Fashion and time

On May 26th, the National Library hosted the presentation of a new electronic resource “Fashion and time”; opening of photo and book exhibitions and a fashion show of designer clothes.

The electronic collection ”Fashion and time” created by the National Library of Belarus features about 400 items – digital copies of books, magazines, photos and video records reflecting world fashion trends from the XVI century to present day.

The collection gem are rare graphic documents the oldest of which date from the middle of the XIX century – illustrations, reproductions, engravings representing styles and decors of clothes of various epochs and countries in details, color combinations and the history of footwear and accessories.

Women’s magazines show the fashion trends in the best way. The electronic collection “Fashion and time” presents over 20 titles of editions for ladies including the first illustrated fashion magazines issued in Russia in the late XIX – early XX centuries.

More than 100 articles about fashion of the XIX – early ХХ centuries are gathered in the electronic collection. Digital copies of rare book from the stocks of the National Library of Belarus are presented as well.

The resource “Fashion and time” is on open access on the library’s Internet portal. Materials are arranged in six thematic sections: woman, man, children clothes, head-dresses, footwear and accessories. Extended search options are available, for example, by title or historical period (fashion from the XVI to the XX centuries). The collection contains publications in Belarusian, Russian, English, German, Polish, French and other languages.

With the variety and uniqueness of materials, the electronic collection “Fashion and time” will be interesting to both fashion professionals and those who keep up the trends of the world of beauty and search for their own style.

Deputy Director of the National Library of Belarus Tatiana Kuzminich, General Manager of the Institute of Modern Knowledge named after А.М. Shirokov Nadiezhda Shirokova and scientist-historian Alexander Samovich made welcome speeches.

Chief librarian of the National Library of Belarus Oksana Bujchik presented the electronic collection.

A bright defile of adult’s and children’s clothes from collections of young designers of the Institute of Modern Knowledge named after А.М. Shirokov on a makeshift podium was arranged by the National School of Beauty under the direction of Elena Kovalchuk. Students of the chair of suit modeling under the direction of Elena Atrahovich:   Marina Merenkova, Diana Knysh, Victoria Kapustyanskaya, Kira Algina, Darja Lubyanaya, Maria Mashedo and Valeria Krysa showed their bold experiments in cloth designing.

At the event the fashion brand “Elen Carotte” was presented to guests. Their concept is that the Belarusian national stitchwork is fashionable and modern. Their collection presents an ethnic-business style. The studio “Elen Carotte” aspires to keep the Belarusian stitchwork authenticity making clothes from flax of high quality, uses traditional embroidery at the same time adapting it to the requirements of present day.

The holiday atmosphere was competed with a theatrical-choreographic performance “A Sewing Workshop” by the dance theater ”Otrazhenija” and songs Back in town, Qando, With you and others performed by young talents Maxim Petuhov, Anastasia Zmitrovich, Kristina Tiribina and Artiom Dyatko, and also the children’s theater of fashion “Krasavik”.

The event presenters – Olga Baj and Vyacheslav Korotchenkov.

More than 100 photos of the beginning of the ХХ century from the private collection of Doctor of Historical Sciences Alexander Samovich are on display at the photo exhibition (3rd floor, circular corridor). Pictures made in photographic studios of Belarusian cities depict coquettes and dandies of that time in mundane and military suits.

The event was arranged by the National Library of Belarus in cooperation with the Institute of Modern Knowledge named after А.М. Shirokov and the National School of Beauty.

As part of the presentation, an exposition including over 200 editions about fashion was open. Visitors had an opportunity to thumb through unique originals illustrated editions of the middle XIX – the beginning of the XX century which reflected a part of an electronic collection, and also to get acquainted with the latest books about style and beauty. Researches of the Belarusian national suit and creative portraits of designers, textbooks of fashion-and model business, chronicles of high life and the cult periodical press (for example, the issue of Vogue for 1926 or La Mode of 1922), the alphabet of fashion for schoolchildren and reviews of men’s wardrobe, numerous encyclopedias and historical reviews, advice on selection of accessories – each reader could find a book or a magazine to their taste. Also guests of the event could view the unique editions by means of mobile phones having scanned QR-codes at special stands.