What We Wore

Bonnie Cashin

This rotation focuses on American designer Bonnie Cashin. In an effort to further illustrate her main philosophy of designing for the “Woman on the Go,” the clothing has been displayed in a way that shows motion and the ability to mix and match different pieces to create an outfit. The graphics further reflect her guiding principles by creating a sense of motion through graphic elements. Vinyl quotes on all sides of the glass allow Bonnie to speak for herself.

This case came to fruition through extensive collaboration with curator Jeanine Head Miller and the THF Conservation Team who worked on making Bonnie Cashin’s clothes appear as if in motion, as well as the THF Exhibits Team under the guidance of Kate Morland. A special thanks to Bradley Hinken and Bernard Wilson for their work installing the signage and mannequins.

Shoes

After my internship ended, I had the opportunity to once again collaborate with the Henry Ford team on the next What We Wore rotation as a freelance contractor. This time: shoes from throughout history.

The signage was designed with the vast number of shoes considered: in order to not overwhelm the onlooking guests, the graphics are simple and timeless, fading somewhat into the background, but making it easy to identify any of the pairs of shoes through images. A vinyl border on the top of the case showcases adjectives that describe the shoes.

In an effort to make it easy for guests to inspect every pair of shoes, the case was designed with a 360-view in mind. Each sign is double-sided as certain shoes can only really be seen from either the front or back side of the case. The acrylic structure which brilliantly disappears, making the shoes appear as if they are floating, was designed by Brian McLean and built by Brian, and Jared Wylie.

Once again, a shout out to Jeanine Head Miller for her informative and concise copy, as well as the THF Conservation Team, and Kate Morland and the THF Exhibit Team.