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Sweet scents of blooming flowers and fresh grass permeate the air as Texans file through the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden gates. They all share at least two things in common — a desire to enjoy the tropical plant life displayed throughout the grounds and inspect the floral-focused garments loaned from the Texas Fashion Collection on exhibition inside the historic DeGolyer House.
“Flowers can mean so many different things,” Annette Becker, director of the TFC at the university and university alum, said. “They can have culturally specific meaning, but can also be more widely appreciated, loved and adored just because flowers are sort of universally loved.”
The Arboretum’s theme for their gardens this season is titled “Endless Summer,” after the film of the same name.
“(The film) just followed these guys from southern California that wanted to surf cool spots all over the world, and what tied it all together is that obviously, great surfing spots are typically in areas with good, tropical plants,” Dustin Miller, Vice President of Programs and Learning at the Arboretum, said. “So we were like ‘OK, we can make this horticultural connection to this movie that’s celebrating a milestone birthday,’ and then the fashion relates to tie into all of that, too.”
The Arboretum reached out to the TFC once the theme had been set in motion and initially wanted to create an exhibit centered around Aloha shirts. However, Becker saw the potential for a more educational, explorative display centered around “floral fashion” and set out to curate a collection of more relevant garments to showcase at the DeGolyer House.
“They had this idea, and then through a conversation we developed a project that I think is a little bit deeper and more meaningful,” Becker said. “(…) Luckily, we’re able to share more narratives and perspectives than just an Aloha shirt exhibition would have allowed.”
Not only is the plant life inspired by “Endless Summer,” but the featured botanicals were chosen with the purpose of achievability in mind. Most of them can thrive in the weather and soil conditions the North Texas area owns.
“I know that some of these plants may hold significance in other cultures, but from a horticulture standpoint I was like ‘I can make this grow here,’” Megan Proska, Associate Vice President of Horticulture and Collections at the Arboretum, said. “It’s also just really interesting when you’re walking around the garden, people are like ‘Oh I didn’t know I could grow that here,’ so it’s inspiring people as well.”
Eight pieces are part of the exhibition, including a dress by Japanese designer Hanae Mori, who is a significant figure in the history of dress, according to Becker.
“She was the first designer from Japan to essentially be a fashion designer outside of Japan (…),” Becker said. “Neiman Marcus in Dallas was one of the first places to sell her work, which is really significant because then the next place she went was Paris, and she was the first Asian designer to be part of the world of haute couture (…).”
The collaboration allowed the TFC to gain more of an audience. Although there is currently no designated exhibition space for the organization, it can display some garments on the second floor of the Art Building inside its study space or people can make an appointment to visit its permanent collection facility on campus.
“Those are both somewhat limited ways that people can engage with us, so this is really a way to create a broader audience for the Texas Fashion Collection’s holdings,” Becker said. “I also think it’s quite meaningful to develop partnerships with institutions that aren’t just focused on fashion.”
Miller also saw the potential of the partnership and said that anytime the Arboretum can connect with another community partner, it opens both institutions up to a new audience.
In correspondence with the Floral in Fashion exhibition, Becker and Proska spoke at an Arboretum event on June 19, Botanical Couture: From Garden to Garment. The event included fruity drinks from Dallas-based Lucca & Livvy and catering from restaurant chain Asian Mint.
“We tend to wear a lot of Hawaiian shirts (at the Arboretum), and so I think that’s maybe where it came from,” Proska said. “It was like ‘Oh well these are tropical plants that people wear every day during summer, we should bring that to the Arboretum,’ and fashion — all of our clothes are made out of specific plants, so it kind of just goes hand in hand.”
The Florals in Fashion exhibition will be on display through Aug. 4 and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. It is also open in tandem with DeGolyer House historical tours.
“I really just hope people think in a deeper way about their own clothing and identity, because really at the end of the day the stories that most cultural institutions, and most people care about first, are human stories,” Becker said. “So these artifacts are a way for us to think through the human stories of these designed pieces and how they might relate to or challenge our own experiences.”
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The Floral In Fashion Exhibit showcases different garments worn by mannequins for the theme “Endless Summer”. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Floral In Fashion Exhibit showcases different garments worn by mannequins for the theme “Endless Summer”. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Designer Jamie Okuma is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Japanese designer Hanae Mori is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Designer Page Boy Maternity is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Designer Bette Ann is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The front of the DeGolyer house. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The inside of a closet is displayed in the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The inside of a closet is displayed in the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The inside of the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
A china set is displayed in the inside of the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The restroom is displayed in the inside of the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Megan Proska explains the different types of flowers for the Floral In Fashion Exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Annette Becker showcases the Floral in Fashion Exhibit at A Tasteful Place at the Dallas Aboretum. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Resident Chef Isabel Snetsinger prepares a party snack live in front of an audience at A Tasteful Place at the Dallas Aboretum. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Floral In Fashion Exhibit showcases different garments worn by mannequins for the theme “Endless Summer”. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Floral In Fashion Exhibit showcases different garments worn by mannequins for the theme “Endless Summer”. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Designer Jamie Okuma is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Japanese designer Hanae Mori is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Designer Page Boy Maternity is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Designer Bette Ann is featured in the exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The front of the DeGolyer house. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The inside of a closet is displayed in the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The inside of a closet is displayed in the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The inside of the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
A china set is displayed in the inside of the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The restroom is displayed in the inside of the DeGolyer House. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Megan Proska explains the different types of flowers for the Floral In Fashion Exhibit. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Annette Becker showcases the Floral in Fashion Exhibit at A Tasteful Place at the Dallas Aboretum. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
Resident Chef Isabel Snetsinger prepares a party snack live in front of an audience at A Tasteful Place at the Dallas Aboretum. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
The Arboretum’s theme for their summer landscaping is “Endless Summer,” featuring tropical plant life. Photo by Aiden Gonzalez
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