The latest exhibit at SU’s Fashion Archives and Museum, “All Dolled Up!” opened on Wednesday. It featured a wide range of dolls like Raggedy Ann, Cabbage Patch, American Girl, Strawberry Shortcake and many vintage figures. Barbie was the central focus throughout the exhibit with many mannequins designed to copy the historic doll’s clothing.
Fashion Archives and Museum Director Karin Bohleke partnered with members of the Central Penn Doll Collectors Club to create “All Dolled Up!” and reflect the clothing and fashion of their dolls. “All Dolled Up!” follows three themes called Bringing up Baby, My Best Friend and Exploring Adult Life. Bohleke wanted to tell a story that people could relate to.
“The baby doll is usually the first doll and then your dolls grow up as you grow up, and that’s how I was thinking about all of this when grouping them,” Bohleke said.
Bohleke also teaches a graduate course in Textile History and Museum Methods. She got her students to participate in the exhibit and tasked them with dressing the mannequins, crafting the labels and assisting with other exhibit elements.
“There was a lot of mixing and matching to get as close as possible to the doll,” graduate student Patrick Hartinger said. Hartinger worked on the Barbie classic “Jackie-O” style, a popularized women’s suit made by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Dolls often reflect fashion trends. One graduate student, Austin Hodge, worked on a vibrant child roller skater outfit and described the style as a “counterculture” during the ‘60s and ‘70s. The outfit exhibits bright red shorts with square lines on a white button-up shirt. In another piece, Hodge was challenged with a white tuxedo in attaching the legs to the mannequin. He had to use safety pins to attach the legs, just to put on the black pants. “Sometimes attaching the limbs is not entirely agreeable,” Hodge said.
“All Dolled Up!” was put together by the hands of the following: Bohleke, graduate students, undergraduate students, interns, community volunteers and doll loan installers from the Central Penn Doll Collectors Club. The exhibit was a year in the making, but they were able to begin work in January.
“All Dolled Up!” is available to view through Nov. 20 and is free for students, faculty and staff.
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