … well, she’ll make a garment,” Stewart says.
Pretty Powerful is on display until Jan. 27, 2019. TheValentine.org
Other exhibitions at the Valentine:
Monumental: Richmond’s Monuments (1607-2018)
July 4, 2018 – Jan. 20, 2019
This exhibition, which explores the historical background of Richmond’s Confederate and public monuments, will include monuments such as the Newport Cross and the upcoming Emancipation Monument on Brown’s Island.
Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion
Feb. 14, 2019 – Dec. 1, 2019
As a follow-up to Monumental: Richmond’s Monuments, the exhibit will showcase submitted designs of architects, artists, individuals and more to conceptualize a different Monument Avenue as a means of starting a discussion about race and the significance of city landscapes.
Pandemic: Richmond
May 10, 2018 – Feb. 24, 2019
From smallpox and tuberculosis to polio and HIV/AIDS, Richmond has faced its fair share of pandemic outbreaks. Through images and collected stories, the exhibition acknowledges the impact of disease, as well as the issues of access for minorities and how it continues to shape the city.
Signs of the Times
In a display of vintage and contemporary neon signs, this exhibition represents how advertising techniques and Richmond businesses have grown and evolved in the past century.
This is Richmond, Virginia
With a combination of artifacts passed down in the last century to personal stories derived from these objects, the exhibition portrays Richmond’s history in terms of everything from the people and their beliefs to the economy and its geography.
