An End-of-the-Semester Fashion Friday FinaleMFA graduate student Christine Westrich spent the s

An End-of-the-Semester Fashion Friday Finale

MFA graduate student Christine Westrich spent the spring 2022 semester conducting an independent study in UWM Special Collections researching historical costume styles as a basis for creating her own contemporary fashion designs. Her diligent work in identifying and reviewing our resources resulted in dozens of original designs, which she blogged about on our Tumblr site every week. Her official study has now concluded, and she made her final post about her work last week.

Christine was a joy to work with, and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to help facilitate and guide her research. Now it is time for actual costumes to be made manifest from her designs, and Christine is beginning that process. Her first dress was made not only from her original design but also from patterned fabric of her design. It was completed, or is near completion under her fashion label, CHCH. The dress is shown here against all the patterns she completed this semester, along with details of the finishes. This CHCH dress bears a likeness to the Egyptian Necklace Dress she designed earlier this semester (also shown here). The main differences are sleeveless rather than fluttering sleeves, center slit rather than side slit, and waist & necktie rather than jewels. Her original fabric pattern is called “Gorgeous,” and its colorful grid pattern required making these modifications.

Christine also conducted a parallel independent study this semester with Senior Lecturer in Costume Design Kathleen Donnelly in the UWM Theatre Department. Also shown here is an embroidered design Christine produced for an apron used in the spring UWM production of Stephen Sondheim‘s musical Into the Woods. 

Congratulations Christine on an engaging and productive spring semester!

Viewall ten of Christine Westrich’s posts on historical fashion research in Special Collections.

Viewmore Fashion Friday posts.