Emilia Rabito Baer Talks Fashion At Sachem Library

Emilia Rabito Baer, artist, educator and fashion enthusiast, offered her presentation, "American Women: Fashioning a National Identity" to the Sachem community to share the knowledge she gained from both the "American women: Fashioning a National Identity" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan and the "American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection" exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum.

The two exhibitions were created by a forged relationship between the The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the costume collection at the Brooklyn Museum. "American High Style" is more of a study of revolutionary American designers as Bonnie Cashin, Elizabeth Hawes and Claire McCardell. The collection is made up of 85 dressed mannequins as well as a selection of hats, shoes and sketches.

The "American Women" is a time line of the way fashion has grown and adapted to the changing roles of the American woman from 1890 to 1940. The exhibition also explores what these changes have to say about the way the American woman is seen today.

Because the changes in fashion throughout American history signify women's social, political, and sexual emancipation, Baer feels the Met is the place to start.

"If you didn't have the background how would you relate to the designers?" said Baer.

Baer walked you through the exhibitions starting in the 1890's with the heiresses, the "Gibson Girl" style, a sportier women who was dated with serious intentions to marry and styles by Charles Frederick Worth, considered the father of haute couture—luxurious, high-quality made-to-order day, evening and special- event attire. Worht's son, Jean-Philippe Worth, created the gown worn by Emily Warren Roebling, wife of Washington Augustus Roebling, architect and chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The 1900's brought in the Bohemian look that is still around today. The look was all about women making their own choices and Edwardian clothing such as the penguin corset, which pushed the bust forward and the hips back, and the "wasp waist."

The 1910's welcomed the Patriots or the Suffragist, women who were lobbying for women's right to vote. A classic style of the suffragist was a long, plain coat with a secret inside zipper to store rally papers.

The 1920's saw even more of a trend in American revolution with the flapper style, which features lots of sheer material, a flat bust line, drop waist and the idea of a silhouette of the body. These women were all about drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and dancing all night in underground jazz clubs.

The "Silver Screen" was the look of the 1930's and the start of the reliance of American culture and fashions on Hollywood. Baer showcases designs from Madam Alix Gres, Travis Banton, and the artist M.C. Escher's negative space theory that inspired Madame Violette's designs.

"I don't just talk about things, I show other artists in comparison," said Baer on the significance of the inclusion of Violette's piece.

The last segment was a photographic representation of American women over the past 100 years and featured snap shots of Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Gaga, Mia Farrow and many more quintessential ideals of the American woman archetype. The photos were presented to the beat of Lenny Kravit's "American Women"; a song Baer feels was an inappropriate choice because of the negative connotation the lyrics give to women.

"We've come a long way," said Baer, who opened up the floor for questions and to celebrate the sole male presence in the audience. The presentation also included photographs of designs that were not included in either exhibition but that Baer felt were essential to the understanding of the history American fashion such as the corset and the minimal styles of the 1940's during the time of war when materials were scarce.