Have You Ever Wondered How Museums Conserve Fragile Textiles?

Do you ever ponder how museums can take a disintegrating textile artifact and make it hold up to handling, ironing, and display? We always have and this amazing video shows a little more about how they do it and why.

Museums often begin with a ragged specimen and have to work upwards from there. Unlike some artifacts of wooden or metal, textiles require intense conservation in order to be displayed long term. The Museum at FIT does exactly this, while putting textiles examples into context for the public through research and collaboration. Conservator, Nicole Bloomfield, shows us how she stabilizes and repairs this gorgeous designer coat for display. Designed by Paul Poiret, one of the forefathers of 20th century fashion, this 1917 example is a rare find and one that deserves to be seen! Watch as she details the tassels, buttons, and silk that make this piece so special.

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