The Rain Maker



Opinion

On the bottom floor of the Besse Library and across the Media Center is a room that either most people probably don’t pay attention to or always wonder what it contains. The room holds thousands of stories from all over the country, dating from over a century ago to the present day. These stories are not limited to paper and a bound cover but by thread and fabric. They all help create the Historic Costume Study Collection. Upon entering the cold room, you might feel overwhelmed. On the wall to the left are shelves that contain purses, hats, and muffs; on the right, there are shoes, gloves, and jewelry in cabinets and in repurposed library catalog card holders. Of course, you cannot overlook the mountain of garment boxes reaching up to the ceiling. The back wall has the fur and extensive wedding gown sections. Clothing racks are placed in messy rows that make maneuvering around difficult. The Historic Costume Study Collection has all you could ever need and want from fashion. The collection has several individual categories such as: coats, jackets, trousers, skirts, tops, evening wear, and suits. Shifting through the designer racks, you will notice highly respected names such as Chanel, Scassi, Michael Kors, Valentino, Escada, St. John, Missoni, and Christian Dior- just to name a few.


Being the work study student for the fashion department for two years now, I am lucky enough to work frequently with this impressive collection. Part of my job is to tag, file, and remove these expensive and historic pieces every week. I am used to working with vintage designer clothing that is far too valuable for my mind to comprehend. I sometimes stand in the center of the collection and look at all the beautiful garments around me. The room is so silent that I am left alone with nothing but my own thoughts while drowning in a sea of precious clothing. During these times I wonder how this massive collection came to be. What was the motive behind it? Who made it happen? What were the challenges? There is only one person to ask, of course, and that is Dr. Korosec. She is the curator of the Historic Costume Study Collection, chair of the fashion department, one of my professors, and someone I look up to. Working with her for work study and being one of her students really helped develop the close relationship we have today. We bounce ideas off of each other and work together to make the collection the best it can be.


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