Trendspotting

Fashion and design students or anyone with a sartorial lean will be pleased to discover some of Auckland Libraries fashion related resources.

Ref: 34-M741, Model for Milne and Choyce Department Store, 1940-1949, 
Sir George Grey Special Collections 
The Heritage Images database is a great place to spot images of fashion fads. Advertising shots, candid family snaps and professional portraits all show clothing trends through the decades. A great way of refining an image search is by using what librarian’s call ‘subject headings’: this is a defined keyword or tag. In the advanced search screen subject headings can be entered in as a search term. Some examples of fashion related subject headings are: ‘clothing and dress’, ‘fashion’ and ‘mens clothing’.

Ref: Advanced search screen on Heritage Images database
Using their library card barcode and PIN, Auckland Libraries members have access to the Vogue Archive which contains the entire run of the United States edition of Vogue magazine from the first issue in 1892 through to the current month. Pages are reproduced in high-resolution colour images. Browsing through the covers from the late 1920s reveals brilliant examples of Art Deco design. It is a bountiful resource for anyone researching the history of fashion. Plus, reading the magazine for the articles may be a genuine claim with Winston Churchill and Bertrand Russell writing for the magazine.

Ref: The Vogue Archive database screen
Unlike traditional museums, the New Zealand Fashion Museum is not located in a building, instead, its home is online. The museum’s aim is recording and sharing “the stories of the people, objects and photographs that have contributed to the development of New Zealand's unique fashion identity.” The online museum allows for fashion treasures held by national institutions and private individuals to be uploaded. Search their collections, upload a photo of your own beloved garment or browse images from their past pop-up exhibitions.

Ref: Home page for New Zealand Fashion Museum
Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections

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