Joy Rhodes is the esteemed Department Chair of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Johnson County Community College. She is delighted to announce an exciting exhibit called “Free to Be...A 1960s Fashion Revolution” that delves into the dynamic world of 1960s women's fashion. This display showcases clothing that epitomizes the era's spirit of self expression and cultural transformation.
“The JCCC Historical Fashion Collection was gifted to the college in the early 1990’s and has grown over the years to include over 2,000 pieces,” says Rhodes. “The collection includes pieces dating back to the late 1800’s through the early 2000’s. Up until recently, the collection has been used as a teaching tool for students to learn about the evolution of fashion and how it parallels what was happening in history at that time. The collection is used in many JCCC fashion classes to learn about fashion history, textiles, terminology, details and is a fantastic source of inspiration for aspiring design students.”
Due to space limitations on campus, the collection, which is not open to the public, has been primarily used as an internal teaching resource. Recognizing the importance of sharing this treasure trove with the broader community, JCCC has partnered with the Johnson County Museum to display select pieces for public enjoyment.
“At this point we do not have a space on the JCCC campus to effectively showcase pieces for the community, so in an effort to gain more visibility for the collection, we have partnered with Johnson County Museum to display pieces for the public to enjoy.”
Two dedicated faculty members, Audrey Michaelis and Britt Benjamin, led the curation of the 1960s exhibit. Their research and collaboration with museum staff resulted in a stunning showcase of four key fashion genres from the decade: modernists, naturalists, socialites and professionals. Each genre reflects the significant societal changes of the 1960s, from the futuristic designs inspired by space exploration to the earthy aesthetics of the counterculture movement.
The majority of the collection was donated by prominent Kansas City society women before being officially gifted to the college.
“We have continued to accept donations since then with the most recent donation being just a couple years ago and included over 350 ensembles. We are currently at capacity and only accepting pieces with notable historical significance. Our main focus now is to bring awareness and raise the funds to help preserve the collection for future generations to come.”
Rhodes has many favorites within the collection.
“I have many favorite pieces in the collection, many of which are not a part of this exhibit. If I had to pick my favorites from the exhibit, I would probably choose the black carwash dress or the black dress with red inset detail, both designed by Pierre Cardin, a very important designer of this decade. He was heavily inspired by the space exploration that was happening at the time and created his own version of Space Age fashion.”
Visitors to the exhibit can expect an immersive experience, exploring the era's bold and diverse fashion trends. See the iconic garments and listen to different speaker series, which offer historical context to the social and cultural movements.
“We are hoping to secure funding to help better preserve and protect the collection so that it can be enjoyed for many generations to come—this includes air filtration, temperature control, dust and pest control, and covered storage cabinets to ensure we can continue to use this treasured collection for educational opportunities," explains Rhodes.
"The JCCC Historical Fashion Collection is an invaluable asset that the college possesses and we are excited to share it with the local community in collaboration with the Johnson County museum."
For more information about the exhibit at Johnson County Museum, visit jcprd.com.
The collection includes pieces dating back to the late 1800’s through the early 2000’s.