Today, our research assistant Madelyn Yu will cross the stage and graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Ecology and major in Fashion Design Management. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Madelyn over the past year, and have asked her to reflect about her time in the collection and future plans.

What inspired you to join the CF+TC as a research assistant?

I always wanted to work in the CF+TC ever since we toured the newly renovated space during my freshman orientation in 2019. COVID-19 and a busy schedule unfortunately delayed my involvement, but in my senior year I was finally able to join the CF+TC, and I am so grateful that I did.

While abroad in London I took a course titled London and its Museums which inspired me to enroll in Professor Green’s course FSAD 6451 Curating Fashion Exhibitions when I returned back to campus. I joined the CF+TC in conjunction with the course which ended up being quite mutually beneficial. I was able to access the CF+TC to research items for our class exhibition, “Sounding Fashion,” and integrate the Matterport 360° scanner into all CF+TC exhibitions.

My first project in the CF+TC was to process the incredibly large Jill Stuart collection. While daunting, this semester-long endeavor was incredibly valuable. The project taught me how to catalog items, write meaningful descriptions, read donor files, and photograph and upload images. From there, I was able to help install and scan three more exhibits, meet new donors and catalog their items, and discover many more “mystery” items found the CF+TC that had not yet been catalogued.

What has been your most meaningful experience working in the CF+TC?

Curating the exhibit for the Cornell Fashion Collective (CFC) annual fashion show “In Retrospective Forethought” was definitely a culmination of everything I had learned in the CF+TC. Working with CFC I compiled a number of relevant pieces then narrowed it down to ten that reflected the theme, “In Retrospective Forethought”, and its color scheme. Next, I wrote label text for each piece and an exhibit introduction, which thankfully my experience curating “Sounding Fashion” helped prepare me to do. On the day of the fashion show we transported all the dressforms and garments to Barton Hall to set up for display, and then take back down later that night – all within five hours. Frankly, this was one of the most exhausting days of my Cornell experience but it was incredibly gratifying to be a part of CFC and contribute to such a successful event!

What is your favorite piece in the collection and why?

The Grenelle-Estevez for Jacques Fath black feathered evening dress has been a personal favorite of mine ever since it was displayed in FSAD 1250 Fashion, Art and Design Thinking and the exhibit “Fashion & Feathers” my freshman year. I absolutely adore the full skirt silhouette and the matching pearl pin and earrings that accompany the gown. In fact, I loved it so much that we chose to display it at the 2021 CFIN Gala “Vintage Influence on Fashion!”

I feel like I should also pick a piece from the Jill Stuart collection, since it occupied a good chunk of the time that I spent working in the CF+TC. There is a black cape and matching dress made from Jill Stuart’s Fall/Winter 2013 collection made of embroidered floral raffia. To my surprise, these two pieces were not actually displayed together on the runway, but paired separately with other textured black pieces. Personally, I love looking at the two pieces together as I am mesmerized by their texture and intricate surface design.

What are your career goals/plans after graduation?

After graduation I will be joining Bloomingdale’s in New York City in their Leadership & Development Program as an assistant buyer.