Tuesday, December 20, 2011

World's largest fashion magazine, ELLE in United Kingdom, mentions Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History regarding style icon Iris Apfel

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History (MLFH) has reached the Continent of Europe with a mention in an editorial in ELLE Magazine, the United Kingdom edition.  ELLE, a French publication established in year 1945, is the world's largest fashion magazine with over 40 editions printed in 60 countries.

The December 20, 2011 on-line edition of ELLE profiles famed interior designer and style icon Iris Apfel and her new M.A.C products.  M.A.C, a cosmetics line, has coupled its brand with a limited-edition Iris Apfel 20-piece collection available on-line.

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History comes into the picture with the news story because back in year 2008, we launched a capital campaign and announced plans for a permanent building with a gallery dedicated to Iris Apfel and all her stylish possessions. Monetary donations can still be made to MLFH for the gallery plans.

Written by Amy Lawrenson, Here is the ELLE news story.

What's more is that Cindy Adams of the Examiner.com has penned about the Iris Apfel M.A.C Collection.  Read it here.


MLFH Executive Director/Chief Curator Lori J. Durante with Iris & Carl Apfel.
 The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History is also presently conducting a $12 campaign.

During this season of giving please consider a donation to MLFH among the gifts that you will give for the holidays. This year has been the 12th anniversary for the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History. 

But, like so many other organizations, MLFH is facing tough economic times and is in great need of your support.  Therefore, MLFH is conducting for the month of December a $12 campaign to raise $5,000 by December 31, 2011Donations can be made in any amount on-line.  Your support is extremely important.  $12 from you can make an important difference.  You can make your donation here in any amount.  Check donations can be mailed to MLFH at  P.O. Box 6127 , Delray Beach, Florida   33482.   Donations are tax-deductible.


Can you spare a $12 donation?  Donations can also be made by supporting MLFH with purchasing an annual membership.  Click here for the membership information. New members will receive a shopping coupon compliments of Hallmark at the Boynton Beach Mall. Please consider making the MLFH one of the charities to which you will give before the end of this year.


Your monetary support will help the operations of the exhibits and educational programs at MLFH.  Some of those programs include the MLFH school field trip program for children.  Back in year 2006, MLFH partnered with the Mathematics Department at the School District of Palm Beach County to develop the Mathematics in Design & History field trip program.  This math program infuses mathematical operations in the designs and shapes of historic items displayed at MLFH.  Students perform various mathematical operations that include Addition, Subtraction and Multiplication. For this math program, students also identify three-dimensional shapes, patterns and lines which all pertain to mathematics.
Visit MLFH at its current donated 8,000 square feet facility located inside the Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, FL USA  at 801 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 483  (Inside the Mall in the North Wing). 
MLFH is celebrating the holidays with a special Barbie Christmas for the Barbie history exhibit honoring Ken's 50th birthday; and also displayed is a Pink & Green Christmas Tree for the Queen of Prep: Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau exhibit.  And, opening this month is SCAASI: An Iconic American Fashion Designer.
MLFH's newest program is the Taste History Culinary Tour of Historic Delray Beach & Boynton Beach, Florida sponsored by Macy's. Due to popular demand, Taste History is now offered on the 3rd and 4th Saturday of each month plus private group tours are available.  Purchase tickets on-line.
Special thank you to Fred & Jean Sharf, the Patricia Ann Ravo Fund, the Boris & Edith Rueger Fund, US 1 AC Self Storage an the Simon Propert Group/Boynton Beach Mall.
For more information, call 561-243-2662 or go to MLFHMUSEUM.org

 
LIKE MLFH on Facebook at:

 
Season's Greetings, Happy Holiday and Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

MLFH Presents its first Pop-up Museum Exhibit with 48-hour display of Arnold Scaasi gowns in the Recreation Center at Johnson & Wales University-North Miami Campus.

 
1980s Scaasi couture gown on display at Johnson & Wales University
SCAASI: An Iconic American Fashion Designer exhibition has been organized and developed by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History. Through a collaborative partnership with the College of Business at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, FL, this Pop-up Museum Exhibit has a 48-hour display from December 7 – 8th, 2011, at the school.
 
The exhibit showcases twelve couture gowns circa 1980s & 1990s created by Arnold Scaasi. They are displayed in The Recreation Center at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, FL.  The Recreation Center has been transformed from the site of pool tables, card games and a laundry room to a red and black fabric draped gallery with red carpet as an ode to the design greatness of Arnold Scaasi.

When:
A Public Day for the Pop-Up Museum Exhibit will be hosted on Thursday, December 8th from 2:15pm to 4:15pm at Johnson & Wales University.  Admission is Free.
 
Also on Public Day, Thursday, December 8th at 3:15pm, fashion author Pamela Parmal will conduct a lecture about her book Scaasi: American Couturier.  The public lecture is free but books are sold separately and Parmal will be on hand to autograph the photographic book.  Reservations are required for the lecture due to limited seating.  E-mail: RSVP@MLFHMUSEUM.org or call: 561-243-2662.
 
Arnold Scaasi will be honored as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at a by-invitation-only awards ceremony at Johnson & Wales University.
 
Where:
The Recreation Center  (near the McGregor Library) at Johnson & Wales University  at 1701 N.E. 127th Street, North Miami, FL
 
Sponsors:
Sponsors, to date: Fred & Jean Sharf, Patricia Ann Ravo Fund, Boris & Edith Rueger Fund, US 1 AC Self Storage and Aloha Cleaners.  Print News Media Sponsor is The Palm Beach Daily News

Special thank you to Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Florida for the collaborative partnership.


1961. Arnold Scaasi. Photo by John French
  
About the Scaasi Collection at Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History
The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History is scheduled to present a feature exhibit of more than 20 Scaasi gowns opening on December 21st at the Museum’s home inside the Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, Florida. The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History received that collection from the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. The exhibit has been curated by Lori J. Durante. For more information, visit MLFHMUSEUM.org or call: 561-243-2662.
     
About Arnold Scaasi:
Born Arnold Isaacs on May 8, 1930, the Montreal native studied at the Cotnoir-Capponi School of Design in Montreal and the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne in Paris, where he apprenticed at the House of Paquin before moving to New York City to work with renowned designer Charles James (1953–54).  Shortly thereafter, Isaacs was turned around and became “Scaasi.” He gained recognition for his designs, and in 1955, the December cover of Vogue pictured a coat he designed for Dressmaker Casuals (a Seventh Avenue manufacturer), creating the buzz that helped Scaasi launch his ready-to-wear line the following year.  In 1958, the designer won the prestigious Coty Fashion critics Award and his success was assure  By 1964, Scaasi decided to devote his full attention to custom clothes, opening his couture salon.
 
Scaasi mastered draping and created refined silhouettes in sumptuous fabrics. His designs are intricately constructed, averaging approximately 120 working hours for each outfit and involving at least three different craftsmen.   They are made of the most luxurious, flamboyant, and expensive fabrics and furs, and feature asymmetrical necklines, pouffed sleeves, and billowy skirts in a wide range of bright colors.  Fur-trimmed gowns, feather-lined coats, and jewel-encrusted dresses are among the many extraordinary confections that bear the SCAASI label. 
 
Scaasi has received numerous honors during his long and successful career. In addition to the Coty Fashion Critics Award (1958), they include the Neiman Marcus Award (1959), three Chicago Gold Coast Awards (early 1960s), The Council of Fashion Designer of America (CFDA) Award for creative excellence (1987), and its highest honor, The CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award (1997).  In addition, he received in the National Arts Club’s Gold Medal of Fashion (2006), and The New York Landmarks Conservancy made Scaasi a Living Landmark of New York City.
 
Major retrospectives have been presented at The New York Historical Society, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which staged First Ladies in Fashion: Featuring the Works of Arnold Scaasi.  His creations have also been included in numerous group exhibitions at The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of the City of New York, the Brooklyn Museum and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.  Scaasi has documented his unique experiences with famous women in his book, Women I Have Dressed (and Undressed!) (Scribner, New York, 2004).  He continues to design a costume jewelry collection, which is featured on the Home Shopping Network.
 

What is a Pop-up Museum Exhibit?
It has been recorded that the concept of the Pop-up Museum developed in the 1990s.  A pop-up museum can be defined as a short term exhibit existing in a temporary space. Pop-up museum exhibits are usually displayed in non-traditional spaces that are not museum facilities nor art galleries. Some exhibits designated as pop-ups have been mounted in places as varied as community centers or walk-in closets.  Simply, this type of exhibit “pops-up” for a brief period then it may move to another location. Hence, the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History's (MLFH) Pop-Up Museum Exhibit is a 48-hour display of Arnold Scaasi couture dresses displayed for a short-term in a non-museum space. The Scaasi display has been mounted in the Recreation Center at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Florida.  The Recreation Center also serves as the student laundry room which was transformed into a temporary museum gallery with the use of black and red fabric draping and a real red carpet.  The color red is Scaasi's trademark design.
 
 
Arnold Scaasi pop-up exhibit by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History hosted at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Florida


Arnold Scaasi pop-up exhibit by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History hosted at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Florida
 
Arnold Scaais passed away on August 4, 2015.  CNN reports:
August 4, 2015
Fashion Designer Arnold Scaasi is dead at 85
 
New York (CNN)Arnold Scaasi, the Canadian-born designer whose custom gowns graced celebrities such as Barbra Streisand and Elizabeth Taylor as well as a number of American first ladies, has died, according to friends and associates. He was 85.
Scaasi was surrounded by family and friends when he died from cardiac arrest early Tuesday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, according to his close friend Michael Selleck.
His prolific designs were celebrated in a 2011 exhibition at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts entitled, "Scaasi: American Couturier."
 
The exhibit grew out of the museum's acquisition of his archive and more than 100 custom designs for some of the 20th century's "most celebrated artists and most fashionable socialites, including Broadway, TV, and movie stars, such as Arlene Francis, Mitzi Gaynor, Barbra Streisand, Diahann Carroll, Mary Tyler Moore, and Elizabeth Taylor; Palm Beach and New York socialites including Mary Sanford, Ivana Trump, Joetta Norban, Gayfryd Steinberg, and Edna Morris; and first ladies Mamie Eisenhower and Barbara and Laura Bush," according to the museum.
One of his most talked about designs was a black sequined pantsuit Barbra Streisand wore to collect her 1969 Academy Award for Funny Girl.
 
His work was also featured at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Florida.
 
"The Arnold Scaasi designs definitely made a statement with high quality fabric and bold colors, and some of them incorporated geometric shape and ornamentation," the museum's executive director and chief curator, Lori Durante, said. "He had memorable personality ... a lot of spirit in his personality."
When Scaasi went into business in New York in the mid-1950s, he was one of few designers concentrating on custom-made clothing rather than ready-to-wear, according to the Boston museum. He launched his first ready-to-wear line in 1956.
 
Before Scaasi was 30, he had won the Coty American Fashion Critics Award for best designer of the year, and his designs graced the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, according to the Boston Museum.
 
Scaasi has said that he preferred working directly with custom clientele on "luxurious and dramatic garments that suited their lifestyles," according to the museum.
 
"Mr. Scaasi was a character. He was a wonderful man and designer -- certain days I wanted to strangle him," said Glendina West, who said she worked for the designer for 40 years -- starting out housekeeper and eventually becoming his confidant. "He was temperamental, strong willed and always had to get the last say. And he was a wonderful boss."
 
The designer was married to his longtime partner, Parker Ladd, a former publishing executive who is 86, according to friends.
Scaasi published several books including a 2004 memoir titled "Women I Have Dressed (And Undressed)."
 
Born in Montreal as Arnold Martin Isaacs, Scaasi later changed his name.
West said a private funeral service is being planned for later this week, and a memorial service after Labor Day.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Preppy American Brunch celebrated the 80th Birthday of Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History

The Preppy American Brunch chairperson Mary Lane (center) with Barbara Malone and Lisa Stuart under the big white tent at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History
On Saturday, November 12, 2011 over 100 hundred people gathered at the Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida to celebrate the 80th birthday of Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau. The fete was sold-out! Lilly gave birth to the colorful, printed shift that is a staple to this day in the wardrobe of the preppy crowd. How better to celebrate this fashion icon than to throw a party!
Planning a party for the “Queen of the Jungle” (the jungle is how Lilly refers to her Palm Beach home) was a labor of love for Mary Lane , the chairperson of the event and the Lilly Ambassador. It had to be special because Lilly was known to throw some great parties in her younger days. Lisa Stuart, from Key West, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island; and Barbara Malone, from Greenwich, Connecticut were enlisted to help plan this soiree. The trio reached out to friends and bloggers from coast to coast to publicize and promote the event. The other preppy committee members included Lori J. Durante, Kristen KerlCheryl Moffett and Chuck West.
  
Fred Castleberry and preppy designer Kiel James Patrick standing in front of The Palm Tree mural designed by Skyler Carosella at The Preppy American Brunch 2011

Preppies Sarah Vickers, Kiel James Patrick, F.E. Castleberry and Tori Linder at The Preppy American Brunch 2011

The invitation for this preppy party did not need to list a dress code – everyone showed up in Lilly attire both old and new. It was a colorful bouquet of fashion. The guests entered a tented area in front of the Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History and were greeted with potted palms and a colorful array of tables draped in Lilly prints with names that screamed fun: Baking in the Sun, Day Trippers and Main Squeeze to name a few. Gift bags from C. Orrico, a Palm Beach Lilly Via store, adorned each seat with special gifts including a preppy bracelet from Kiel James Patrick. Centerpieces were tall cylinder vases filled with oranges because all Lilly lovers know that it all started with a juice stand. The guests sipped rum swizzles garnished with orange and pineapple slices to which Lilly said, “I’ll have one of those!” A scrumptious buffet brunch catered by Lilly's favorite gourmet deli Toojay's was enjoyed by the party crowd as they listened to the jazz sounds of Michael Kennedy.  Bonnie's Best Bites baked sweet Butter Pecan Tartlettes for the brunch. Gourmet coffee and lattes were served by Coffee on Call sponsored by David Lerner & Associates. When it was time to blow out the candle on her pink and green cupcake created by Artfully Baked,  Kiel James Patrick, in his perfectly preppy attire from Newport, Rhode Island, led the crowd in a round of Happy Birthday and told the crowd that Lilly had been an inspiration for him and his fashion business.

Models wearing Lilly Resort Collection from C.Orrico in Delray Beach at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History for The Preppy American Brunch. Hair styled by Master Cuts at Boynton Beach Mall and Make-up by M.A.C Cosmetics at Macy's-Boynton Beach

Models wearing a colorful array of Lilly fashions waltzed through the party in both vintage fashions (provided by Nancy’s Vintage Warehouse) and current styles from the Resort Collection (provided by C. Orrico in Delray Beach). Lilly’s styles are timeless and you had to be a true Lilly fashionista to discern between the two. Several vintage items, donated by Hadley Kombrink and Looking 4 Lilly were included in the silent auction and the bidding was fierce on these items. A one of a kind hand painted commemorative plate designed especially for this event by Creations by Meryl had guests hovering over the silent auction table!  The silent auction proceeds benefitted the Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History.
Children or “Minnies” as Lilly calls them played a special role in the event. A special violin serenade by Willow Moffett, age 8, delighted Lilly as did the flowers presented by sisters Katie and Abbey Kerl. The bouquet of flowers were designed by Gerilyn Gianna Event & Floral Design. 10 year old Katie Kerl also read the poem Artist in the Sky written by Milla Antoinette Ravo. The poem was inspired by Ravo's late daughter Patricia Ann Ravo who passed away from breast cancer and left a bequest for the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History. First grade students at Trinity Lutheran School in Delray Beach created birthday cards for Lilly. Trinity is one of the oldest private schools in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau (right) with violinist Willow Moffett and sisters Katie & Abbey Kerl at The Preppy American Brunch
8 year-old violinist Willow Moffett serenaded Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau for Rousseau's 80th Birthday Brunch at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida
Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau received two bouquets of birthday flowers from sisters Abbey, age 6, and Katie Kerl, age 10.  The bouquets were designed and donated by Gerilyn Gianna Event & Floral Design
Committee members Mary Lane, Barbara Malone and Lisa Stuart also presented to Lilly flowers and a hand painted personalized plate and wine glass for her birthday.  The gift-giving continued when Jo Jo Harder, author, style doyenne and President/Owner/Creator of America's Top Dog Model, personally presented to Lilly the 2012 Calendar for America's Top Dog Model.

Birthday plate designed by Creations by Meryl for Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau at The Preppy American Brunch 2011
The real present for Lilly was seeing all the guests who traveled from near and far to celebrate this milestone birthday with her. Lilly was gracious and spent time with each guest listening intently to their story of their love for Lilly. There were smiles, hugs and lots of photo ops. Taylor McGrath, a law student at the University of Florida was so thrilled to meet Lilly that she exclaimed, “my life is now complete.” She even had her sign the commemorative plate that she won in the silent auction and she clutched it for dear life as she was holding on to the memories of a day she will never forget.
Lynne McGrath, Taylor McGrath and Tracy Datlen at The Preppy American Brunch 2011
The Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History provided the backdrop for the party and the guests strolled through the exhibit reliving the 50 years of fashion that all started in Palm Beach. Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau downplays her role in fashion history but there is a twinkle in her eye as she recalls the name of the prints she designed years ago that we still long for today. Lori Durante, Executive Director of the Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History has a passion for keeping this story alive through the exhibit and special events for “Queen of Prep: Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau” exhibit (formerly named For the Love of LILLY).
The Queen of Prep exhibit about Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau has been extended to November 2012, due to popular demand.  Donations are greatly appreciated in any amount to help support the continuation of the exhibit and the development of school field trips for children.   Donations can be made on-line, click here. For more information, call 561-243-2662 or e-mail: exhibits@mlfhmuseum.org.

Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau celebrates her 80th birthday at The Preppy American Brunch with committee member Chuck West of David Lerner & Associates and Lilly Ambassador Mary Lane

Guests in attendance traveled from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Dallas, Atlanta; Tampa, Florida; Gainesville, Florida; Longwood, Florida; Hobe Sound, Florida; and locally from Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Manalapan, Stuart and Fort Lauderdale.
 
After almost a year in the making, Lilly was whisked away and guests went about their own ways (I know for a fact that many headed to the nearest Lilly store as they left hungry for more Lilly fashions).  We sat there amidst the remnants of a great soiree and pondered the question, “What can we do to celebrate her 81st?”
 
Sponsors were David Lerner & Associates, Simon Property Group, Boris & Edith Rueger Fund, Patricia Ann Ravo Fund, US 1 AC Self Storage, Gerilyn Gianna Event & Floral Design, Artfully Baked, Bonnie's Best Bites, Master Cuts, M.A.C Cosmetics at Macy's-Boyntnon Beach,Karen Lee, Mary Lane, Barbara Malone and Lisa Stuart.
MLFH Executive Director & Chief Curator Lori J. Durante with Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau at The Preppy American Birthday Brunch 2011

Charity Heaton, Jen Bates with blogger Bethany of Maryland Pink & Green

Laurie Herter with blogger Petunia in Paradise at The Preppy American Brunch 2011 hosted at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History

Kerry Barr, Natalie Nash and Melissa Caligiuri at The Preppy American Brunch 2011
Brian and Jennifer Cohen at The Preppy American Brunch 2011
Lilly Ambassador Mary Lane with Ashley Brooke Quintana and Betsy Storey
at The Preppy American Brunch 2011

Janine Picone of Artfully Baked created the official pink and green cupcakes for the 80th birthday brunch for Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau hosted at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History
 
Preppy American Brunch committee members Cheryl Moffett, Kristen Kerl
and MLFH Executive Director Lori J. Durante
Photos by Lucien Capehart Photography
Blog written by Mary Lane
 
561-243-2662

Monetary donations are needed for the preservation of the vintage Lilly clothes donated for  the history exhibit dedicated to the Queen of Prep.  Donations are greatly appreciated in ANY amount.  Click here to make donation.

MLFHMUSEUM.org
 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Happy Birthday Boris & Edith Rueger!

Boris & Edith Rueger, supporters of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History

Boris and Edith Rueger were the longest and most significant supporters of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History when they became involved in year 2000. Sadly, Edith Zal Rueger passed away on August 26, 2010 which was nearly one-year and two months to date of the passing of her husband Boris Rueger who preceded her in death in June 2009.
 
For numerous years, the Ruegers have supported the Museum's inventive educational programs and efforts to secure a permanent home.  Some of the Museum programs which they supported included the annual Children & Parents Day event that has been held in Boynton Beach; and they also funded the Museum’s Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Delray Beach and the Children’s Mathematics in Design & History program.  In Addition, the Ruegers also sponsored the Museum’s efforts to open in its current 8,000 square feet facility located in Boynton Beach, Florida at the Boynton Beach Mall. The Ruegers left a bequest in their Will to help fund the renovations and programs at MLFH. Because of the support from the Ruegers, the facility was renovated and includes three gallery spaces and an education room. One of the galleries will be named in honor of the Ruegers.

For more than 45 years, the Ruegers lived in Delaware County, Pennsylvania where Boris Rueger was a co-owner of the East End Repair Shop.   He and his wife Edith married more than 65 years ago on December 31, 1944.

The Ruegers lived in Pennsylvania until their retirement to Delray Beach, Florida more than 20 years ago.  They both helped to create and chaired for 16 years a cultural program called “Summer Humanities” for residents of Huntington Lakes in Delray Beach, Florida.  The Ruegers were also active members at Temple Sinai in Delray Beach, Florida.

Boris and Edith Rueger were each others best friend.  Their birth dates were only one day a part as Edith often recalled “Bob’s birthday is November 22nd and my birthday is November 21st.”  They are survived by their two wonderful children, Larry Rueger and Judi Space; and two fantastic grandchildren Rita Rueger and Dana Rueger along with a host of many wonderful family members and friends.  And, the Ruegers also developed a very special friendship with Lori J. Durante who is the Executive Director of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History.  Lori often referred to the Ruegers as her “honorary grandparents.”

Boris and Edith are now both interred in Wallingford, Pennsylvania.
Year 2011 marks the 12th anniversary of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History.  The Ruegers had dedicated many years to help the Museum realize its dream of a permanent home. In Fall of 2009,  the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History opened in a donated facility at the Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, Florida. The Museum will be at the mall location while efforts still continue for the permanent facility. A gallery at the Museum will be named in their honor.

To Make A Donation:
If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Museum towards a fund to help raise monies for the gallery to be named in the honor of Boris & Edith Rueger, send a monetary donation, in any amount, payable to the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History at P.O. Box 6127, Delray Beach, Florida 33482 or donations can be made on-line.  Click here to access the website. For more information, call 561-243-2662 or e-mail: donate@mlfhmuseum.org.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

You're Invited to the Preppy American Brunch on Saturday, November 12, 2011


Preppy American Brunch to celebrate the 80th Birthday of
Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau
Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 11:45am

Special "Pink & Green" Cupcakes being created by Artfully Baked
The famed preppy resort fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau will become an octogenarian in November 2011.  To celebrate Rousseau’s significant milestone of turning 80 years old, the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History will host on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 11:45am, The Preppy American Brunch. 

The event is being chaired by
Lilly Ambassador Mary Lane
and will include a buffet brunch, silent auction, informal modeling, and music including a special violin serenade by 7 year-old Willow Moffett. 
Ticket price:
$75 per person; $750 for table of 10.  For MLFH members, the ticket price is $70 per person and $700 for a table of 10. Purchase tickets on-line at http://mlfhmuseum.org/specialevents/preppybirthdayparty.html or mail check payments to the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History at P.O. Box 6127; Delray Beach, FL  33482.  Call 561-243-2662 or e-mail PreppyBirthday@MLFHMUSEUM.org
Where:
Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History

801 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 483
Boynton Beach Mall (inside Mall in North Wing of Mall)
Boynton Beach, FL  33426
561-243-2662
e-mail: PreppyBirthday@MLFHMUSEUM.org
MLFHMUSEUM.org


Mary Lane with her Lilly Golf Cart

About the Preppy Brunch Honoree: Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau:
Ms. Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau is a resident on the island of Palm Beach and a Florida icon. During her fashion career, Pulitzer was proclaimed the "Queen of Prep" because of her fashion line’s popularity as resort wear that was primarily worn by Preppy Americans who vacationed in wealthy locales like Palm Beach, Florida; Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, to name a select few.

Born in Roslyn, New York, Lillian Lee McKim Pulitzer Rousseau (nicknamed Lilly) was named for her mother Lillian Stokes Bostwick McKim Phipps; and her grandmother Mary Lillian Stokes Bostwick.  Lilly’s great-grandfather was Jabez Abel Bostwick and he was a founding partner and first Treasurer of the Standard Oil Company.   Because of Lilly’s great-grandfather’s oil investments, this branch of the New York Bostwick family rose to prominence and became one of the wealthiest families in America.  Lilly was afforded education at the most prestigious schools: Chapin, Miss Porter’s School and in 1949 she was enrolled at The Finch School, (a finishing school for women of wealthy families) in New York City.  After three-months, Lilly dropped-out of Finch to become a nurse’s aid at the Kentucky Frontier Nursing Service.
In 1952, when Lilly Pulitzer eloped and married Peter Pulitzer, her noble standing was cemented again because Peter was the grandson of famed newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. 
 
Lilly and Peter settled in the Town of Palm Beach where a free-spirited Lilly Pulitzer operated a juice stand using produce from a citrus grove in Fort Pierce, Florida owned by the family.  The juice stand was located in a tiny shop in Via Mizner located right off Worth Avenue in the Town of Palm Beach, FL.  

Click the following links to read some of the news stories about the event:

Click here for Rod Hagwood's Fashion Blog about the Preppy Brunch

Click for Visit Florida Blog about Preppy Brunch

Click here for Florida Weekly Blog about Preppy Brunch

The Exhibition:
The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History’s feature exhibit is an ode to Lilly’s family history and namesake fashions. The For the Love of LILLY exhibit has been organized and developed by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History and curated by Lori J. Durante. The history showcase features more than 80 vintage Lilly Pulitzer clothes, accessories and original fabric. To date, more than 20 collectors from throughout the USA and the State of Florida have provided their vintage Lilly for the exhibit.  Some collectors are from Cincinnati, Ohio; San Francisco, California; Shingle Springs, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; as well as from cities in Florida such as Orlando, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach; Boca Raton; Boynton Beach; Delray Beach; Hillsboro Beach; Pompano Beach; Fort Lauderdale; Parkland and Miami.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Ken Doll Party at Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida for National Barbie Convention


Ken and Barbie made a personal appearance at the Ken is 50 Party hosted at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida for the attendees of the National Barbie Convention.  Ken and Barbie replica outfits were designed by Christina Rodriguez.

The Ken is 50 Party that was hosted this summer at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida  commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Ken doll. The event also celebrated Ken’s most loyal fans from the He’s A Doll Club and the National Barbie Convention that was held in South Florida.

Ken expert and author Jef Beck of Cedars Rapid, Iowa, signed copies of his book I Love Ken: My Life as the Ultimate Boyfriend. The books were provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers and more than 50 copies were sold.  Guests also met Barbie and Ken live. Ken was dressed in his original red swim trunks and striped red and white shirt outfit; and Barbie wore her iconic black and white striped swimsuit.  These adult-size replicas of the original Ken and Barbie outfits were custom designed exclusively for the event by Christina Rodriguez.  Ken’s and Barbie’s hair and make-up were styled by the new Sephora and the Salon both located inside the recently remodeled JcPenney at the Boynton Beach Mall.

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History (MLFH) coordinated a caravan of buses to transport the international Barbie conventioneers to MLFH for the Ken is 50 Party. The event had national and international attendees with more than 70 conventioneers, who are among the most devoted Ken doll enthusiasts. They were visiting from Arizona, Delaware, North Carolina, Virginia, California, Vermont, Illinois, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and New Jersey as well as the Country of France, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Guests delighted in the all-you-can-eat buffet sponsored by Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, Donnie's Place Southern Restaurant, Le Petit Pain French Bakery, The Village Tavern and PRP Wine International.   Bottled water was donated by the Dollar Store at the Boynton Beach Mall.

Sephora of JcPenney donated the gift bags, and amazing jazz music was performed by Michael Kennedy plus the guests had unlimited access to view exhibits at MLFH and enjoyed a Shopping Night at the Boynton Beach Mall.  Hallmark at the Boynton Beach Mall offered for the event limited edition Ken Doll ornaments.

Teen pageant winners Miss Teen Miramar and Miss Teen Bonaventure volunteered at the event and were gracious hosts as they welcomed and greeted the guests.


MLFH is currently showcasing an anthropological display of more than 100 Barbie dolls, friends, family members, clothes and accessories in the Barbie: History, Fashions & More exhibit celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Ken doll.  The doll showcase chronicles the evolution of the Barbie and Ken dolls and their historical impact.  More than twenty collectors from South Florida, New Jersey, New York and Canada have provided dolls.


Author Jef Beck signed copies of I Love Ken: My Life as the Ultimate Boyfriend at the Ken is 50 Party hosted at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida for the attendees of the National Barbie Convention

Miss Teen Miramar, Florida and Miss Teen Bonaventure, Florida were volunteer greeters at the Ken is 50 Party hosted at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida for the attendees of the 2011 National Barbie Convention.

The JcPenney Team at the Ken is 50 Party at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History! L-R: Maryann Galassi of the Salon at JcPenney-Boynton Beach Mall, with Crystal Rosa and Emily Plowman of the Sephora Inside JcPenney at the Boytnon Beach Mall
 All photos by Abbey Portrait Studios


Ken and Barbie with MLFH Executive  Director at the Ken is 50 Party. Photo by Thru The Lens Images

Barbie Conventioneers with Ken and Barbie at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History for the Ken is 50 Party in Boynton Beach, Florida. Photo by Thru The Lens Images


Click Here for Sun-Sentinel News Story about Ken is 50 Party

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida is celebrating 50 years of Ken in its Barbie: History, Fashions & More exhibit.  This exhibit has been modified from its original display that opened in year 2009 for the 50th birthday of Barbie. The Ken doll and his history are chronologically integrated in the Barbie exhibit.  The exhibit has been curated by Lori J. Durante.

The Barbie exhibit features numerous Ken dolls, his clothes, friends and family members along with more than 100 Barbie dolls, clothes and accessories from more than twenty collectors who are from throughout South Florida and Canada.  The Ken dolls are on exhibit now and will be showcased all year. Also displayed are designs by students from the Fashion Design Academy at Santaluces High School in Lantana, Florida and student works from the Miami International University of Art & Design in Miami, Florida.


The Ken doll was introduced by Mattel on March 11, 1961 as the boyfriend of Barbie, the Teen-Age Fashion Model.  He is two-years younger than his gal-pal Barbie.  Ken Carson was named after the son of the Mattel company co-founders, Ruth & Elliot Handler, who was named Kenneth.  Although the Ken doll was introduced on March 13, 1961 at the New York Toy Fair, Mattel is celebrating the birthday on March 11th.
  
He has been the first and only true love of Barbie.  When Ken arrived 50 years ago, he was featured with flocked (fleeced) blonde or brunette hair, and he wore red cotton swim-trunks, cork sandals and carried a yellow terry-cloth towel.  In 1981, the African American Ken Doll premiered.

For more information, visit http://mlfhmuseum.org/exhibitionschedule/barbiekenexhibit.html

Exhibit location:
Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History 

801 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 483
Boynton Beach Mall (inside Mall in North Wing of Mall)
Boynton Beach, FL  33426
561-243-2662
MLFHMUSEUM.org

Barbie & Ken are registered Trademarks of Mattel.  The MLFH exhibit is not affiliated with Mattel.