Today my daughter and I made another lovely visit to the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington DC, for yet another fashion exhibit.
Recently opening on June 6, this time the fashions to be featured were of the homeowner of Hillwood Estate, Marjorie Merriweather Post, who lived from 1887 to 1973.
Sewing for her dolls when she was young, Post grew into an eye for couture as an adult that she fashionably wore as an entrepreneur, ambassador’s wife, and philanthropist.
While amassing a collectibles of historic proportions from France and Russia, she turned her Washington DC house into a museum for her collections from France, Russia, and couture.
FASHIONS DISPLAYED IN HER DRESSING ROOM
Making two previous visits, we are always charmed by the rotating displays in her dressing room closet, available around the year.
On our first visit to the Napoleon exhibit in May of 2012, we saw gowns featured from Napoleon: The Empire of Fashion.
During the Napoleon exhibit, these lovely 1925 Robe de Styles were discovered in her gorgeous dressing room closet.
Then in December of that year we visited the exhibit of Pret a Papier, where historic gowns were amazingly recreated with paper, one of which was featured in her dressing room closet, inspired by Post’s own 1907 Callot Soeur’s gown.
PROFUSION OF SPRING AND SUMMER GOWNS
When I saw the announcement for Ingenue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion from the Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post, I knew it had to be amazing based on the little sneak peaks I’ve seen on previous visits.
On this summer day we oohed and aahed over Post’s spring and summer fashions in two different buildings.
While the Adirondack Building held a focused exhibit where photography was not allowed, (so sneak a peak here) her gorgeous house full of collections from France and Russia became the backdrop for more of her fashions.
On October 1, the spring and summer collection will switch to autumn and winter fashions.
DROOL-WORTHY GOWNS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE
Seeing more than the limited offerings commonly featured in Post’s dressing room closet, we saw a wider range of her fabulous gowns…hence Hillwood Estate’s catchphrase: where fabulous lives.
The loveliness of seeing Post’s gowns is that many of them are beautifully displayed on dress forms throughout the mansion, in the setting she would have worn them.
Displayed in the French Drawing Room, was this lovely 1903 gown that Post wore to a Naval Academy Ball.
In the First Floor Library we found this flirty 1930s day dress.
Two formal evening gowns from the early 1900’s were displayed in the formal dining room.
Love this 1912 Lingerie Dress…
1912 Afternoon Gown…
In the Second Floor Library we found this 1935 silk dressing robe…
In her dressing room closet are numerous drawers waiting to be opened se we can view gorgeous lingerie, like this corset cover and petticoat from 1905.
Her 1936 Cartier pearl and diamond necklace with photographs of all the different ways she wore it.
In her French bedroom we found her 1920 negligee gown.
Having completed our tour of stunning historic fashions, our view of the outdoor French parterre garden beckoned us…
TEA FOR TWO IN THE GARDENS
After enjoying a wonderful tea for two in the garden…
…we explored the meandering paths of the massive gardens…
FRENCH PARTERRE GARDEN
Spending much time in the lovely French parterre gardens under Marjorie Meriweather Post’s bedroom window…
…we rested in the shade to practice sketching this scene of the gorgeous water feature (minus the lawn chairs) in our art journals…
As I settled with my art journal…
…my daughter started sketching in her art journal…
ROSE GARDEN
JAPANESE GARDEN
FASHIONABLE SOUVENIRS
After all that fabulous-ocity, I was happy to find wonderful souvenirs in the gift shop.
Adding to my museum book of the house that I bought a few years ago, the exhibit book from today makes happy reference of the lovely fashions.