Fri 5/6
When an affair is billed as a “Night at the Museum,” endless possibilities and adventures come to mind.
Similar to the movie of the same name, giants (of industry) and celebrities will be present at Fashion Week Cleveland’s “Night at the Museum” event taking place Fri 5/6 at the Western Reserve Historical Society’s Halle Costume Museum. Attendees will enjoy a walk down Cleveland’s Millionaire’s Row. When they enter the Hannah Mansion, they’ll see clothing worn along Euclid Avenue by some of the city’s more prominent families.
The event also boasts an exhibit of the Ohio Knitting Mill of the 1950s and ’60s. This includes the once-secret surviving inventory of original sweaters and other knit garments, which are in nearly pristine condition and available for purchase.
CoolCleveland talked to Fashion Week Cleveland visionary Donald Shingler about this ultimate retro night cocktail party of fashion and history.
How does “Night at the Museum” fit into Fashion Week Cleveland?
Donald Shingler: It fits into Fashion Week because we’re known as the educational Fashion Week. That’s what sets us apart from many other fashion events in the United States. At the center of what we do is educational programming. What that means is that’s what has the American fashion industry looking at Cleveland’s Fashion Week. So I see success in the future with various speakers, designers and industry leaders at all of our museums and cultural institutions speaking or having a seminar. You might have Steven Tyler at the Rock Hall with Tommy Hilfiger who has designed their stage costumes for Aerosmith for years. We actually did a trial run years ago with a curator speaking about the importance of leather in rock ’n’ roll.
So what’s the idea behind “Night at the Museum?”
The gist of this event is it’s in the Hannah Mansion, which has been converted into a costume museum or clothing museum. Costume museums are very important to the fashion industry, and are something a lot of regular folks don’t know about. People are familiar with the Met Gala in the costume wing at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. It’s so big in the industry that most folks know about it. Celebrities would rather go to the Met Gala than the Grammy Awards or the Oscars by far. It’s a big deal. So the idea of fashion at museums and costume museums is a big deal in the industry. It’s something that’s always been very important, and now consumers are starting to learn about these kind of educational parties at costume museums. That’s exactly what we’re doing here.
Let’s talk about the different exhibits.
In this particular exhibit they’re doing with Fashion Week Cleveland, it’s going to show how Clevelanders from Millionaire’s Row dressed. It’s the actual clothing of those people that have been donated over the years. Also, Cleveland was a great garment district. One of those was the Ohio Knitting Mill, which made tons of sweaters for major department stores and others across the country. There’s a gentleman who is a descendent of that family. They kept two of every item ever made. It’s unbelievable. It’s a gem. When you think of vintage shopping that’s so popular, this is a chance to buy vintage and see vintage clothing that’s brand-new.
Finally, back to your original point of Fashion Week Cleveland featuring various designers and industry leaders speaking at Cleveland cultural institutions, do you expect to see more events like “Night at the Museum” beginning next year?
Yes, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. And we’re going to do that, including beefing up our speaker series. The museum parties are at the center of what we do.
Regular admission to “Night at the Museum” is $15. However, until Thu 5/5, CoolCleveland is offering a discount for only $5 for all-inclusive ticket to A Night At The Museum includes admission to all Western Reserve Historical Society museums, Retail’s Night Out, vintage clothing sale, cash bar, and exclusive curator guided tour. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS BEFORE 5/5 FOR DISCOUNT.@CLE_FashionWeek @CleStartsHere @WRHS_History @HaleFarm
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106