As a recent college graduate with a degree in Art History and a concentration in Art Conservation I was fascinated to read the Refinery29 article, “1 Girl, 4 Looks: Fashion’s Top Archivist Gives Us Spring Inspiration” about top fashion archivist Julie Ann Orsini.
Julie is responsible for curating garments of iconic designers. Julie is more than just an archivist she is awriter, entrepreneur and curator who has managed to combine all her interests into a single dream job.
How did she get this dream job? Well Julie returned to graduate school to receive a Master’s degree in museum studies from F.I.T. Julie decided to get a museum studies degree in order to enhance her writing and expand her knowledge of the history and theory of fashion and textiles.
Through this program Julie, learned impeccable “hand” skills, meaning the way in which the pieces can be safely handled without being damaged. This process is incredibly technical to ensure that the garments or artwork are properly moved, managed and stored.
Some of you may be thinking, what could be so challenging about handling some clothing? You have to take into account several factors including the oils from your hands when touching the piece, the sensitivityof the textiles and the overall strength of the garment.
Julie also has to be creative when it comes to finding ways to safely and securely store the garments for long periods of time. You cannot just throw a few mothballs in a drawer and call it a day! Instead, Julie has to weigh the pros and cons of whether or not to hang a garment, fold it or lay it flat. Not all pieces can be hung in a closet because their composition or weight.
I enjoy this article because it illustrates both the glamorous and not so glamorous parts of working in fashion. At one point in the interview, Julie admits that:
“‘Archiving is very physical work. When I’m moving heavy boxes around in a basement somewhere, it’s definitely not glamorous, and I’ve thrown my back out more than once. But when I take a step back and think about what role these objects play in the history of fashion and pop culture, and how I’m their steward, it’s pretty cool.’”
Typically, Julie works with two types of clients—designer and private— each client has very different needs. For her designer clients, “[she] must ensure that the body of their work is properly stored and documented. Each season, once a press team is finished with the runway collection, I take the collection to the physical archive, and catalogue it, examine each piece to see what needs to be repaired or cleaned, and then I make sure each piece is stored using the proper technique (i.e. flat, hanging, rolled, etc.) and appropriate museum-quality materials.” [via Refinery29]
While, her private clients are more involved in the archiving process; both parties sit down together and discuss what they think is an investment piece and should be maintained. She also helps them liquidate pieces that they do not need. When I use the term “investment” I mean that certain collections can be incredibly valuable. For instance, the Elizabeth Taylor auction at Christie’s pulled in over $150 million!
Not only is Julie technically skilled and great at her job she is also a fashionista herself! She likes to invest in quality pieces rather than quantity. This New Yorker is looking to add some color to her polished Tom boystyle this upcoming spring season!
Lovelies, what do you think of Julie’s job? Her style? What is your dream job?
Read more about Julie at Refinery29.
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