Grace Anderson gathering garments to bring to the photo studio in our storage area (pre-renovation) in 2019.
Over the past four years, Grace Anderson has taken thousands of incredible photographs for the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection in her role as an undergraduate research assistant. We are so grateful for her incredible eye, technical skill, and aesthetic sensibility! She graduates this weekend with a Bachelor’s of Science in Fashion Design Management from the College of Human Ecology at Cornell and we couldn’t be more proud. Learn more about Grace in our recent interview:
What inspired you to join the CF+TC as a research assistant?
I love fashion history, especially after taking FSAD 1250 (Fashion, Art, and Design Thinking) which used a lot of examples from the Collection. Later, as an undergraduate TA for that class, I saw the need for high quality images for garments in the Collection, so I took the opportunity to both better my photography and help enrich the imagery in the Collection’s database.
Ungaro skirt suit, circa 1985 and uchikake kimono, circa 1940.
What is your favorite piece in the collection and why?
This is tough! My personal favorite (that I’d wear) is this Ungaro 3 piece skirt suit from the 80s that’s a gorgeous sunshine yellow. My favorite to photograph were the uchikake kimono from the Fashion & Feathers exhibit, a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels, and a CD Greene gown that was loaned for Sian Brown’s 2020 exhibit, Black Excellence: Fashion that Prevails.
Emerald paillette gown by CD Greene, circa 2017 and embroidered velvet heels by Manolo Blahnik, circa 1995.
What are your career goals and how do they connect to the work you did in the CF+TC?
I plan on pursuing a career in e-commerce, especially in terms of the visual merchandising aspects. Photography is absolutely critical in e-commerce, so my experience shooting and editing photos for the collection has helped train my eye for the world of online merchandising.
Grace during her internship at Marchesa, summer 2018.
If you were to donate one item from your personal wardrobe to the collection, what would it be and why?
I would donate a gown I was able to receive as an intern at Marchesa. I learned so much from that internship, which gives the piece a lot of sentimental meaning, but it is also from a really unique time in Marchesa’s history. The embroidery on it is stunning too!
What has been your most meaningful experience working in the CF+TC?
The freedom I was given with CF+TC was really liberating. I was given so many opportunities to photograph anything that caught my eye, which gave me amazing moments to learn about other cultures. I also thoroughly enjoyed photographing exhibits and helping bring the curator’s vision to life online, whether through social media or online exhibits.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I’ve accepted a position with Stylitics as a Senior Digital Stylist, where I’ll be creating outfitting content that helps drive online purchases for retailers.