RESUME | bvportfolio

EDUCATION

09/2014 – 10/2018

MA Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice

SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

Thesis: The Investigation and Conservation of a Beaded Chanel Evening Dress Circa 1926-1927

Advisor: Prof. Denyse Montegut (Department Chair)

09/2013 – 11/2014

MA History of Art

University College London, London, UK

Thesis: Restoring the Archive: Conservation, Digitization and the Authority of the Object

Advisor: Dr. Emma Richardson

UCL Frances Stracey Award

01/2008 – 12/2012

BFA Fashion

Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA

Concentration in Costume History and Textiles

Commendation of Academic Achievement

WORK EXPERIENCE

01/2017 – Present

A Stitch in Time; private practice; Textile Conservator

Responsibilities included all aspects of conservation from assessments, estimates, and treatment plans; all conservation work; archival storage or display mounting; and preparation for shipping or transport.

02/2016 – 08/2022

Cultural Preservation and Restoration; Textile Conservator

Responsibilities included cleaning, stabilization, stitch, and adhesive supports for the historic garment and object collections. Objects treated ranged from a significant collection of military uniforms and associated objects, the textile and upholstering materials of a mid-nineteenth century child’s sleigh, to feathers and other associated materials.

05/2018 – 09/2021

Textile Conservation Workshop; Textile Conservator

Responsibilities included treatment proposals, estimates, post treatment reports, photographic documentation, and conservation treatments. Most common treatments included wet cleaning, dry cleaning, localized cleaning, stitch supports, adhesive supports, weave repairs, preparing for archival storage, and mounting for display. Objects treated included flags, quilts and coverlets, wall hangings, samplers, and many others.

05/2016 - 06/2018

Master's Degree Capstone Project

The capstone project was an all inclusive conservation project which, in my case, was the conservation of an original Chanel evening dress c.1926/1927 from the private collection of Vogue Magazine's global editor at large, Hamish Bowles. This project included dating the dress, discovering that alterations had been made to its original design, identification of a unique weave pattern, both adhesive and stitch supports which would allow the very fragile dress to be mounted and displayed in future should Mr. Bowles so wish, and archival storage. The full thesis is published and available for viewing in ProQuest.

09/2015 – 04/2016

Museum at FIT; Conservation Consultant, The Women of Harper’s Bazaar: 1936-1958

Responsibilities included condition assessment and reporting of garments and accessories, planning for appropriate display, mannequin and mount selection, completion of repairs necessary for exhibition, mannequin dressing, de-instillation, and post-exhibition condition reporting.

02/2015 – 06/2015

Cultural Preservation and Restoration; Conservation Intern

Responsibilities included the assessment and treatment of objects from the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey damaged in Hurricane Sandy. Objects included uniforms, helmets, boots and shoes, briefcases, scabbards, belts, and a McClellan saddle (belonging to Ulysses S. Grant), with a special focus on leather and associated materials, mainly metals and plastics.

09/1999 – 07/2009

Independent Contractor; Costume Design and Production

Responsibilities included research, design, pattern drafting, cutting, and construction of costumes for theater and private commissions. Selected titles include “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.”

01/2005 – 07/2005

Atelier Yvonne Rothschild, Nürnberg, Germany; Tailoring Intern

Responsibilities included measuring, pattern drafting, fabric selection, cutting, fitting, sewing (both hand and machine techniques), and finishing of bespoke garments for both men and women.

PERSONAL ENRICHMENT AND INTERNSHIPS

11/2017

Richard Wolbers’ Aqueous Cleaning for Textile Workshop

Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restautación y Museografía, Mexico City, Mexico

A workshop on using conductivity to enhance the wet cleaning process. Focus was placed on using the gentlest methods possible for maximum effectiveness and controlled swelling of fibers to prevent undue stress. Dry cleaning methods, the use of rigid gels, and emulsions were also explored.

05/2014

Emotions, Transformations, Restorations Workshop

Institute of Making, UCL, United Kingdom

A three-evening seminar on the emotional and nostalgic effects materials can have on conservators, artists, materials scientists, and makers. This workshop highlighted the mutual exchange between objects and humans; we have an effect on materials, but those materials also have an effect on us. Ethics and the ideas behind why we conserve were also discussed.

06/2014

Millinery Master Class

Institute of Making, UCL, United Kingdom

Sahar Freemantle of Sahar Millinery walked students through the use of traditional wooden hat blocks to steam felt. Students learned how to stretch felt and shape brims and crowns. Emphasis was placed on traditional techniques of creation and an understanding of structure and materials.

01/2014

sKINship Pattern Cutting Master Class

Institute of Making, UCL, United Kingdom

Juliana Sissons and Rhian Solomon taught specialist pattern cutting inspired by plastic surgery techniques. These methods allow for a more uniform, natural look to a finished garment and incorporate innovative approaches of conforming to irregular surfaces. The techniques are able to be adapted to supports for both garments and large, textured textiles.

03-06/2013

Chemistry for Conservators

International Academic Projects, London, United Kingdom

A four-month course taught by Velson Horie which provided a bridge between traditional chemistry courses and how those principles apply to the field of conservation. Topics included chemical structure, bonds, the science of wet cleaning, the science of solvents, and Oddy Testing.

09/2012-05/2013

Advanced Embroidery Courses

Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA

Robert Haven, École Lesage and Royal School of Needlework Certified Instructor

The foundation course taught all of the basic stitches and styles of cotton, silk, and wool embroidery. Styles covered were whitework, blackwork, cross-stitch and crewel work. The advanced course covered dimensional ribbon, chenille work, Japanese flat and twisted silk stitching, raised gold metal embroidery, and a variety of styles of beadwork.

RELEVANT GRADUATE COURSEWORK

Fiber and Fabric: Identification and Analysis

Investigated the components and structures of textiles through examining polymers, fibers, yarns, and weave structures. Fiber identification through the use of polarized light microscopy was emphasized.

Conservation Practices: Theory and Technique

Provided both the scientific foundation and basic technical skills required in designing and carrying out preservation plans for collections management. Topics included basic conservation stitching and wet- and dry- cleaning treatments for historic textiles, garments, and associated materials.

Advanced Conservation I & II

Covered consolidation and repair with adhesive backing, removal of adhesives, bleaching treatments, advanced stitch repair and stabilization techniques, wet and dry cleaning, poultices, rewarping and reweaving of carpets and tapestries, darning, dye to match techniques, support mounts, and methods for visually compensating for areas of loss.

History of Textiles

Examines the history of Western textiles from antiquity to the late twentieth century, including significant developments in the style, technology, function, and manufacture of such materials.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Member, American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)
Member, Digital Learning Network (DLNET)
Member, New York Regional Association for Conservation (NYRAC)
Member, Textile Society of America (TSA)

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Advanced German; basic Dutch
Machine and hand sewing techniques; advanced embroidery
Pattern making, grading, and cutting
Photo-documentation, condition, and examination reporting
Stereo- and Polarized Light Microscopy
Microsoft Office, Adobe Suite, and Adobe Connect programs
Database management, e.g. PastPerfect, TMS

IN THE MEDIA

Dragone, Gabriella. Paterson Museum Unveils Historic Silk Tapestry Gifted to Submarine Inventor John Phillip Holland. TAPinto Paterson; October 13, 2023.

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/paterson/articles/paterson-museum-unveils-historic-silk-tapestry-gifted-to-submarine-inventor-john-phillip-holland

Joseph, Alex. Conserving a Chanel. Hue; Volume 12, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2019. 24-25.

https://hue.fitnyc.edu/conserving-a-chanel/

Viviano, Bethany. The Investigation and Conservation of a Beaded Chanel Evening Dress Circa 1926-1927. 2018.

https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/296

Cowles, Charlotte. The Pioneering Vision of Louise Dahl-Wolfe. Harper's Bazaar; February 2016. 190-194.

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/photography/a13603/louise-dahl-wolfe-0216/