CAN WE TRY ON BEYONCE'S SHOES? 7th and 8th graders tour HUVC..and recent project updates!!

Every so often, we are contacted to give tours of our vast costume collection. Usually they are for university classes, tour groups and charity auction winners but this one was for kids, so it was especially fun! 

The middle school Fashion Class of the WCSS Charter School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn came May 30th, the 7th and 8th graders eager to try on vintage garments, hats and shoes!!!!

Once it was disclosed that we had several of Beyonce's clothes and shoes from her film "Cadillac Records", all chaos broke loose as they each insisted on taking turns trying them on!

 

These students have apparently all  learned how to sew from their teacher, Monique (who happens to have a side business making cupcakes and cakes for special occasions - even purse-shaped ones!) http://www.moniquesuniquecakes.com/

 Helen took the girls on a complete tour with the help of our intern Nelly, and explained the different styles through the ages.

 

Below Helen shows the students Victorian clothing and explains how the interiors were boned and women had to wear corsets and multiple layers of undergarments under these dresses.

 

Here, a lovely young lady tries on a flocked velvet mid-1800's coat often called a "mantle"

 We encouraged the students to try on items they fancied so, here, " Watch out...George Washington in the house!!!"

The tour continued through the different decades as we talked about the different movie projects we worked on and showed the stars' original clothes.



We examined period undergarments.

 We looked at men's wool bathingsuits ( the general consensus was "You're kidding, right!!!!!!??? Wool?)

BUT....it appeared that vintage shoes, Beyonce's or not, were the stars!

some fit

...and some did NOT!!!

 

The other favorite try-ons were a series of what the students called "fairytale dresses", poufy 1950's gowns that they vowed to come back to rent for their proms, years hence!

 All in all, a fun time was had by all! They even learned to pose with attitude! Below, "Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!"

Teacher Monique brought us treats

Her own hand-made cupcakes!

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 In other news, catch that wonderful film "MOONRISE KINGDOM"!! Below you see our boys' vintage sweaters lined up in a row and below, the sweaters as they appeared in the film!

 

Other recent projects are:

MEN IN BLACK 3: We supplied the clothes in the store windows as well as the nutty clothes for Aliens trying to "fit in" to the 1970's scene!

JIMMY FALLON'S DOWNTON ABBEY SPOOF CALLED "DOWNTON SIXBEY": we supplied Brooke Shield's dress, among other things.

30 ROCK EPISODE: a flashback when Liz Lemon goes back in time to when she was making a nuisance of herself when her parents wanted some romantic privacy!

JAMES FRANCO'S BIO-PIC FILM "BROKEN TOWER", RECENTLY RELEASED:

ON BROADWAY, WE WORKED ON THE POSTER FOR "NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT" ( they illustrated the poster from our clothes):

and...OUR CLOTHES ALSO APPEARED ON BROADWAY IN  "LOOK BACK IN ANGER"..HERE IS OUR ROBE:

FINALLY.....IT IS THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER so a big hello from our staffers Masha, Dan and Julia ready in their oversize 1940's sun hat finery!!!!!!!