Tea and Titanic Exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Library

This week I attended afternoon tea at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library where I got to hear from Kevin L. Jones, a curator for the FIDM museum and library, who spoke to us about his work studying fashion and the apparel industry aboard the Titanic. The Ronald Reagan library is hosting a special exhibition on the Titanic this summer in celebration of the discovery of the Titanic shipwreck site in 1985. According to the exhibition the discovery occurred by accident during a top secret US Naval investigation of two wrecked nuclear submarines. The Cold War spygames between the US and the Soviet Union complicated things even more and President Reagan and his administration had to act quickly in order to ensure the mission remained classified as well as to protect the historic site. By the following year Reagan issued the 1986 RMS Titanic memorial act which designated the site as an international maritime memorial.
The exhibition included artifacts from the original shipwreck such as pocket watches and deck chairs. Besides artifacts from the wreckage the exhibit also included several iconic items from the 1997 film The Titanic which celebrated it's 20th anniversary this year. Costumes and props were displayed as well as the equipment used to explore the wreckage.

In order to recreate a scale replica of the ship for the film director James Cameron and his crew spent months at the site. However the first exploration mission was headed by Dr. Bob Ballard who descended 13,000 feet to the ocean floor in "Alvin" the metal sphere designed to withstand the deep sea pressures.

According to Mr. Jones the discovery of the Titanic shipwreck offered a look into the past and fashion was a huge part of the process of piecing together the lives of the 2, 222 passengers aboard the infamous ship. The Titanic was the place to be in 1912 and anybody who was somebody had booked a ticket for the maiden voyage on the extravagant oceanliner.

An original lifeboat from the Titanic

One of the most famous passengers and the inspiration for the character Rose Dekater in James Cameron's film was Charlotte Cardeza who was the daughter of textile magnate Thomas Drake. She was returning from a shopping trip in Paris with her son and brought onboard 14 trunks of clothing and jewelry she had purchased. She occupied the most expensive suite aboard the ship and later filed an insurance claim for 36,567 pounds or 4.2 million dollars in today's currency, against the White Star Line for her lost luggage. The detailed document includes 16 pages of her purchases and not only provides an amazing list of the types of items available during the time but also their prices and brands giving a look into the economics of the 19th century economy. The document is a fascinating look into the life of a turn of the century socialite and many brands listed are still around today including names like Tiffany and Co., Lord and Taylor and Louis Vuitton.

Jones also pointed out that there were several other notable guests on board the ship as well and many who worked in the fashion industry including the Strauss couple who owned Macy's department stores. He told us that besides the department store owners the ship also carried many goods for businesses of all kinds and there were over 49 fashion distributors waiting on cargo that would never arrive in the US. While those distributors may have never received their goods many interesting articles of clothing were later discovered in the wreckage including a bowler hat that had retained it's shape and texture for over 70 years while being submerged in 12,500 feet of water at over 6500 pounds of pressure per square inch.
According to Mr. Jones many other famous passengers traveling in the first class were also involved in the fashion industry including Edith Rosenbaum who was the chief correspondent for Women's Wear Daily. He said that although it was considered highly unusual for a young lady to travel unaccompanied on an ocean liner at the time she was determined not to miss out on the historical voyage. And she had no shortage of guests to report on either as John Jacob Astor the 5th and his new wife as well as the famous 1920s couturier known simply as Lucille were also on board. He also told us that Lucille was one of the first female fashion designers to be considered a couturier and she revolutionized the turn of the century silhouette for women by creating dresses that were both comfortable and functional in a breezy Grecian design. Many of her most notable clients were on board the ship as well.
Mr. Jones also pointed out that while the first class passengers included many famous names in the fashion industry the clothing and luggage from the 2nd class and steerage also provided much insight that was used in later films and research into the lives of the Titanic passengers. According to him one recovered photo and some luggage from one family traveling from Ireland in the steerage showed that although they were traveling in the lowest class aboard the Titanic they would have been considered as a more middle class status in most circles. He believes that since they were all traveling together they had purchased the least expensive tickets however their stylish clothing and new shoes provided clues that this was not a typical position for them. Unfortunately they never made it to America, as they like many other 3rd class passengers died on the ill fated voyage.
The exhibit concluded with a display on the aftermath of the wreckage including newspaper articles and advertisements that followed the shocking events.


Many surviving passengers arrived in New York with no resources or family so first class passenger Margaret Brown quickly took it upon herself to organize help for the stranded women and children and allowed many of them to stay in her hotel. She gained popularity for her work as the "unsinkable Molly Brown" and later appeared in a US savings bond advertisement.

After news broke that the Titanic had gone down it also spurred a Senate inquiry which led to changes in the shipping lanes for steamships in the North Atlantic.

Why Doesn't Sustainable Fashion Sell?

A post shared by SierraClair (@cerisesdumatin) on Mar 17, 2015 at 11:19am PDT

The fashion industry is no stranger to environmental issues. In fact several have even called the textile industry one of the biggest polluters in the world. Fast Fashion retailers and trends have contributed to the industry's environmental footprint in recent years. Americans are estimated to throw away around 12.8 million tons of clothes per year according to an article from the Yale school of Forestry and Environmental studies. That amounts to approximately 70-80 pounds per person which, according to some reports, is double what an American would have thrown away two decades ago. Many Americans don't realize that their donated clothes often end up in landfills thereby contributing to added waste.  When donated are sent overseas, it can negatively impact the local economy.  Industry standards for quality and wearability have also declined across the board from fast fashion to luxury brands.

The textile industries in places like China and India who produce the majority of the western world's textiles also contribute to waste as regulations are lax leading to the pollution of rivers and low cost dyeing processes overtax the water supply in these regions. Places like the FIDM institute of textile sciences in Los Angeles are constantly researching new and more environmentally friendly processes for producing textiles. Several startups around the US have already begun processes for breaking down recycled textiles to create even stronger and better materials such as Seattle based Evernu. In some cases companies are even growing their own textiles using chemical processes and organic materials like grapes. Designers have also been experimenting with bioprinting a process that uses bacteria to create pigments that are less damaging to the environment. 

Retail giants like Target and Macy's have also contributed to the decline in industry standards by enforcing increasingly strict return policies on last call discount items online and in store that encourage consumers to throw away clothes that they don't like or that don't fit rather than return them. Another problem that contributes to the throw away clothing culture is the decline of tailoring services and the one-size-fits-all retail mindset. Many stores that used to offer tailoring in store with the purchase of items like a dress or a suit no longer offer these services and local tailoring shops are few and far between. The ones that do exist are inundated with orders during busy times like prom season and can barely keep up with the demand because most dresses and suits still need some work after they have been purchased. Since many younger consumers don't have the skills to mend clothes that tear or replace lost buttons and tailoring isn't readily available their clothes end up in the trash even if they are still wearable. 

Several companies including fast fashion giant H&M have introduced recycling programs that give consumers discounts for donating old clothes, but so far the programs have only returned a fraction of the millions of clothes sold by these retailers every year. Consumer behavior still seemingly favors the fast fashion mindset of buying new clothes all the time rather than just a few times a year, making it hard for traditional brands to compete. However trends have also recently shown an increasing interest in more quality pieces and vintage or upcycled finds. Rather than trying to convince consumers to recycle their old clothes, brands that stand behind their products while still delivering stylish pieces are attracting attention from consumers tired of keeping up with the ever expanding retail calendar. 

Several American companies including Levi Strauss and Co., New Balance, and Misfit have also been working to create more sustainable processes for their products as well as use recycled or organic materials in their designs. Misfit, a company that creates fitness trackers and other wearable tech, partnered with Swarovski in 2015 to create an affordable solar powered activity tracker that eliminated the need for harmful lithium batteries. As fashion and technology continue to overlap, companies like Misfit are thinking about ways to reduce e-waste while still making stylish products. Creating and selling sustainable fashion seems like a good idea for brands looking to improve their image and increase sales, however often times the investment doesn't pay off as many consumers are still reluctant to purchase items marked "eco-friendly" or "made using recycled materials." 

The problem isn't that consumers don't want to purchase eco-friendly products though, but rather they fear a decreased quality or lifespan for the pieces as environmentally friendly products have a bad reputation of wearing out quickly. Consumers who are already tired of clothes that wear out after one or two washes are reluctant to purchase items that look more like a PR stunt than a product that will hold up to a brand's reputation. Unfortunately style and sustainability are still two competing concepts when it comes to the fashion industry and many brands that have a reputation for being eco-friendly also have a reputation for being boring and ill fitting. Brands that rely on environmentally conscious products as their only selling point lose the ability to appeal to a mainstream audience because they look more like a passing trend than a company that will make it in a competitive industry. Price is also a barrier to sustainable products and consumers are reluctant to pay more for a product that isn't personalized or stylish and doesn't look like it will last even if it is environmentally friendly. Sometimes the way sustainable brands are portrayed in the media also contributes to their lack of success and talking about eco-friendly fashion as the new norm rather than an exciting fad that could quickly go out of style can contribute to more mainstream popularity for green fashion.
Frances Kozen, Associate Director Cornell Institute Fashion & Fiber told the New York Times that her overall mantra was to "buy less and wear more (or longer)" in an interview last month. Ultimately the best way brands can work to reduce their environmental impact and help the fashion industry to become more sustainable is by conducting thorough research when sourcing materials and creating quality products that are meant to last. Consumers are looking for brands they can trust and standing behind a product will not only help to reduce waste but also create customer loyalty for struggling companies. To learn more about the future of sustainable fashion read my interview with Kristine Upesleja the Textiles and Materials manager at FIDM in Los Angeles and check out her blog here .

Summer Concert Style: Lady Antebellum at the Hollywood Bowl

Last night I attended the Lady Antebellum You Look Good concert at the Hollywood Bowl and besides listening to some great music I also got the chance to see some cute concert outfits! This was the band's first performance at the Hollywood Bowl which they described as a "Bucket List moment" and the ampitheater was packed with fans on the perfect California evening. Opening act Kelsea Ballerini warmed up the crowd with some brand new songs including her new single "I hate Love Songs". Lead Singer for Lady A, Hillary Scott, also showed off her LaBellum collection and said she hoped the "boho chic" clothes would work for day to night looks for her fans.

Speaking of day to night looks, you can also check out my summer concert look plus my new video on what to wear to a summer concert below for inspiration!