Dressed: The History of Fashion

Episode: Fashion History Now #69

Hosts: April Callahan & Cassidy Zachary

Date: September 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this rich and engaging “Fashion History Now” installment, April and Cassidy reunite after a few months away to share fresh discoveries, recommendations, and cultural highlights at the intersection of fashion’s past, present, and future. Their lively conversation brings listeners Instagram follows, deep-dives into textile history and technology, fashion exhibit news, and updates on their own upcoming events and tours.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fashion Industry Updates & Shifts

• Recent Changes in Fashion Houses:
  • Balenciaga sees Pierpaolo Piccioli as its creative director, to the hosts’ delight.
    • Cassidy: “I think Perra Paolo is the man to do it. He has such respect and reverence for the craft and art of Vaucouture.” (02:54)
  • Jonathan Anderson is announced as creative director at Dior; both hosts consider such changes “old news” in the ever-quickening fashion news cycle.
• Hope for Positive Transformation:
  • Hosts sense positive change around Fashion Week, acknowledging past public frustrations with fashion’s creative lull:
    • April: “I feel like we've turned a corner. Maybe. … I am ever hopeful that maybe we're shifting gears in a good way.” (02:37)

2. Textile Libraries and Archival Practices

• Spotlight: The Blue Tatter Textile Library (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Cassidy introduces listeners to the @tatterbluelibrary Instagram and the library’s mission:

    “Tatter is a library and arts nonprofit, ‘exploring cloth to tell human stories and cultivate cross cultural understanding.’” (04:15)

  • Their recent "Back to School Alphabet" IG series (A is for Archive, B is for Button, C is for Calico) showcases global textile objects and histories.
  • Historic calico’s complicated story—from its Indian textile roots, British exploitation and the Calico Acts, to its American reinvention—is highlighted:

    “They basically went in, stole the technology for themselves and then stopped supporting the local economy.” (07:18)

  • Listeners are encouraged not only to follow online but also visit or attend Tatter’s events.

3. Artistic Intersections: Fashion & Interiors

• Sarah Espute’s Clothes Curtains
  • April shares the creative work of French textile artist Sarah Espute, whose oversized shirt and pant “curtains” blur lines between clothing and home décor.
  • These unique, whimsical curtains—initially conceived for an exhibit titled “A Well Dressed Apartment”—are crafted from vintage fabrics with hand-stitched details.

    “She’s making enormous sized shirts, tunics, pants, t-shirts that are intended to be used as curtains. And they are so magical.” (09:19)

  • Listeners are guided to Espute’s Instagram (@saragespute) and shop (Oeuvre Sensible) for inspiration and possible pre-orders.

4. Playful Scale in Fashion: Guinness World Record Inspirations

• Oversized Garments in Fashion and Record Books
  • The discussion segues from Espute’s art to fashion’s history of playfully scaling up garments (world’s largest pants, high heels) and their documentation in the Guinness World Records.
  • Shoutout to Ben from Guinness—previous podcast guest—reminds listeners fashion history spans from the museum-worthy to the delightfully bizarre.

5. Textile Technology & Women’s Hidden Labor

• Diné and Raytheon Women in Apollo Missions
  • Cassidy introduces the 2022 Science News article “Core Memory Weavers and Navajo Women Made the Apollo Missions Possible” by Joy Lisi Rankin.
  • Diné (Navajo) women produced integrated circuits for Apollo guidance computers (1965–1975), while women at Raytheon “wove” computer core memory by hand.
  • The process of threading wires through ferrite rings—literally weaving memory—merged textile skill with tech advancement:

    “Women sitting on opposite sides of a panel passing a wire threaded needle back and forth to create a particular pattern.” (16:51)

  • Despite their crucial contributions, most of these women remain uncelebrated, with rare exceptions such as Margaret Hamilton (“rope mother”).
  • Cassidy promises to share archival images and the article link.

    “It is still incredibly fascinating… more and more of these women are getting their due, or at least more information is coming out about their contribution.” (14:36)

6. Upcycling in Contemporary Fashion

• Catherine Martin x Miu Miu Collaboration
  • April highlights a recent collaboration between renowned costume designer Catherine Martin and Miu Miu.
    • The "Upcycled by Miu Miu" project, active since 2020, involves transforming vintage textiles and garments into new luxury pieces.
    • The thematic vision: “the world between wars” and Riviera culture of the interwar era.

      “These looks speak to the nautical, hedonistic beach culture … the ghosts of this period.” – Catherine Martin, via April (22:46)

  • Methods: repurposed jerseys and denim, rescued antique lace and cashmere (broken down or respun), and upcycled silk bedsheets.
  • A short fashion film titled “Grand Envy,” Martin’s directorial debut, beautifully realizes this fantasy (with Willem Dafoe starring).

7. Community Engagement & Fashion Education

• Upcoming Events
  • Cassidy: Launching a 'Vintage Fashion History 101' hands-on workshop and curated vintage sale in Albuquerque (Sept 27), focusing on 100 years of women’s fashion history and vintage identification.

    “You'll get a hands-on experience … I'm also going to teach you how to identify vintage.” (27:46)

  • April: Returns with Met Museum Friday Night Tours (starting Sept 19), welcomes group tour requests, and will continue these through at least 2025.
• NYC In-Person Day Tours (Dec 1–3, 2025)
  • Both hosts announce December day tours—mix-and-match itineraries including Met tours, Garment District atelier visits (with new multigenerational stops), and FIT behind-the-scenes experiences.

    “Do you like French lace? … because we're gonna go see some.” – April (32:43)

• Online Fashion History Course
  • Cassidy’s “What Women Wore to the Revolution” course (Oct 16+) will cover the 1930s–1960s and is available for registration.

8. Reader & Listener Resources

• Show Notes & Bookshelf
  • All links are in the show notes: to recommended articles, Instagram follows, artist shops, and event signups.
  • Listeners looking for book recommendations can check their Bookshop shelf with 150+ titles: bookshop.org/shop/dressed.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• April: “It's a very straightforward idea. Why have we never seen this before?” (12:46)
• Cassidy: “Just when you think you've seen it all, people are constantly coming up with new ways to use clothing. And it's just so fascinating to me.” (12:18)
• Cassidy: “How many historical narratives over the years center the exploits and achievements of great ‘men’ while leaving out the incredibly important people behind the scenes or seams that made it all possible.” (14:36)
• April (on upcycling): “We have used the good bits and then added other bits to make it wearable and precious.” (24:44)
• Cassidy: “You really can't get what we offer anywhere else … we get to go behind the scenes at the Antonio Roddy center for a global textile experience.” (31:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Fashion Industry News / Fashion Weeks (01:43–02:54)
• Blue Tatter Textile Library, Instagram series (03:23–07:20)
• Sarah Espute’s Clothes Curtains & Artistic Textiles (08:24–12:46)
• World Records for Giant Garments (12:55–13:58)
• To-Read: Core Memory Weavers & Apollo Missions (14:00–18:32)
• Upcycling: Catherine Martin x Miu Miu Collab (21:50–26:17)
• Upcoming Events: NM Workshop, Met Tours, NYC Dec Tours (26:12–32:43)
• Closing Resources & Bookshop (34:13)

Tone & Language

The episode carries Dressed’s signature blend of warmth, curiosity, and intellectual rigor. Both hosts maintain an engaging, collegial tone, peppering their detailed reports and recommendations with personal anecdotes, humor, and clear enthusiasm for their subject matter.

Useful Links

• Tatter Blue Textile Library: @tatterbluelibrary, tatter.org
• Sarah Espute: @sarahespute, Oeuvre Sensible Shop
• Science News Article: Core Memory Weavers and Navajo Women Made the Apollo Missions Possible (link in show notes)
• Met Tours & Fashion History Courses: dressedhistory.com
• Bookshop Shelf: bookshop.org/shop/dressed

This episode is packed with discoveries, inspiration, and practical opportunities for listeners to connect with fashion history, both online and in person. Whether you’re intrigued by textile libraries, innovative upcycling, or untold stories from the history of technology, this is an episode not to miss.