By Kaitlyn Munro
Have you ever wandered through a fashion exhibit and noticed the mannequins? Most of the time you shouldn’t! A lot of hard work goes into making them look effortlessly dressed. So, we wanted to share some behind the “seams” process photos of the Caring for Textiles team working on an exhibit that just opened at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, Roaring Twenties: The Life and Style of Marjorie Merriweather Post.
Interestingly, this exhibit showcases just a small portion of the stunning dresses and accessories Mrs. Post wore throughout the 1920s. Dresses from this time period are notoriously challenging to display. Whisper thin silks are dripping with beads and bedazzled with rhinestones, making them heavy and quite fragile. Consequently, every dress must be handled with extreme caution.
Each dress presents its own unique support requirements 
so no mannequin is alike
Dressing process: getting the costume Mrs. Post called “Midnight” ready to party again!
This silk crêpe costume was worn by Marjorie Merriweather Post at the Everglades Ball on February 25, 1926. The Everglades Ball was a fancy dress ball held annually at the Everglades Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Want to know what’s behind these sheets?
Check out the exhibit in person, open now through January 9, 2022.
Click here more information about visiting Hillwood.
The mechanics of display support are absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much
You always do such a nice job, Julia! Can’t wait to see the exhibit.
This looks so wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
Love these behind the scenes photos. What incredible dresses, well done!
Julia you all did such a great job. Your love for your work really shows. Can I have the red cape lol
I know the choice of mannequins is usually an editorial one (heads or not? posed or not? etc) but this is an aspect I’d never considered. So great to see the invisible work behind the display!
Julia–quite fascinating–your work and the costumes (too elegant to be called dresses).
Took me a while…..Fun to read about what goes on ‘behind the seams’!(this titel too!) I always loved our costume department! Thanks ❤️ Julia