The Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising is celebrating CSU’s 150th birthday with a special presentation of clothing worn by CSU women.
The exhibit, titled “Women Wear at CSU,” will be displayed on a rotating basis during the 2019-20 academic year. It will feature items of apparel on loan from women-identifying employees at CSU.
Fashion is often thought to be a frivolous pursuit, and is often equated with frivolous women, according to Avenir Curator Katie Knowles. She said this exhibit pushes back against that notion, recognizing the many ways that women choose to dress themselves and the importance of clothing and fashion in expressing identities. Whether it is a cozy pair of slippers that comfort tired feet or a well-tailored suit for leading meetings, women choose clothing that communicates who they are.
“Our goal is to be as inclusive as possible, and we welcome help in identifying people across the university whose contributions are often overlooked or underappreciated,” Knowles said.
About the exhibit
The exhibit will be displayed in the museum’s Lucile E. Hawks Gallery, named for a museum benefactor and CSU alumna (’58). Each item of apparel will be accompanied by comments from the owners about their contributions to CSU, and the story of the item they chose to represent themselves.
Those who would like to participate are being asked to fill out a questionnaire, which is being provided by Knowles. She can be reached at Katie.Knowles@colostate.edu, 970-491-0628, or 1574 Campus Delivery.
A second exhibit planned for next year, “Proud to Wear: CSU150,” will feature CSU memorabilia and apparel. Contributions to that exhibit are also welcome; those interested in providing items for the Avenir Museum’s permanent collection of CSU garb can contact Knowles.
The Avenir Museum is in the Department of Design and Merchandising, part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
