50 Years of Costume Society of America

Kristen Zohn • September 12, 2023

On September 12, 1973, CSA was incorporated as a non-profit in the state of New York

Costume Society of America (CSA) was founded on March 28, 1973, when Stella Blum, Herbert Callister, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, Adele Filene, Cora Ginsburg, and Elizabeth Jachimowicz held an organizational meeting at Filene’s apartment in New York, New York. Formal recognition came on September 12, 1973, when the organization was incorporated as a non-profit in the state of New York. Callister was the first President of the organization, and he has been followed by nineteen successors to date. Governance of CSA is overseen in accordance with our by-laws and constitution by the organization’s Board of Directors, made up of fifteen members who are elected by the membership and who serve for three-year terms. An executive committee of thirteen officers are elected by the Board of Directors for two-year terms.

 

The mission of CSA, as adopted in 2018, is to “foster an understanding of appearance and dress practices of people across the globe through research, education, preservation, and design. Our network of members studies the past, examines the present, and anticipates the future of clothing and fashion.” CSA serves it members and promotes its goals with programs on the national and regional level and with digital and print publications.

 

Given that CSA’s members are dispersed throughout the United States and Canada, the Board of Directors began to recognize Regional groups in the following order: Given that CSA’s members are dispersed throughout the United States and Canada, the Board of Directors began to recognize Regional groups in the following order: Region V (1978), Region III (1982), Region II (1983), Region I (1984), and Regions VI and VIII (1985). Regions III and IV were combined in 1994.[1] Currently, the Regions are designated as Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, Northeastern, Southeastern, Southwestern, Western, and International. All CSA members are automatically members of the Regions in which they reside, and a dedicated group of members lead Regional Advisory Councils that provide newsletters, annual meetings, and other programs for members throughout the service areas.

 

The Annual Meeting and Symposium event has been an important offering of the organization since 1975. In 2024 the 50th such program will be held in Washington, D.C. with the theme, “Looking Forward, Reflecting Back.” In addition to a meeting of the members, as is required by the articles of incorporation, by-laws, and constitution, the activities include keynote lectures, plenary presentations by award winners, concurrent sessions of papers, tours of local sites, and silent auctions. The proceeds are published, and editions from 2007 forward are available electronically to members.

 

Additional publications provided by CSA include the organization’s scholarly journal, Dress, first published in 1975. Dress examines the many facets of clothing and appearance through the study of art, social history, anthropology, and material culture. Articles based in diverse theoretical, analytical, and research methods command a great deal of respect in the field. Editors have included Robert Riley, Alez Gildzen, Richard Martin, Patricia Trautman, Patricia Cunningham, Sally Helvenston Gray, Tina Bates, and Ingrid Mida. Originally published with one issue annually, this increased to two issues per year with Volume 39 in 2013. Since 2016 Dress has been produced by Taylor & Francis, who host the entire catalogue digitally on their website.

 

The field of dress study has been advanced by the CSA Series, which began in 2001 as an avenue to aid CSA members in publishing their scholarship. It was founded under the leadership of CSA Vice President for Publications Rosalyn Lester and in partnership with Texas Tech University Press (TTUP).[2] Phyllis Specht, the founding editor, served for fifteen years, and with TTUP’s editor Judith Keeling, she directed the publication of fourteen books. In 2017, the series was taken on by Kent State University Press, and as editor Jennifer Mower oversaw four additional publications. Kelly Reddy-Best was named editor of the Series in 2023. Books in the series vary from primarily textual to highly illustrated and have included subjects as diverse as eighteenth-century shoemaking to the cultural history of Black hair in broader American society.

 

Scholarship and service to the field is celebrated by CSA annually with numerous awards, honors, grants, and projects. The most prestigious is the Fellows Honor, which recognizes outstanding dedication, commitment, and leadership to the organization and to the field of costume. The first class of CSA Fellows, recognized in 1991, included founders Blum, Callister, Coleman, Filene, Ginsburg, and Jachimowicz, as well as Jack Handford and Shannon Rodgers.[3] Fifty-three additional Fellows have been named since then. Other honors include the Mary D. Doering Guardian Honor, instituted in 2019, that recognizes the legacy of Doering and others like her who celebrate and protect significant objects of dress and appearance. Since 1997, the Scholars’ Roundtable Honor has charged a group of costume scholars to lead a discussion at the National Symposium that speaks to a current issue in the field.

 

Awards given annually celebrate excellence and honor our important members through named awards that include the Millia Davenport Publication Award (first given in 1991), Richard Martin Exhibition Award (instituted in 2002), Betty Kirke Excellence in Research Award (established in 2016), and the Howard Vincent Kurtz Emerging Theatre Artist Award (first given in 2022). First given in 2004, the President’s Award recognizes the extraordinary service of member or members during the preceding year. An award for Costume Design was first given in 2008, and the Entrepreneur Recognition Award was established by Wendy Goldstein in 2022.

 

Grants have allowed scholars and organizations to fund valuable research, materials, and professional help. The Stella Blum Student Research Grant, instituted in 1987, was followed by the Adele Filene Student Presenter and Travel Research Grants (both in 1996), the Small Museum Collection Care Grant (2003), the College and University Collection Care Grant (2006), and most recently the Dependent Care Grant (2020).

 

The CSA Angels Project, which first took place in 2006, sends volunteers to a small and deserving costume collection located in or near the host city of that year’s National Symposium to provide conservation, storage, and curatorial assistance. The program is skillfully led by Martha Winslow Grimm and Margaret Ordoñez with the support of Patti Borrello and Marie Schlag. In 2007, Patricia Wesp, who was chair of the CSA Grants Committee, and Loreen Finkelstein, who was CSA’s Vice President of External Relations, wrote and received a $60,000 grant to fund the 2008-2010 projects at the Jackson Barracks Military Museum, New Orleans; Phoenix Museum of History, Phoenix, AZ; and Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, MO. In 2011, the Angels Project received a $1,000 grant from the American Association of Conservation $1,000 grant. The Endowment funded the rest of the project that year, and it has done so in full since 2015.

 

The funds for the rest of the organization’s grants, awards, and projects are also provided by the CSA Endowment. Inspired by a Rotary Club endowment that she learned about through her husband, President Rosalyn Lester proposed that CSA begin its own in order to fund these programs, as well as to provide a permanent place for contributions from members. Having seen a presentation by CSA Western Region member Judy Mathey and her husband Bob about managing investments,[4] Rosalyn sought Judy’s help, and with the oversight of Executive Director Kaye Boyer Ryan, the CSA Endowment was begun in 2007. Since then, the Endowment has consistently received over $20,000 in donations annually.  The generous contributions of donors are invested, and the interest is used to fund awards, grants and projects developed and administered by the CSA Board of Directors. As of the end of Fiscal Year 2023, there were over $450,000 in the Endowment Fund. In this anniversary year, a special $50 for 50 Years Endowment Campaign has been launched under the leadership of Howard Vincent Kurtz and Sheryl Farnan.

 

Opportunities to expand CSA’s outreach and programs were brought about in the challenging year of 2020. In response to members’ questions about issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement, the Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEAB) Committee was established to promote and advocate for DEAB initiatives and philosophies throughout the organization. Due to our inability to gather in person during the COVID-19 pandemic, our Conversations on Dress webinar series was launched by Graham Wetzbarger, Vice President for Technology. To date as of this writing in late August 2023, the series has produced over 75 programs, with over 3,500 attendees and an additional reach of almost 15,000 views of the recordings on CSA’s YouTube channel. The first annual meeting to be held virtually took place in 2020, and our first virtual annual symposium was held in 2021.

 

From its earliest years, CSA updated the membership with goings-on in the field through printed mailings and quarterly newsletters. More recently, communication has taken a digital turn, with emails, a website, an e-newsletter (first published in 2013), and a presence on various social media platforms.[5] The organization’s logo was given its first complete makeover in 2018, and a companion logo was produced for the 50th anniversary in 2023.

 

To mark our 25th anniversary in 1993, Elizabeth Ann Coleman and Elizabeth Brown wrote an excellent history of our organization.[6] Since then, we have continued programs that have fostered the field as well as adding digital and virtual offerings and a host of awards, honors, grants, and projects. Costume Society of America is an organization run by its members for its members. Our current President, Lalon Alexander, has instituted a new series of Town Hall Forums as a place where members can ask questions of the leadership and learn behind-the-scenes information about how CSA is run.

 

From the national office in Columbus, Georgia, where I have served the organization since 2015, thanks go to the thousands of volunteers who have contributed to the growth and smooth operation of the organization and to the excellent contributions in the fields of clothing, fashion, and costume. Here’s to another fantastic 50 years as we honor our past, celebrate today, and build the future!

 

Kristen Miller Zohn

Executive Director


[1] Elizabeth Ann Coleman and Elizabeth Brown (1998), “In the Beginning … A Brief Background of the Costume Society of America,” Dress, 25:1, 88-90, DOI: 10.1179/036121198805297873  

[2] No author (2006), “CSA Fellows: Rosalyn Lester,” Dress, 33:1, 121, DOI: 10.1179/036121106805252981

[3] Phyllis Specht (1991), “The Costume Society of America presents The Class of 1991 Fellows,” Dress, 18:1, 92-96, DOI: 10.1179/036121191803657133

[4] Phyllis Specht (2022) “In Memoriam: Judy Mathey (1940–2021),” Dress, 48:2, 219-220, DOI: 10.1080/03612112.2022.2090104

[5] See Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram

Dialogues on Dress: Cora Harrington

February 28, 2025
The history of dress and the future of fashion act in dialogue, always interfacing to inform our present moment. The Costume Society of America’s diverse members exemplify this reality like no other; through the constant connections across time and disciplines they draw, our membership of costume curators, designers, artists, and so much more embody fashion’s ubiquitous presence - and dress’ daily power to teach us all something new. We hope you will join us for CSA’s new Dialogues on Dress series, interviews now available monthly in our e-News and website . Interested in getting in touch? Email enews@costumesocietyamerica.com

Costume Society of America Celebrates its 50th National Annual Meeting and Symposium

By Kristen Zohn • June 5, 2024
It’s a wrap! Our 50th annual symposium in Washington, DC, has now become part of our history. The Grand Hyatt, in the heart of the city, was a fitting venue for this grand occasion. The hotel conference staff was enthusiastic about hosting our golden anniversary and was a pleasure to work with. The Board of Directors met Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Participant events began Wednesday morning with a trip to Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens. Onsite workshops allowed participants to learn about sewing for museums, teaching zero waste to design students, doing restorative research, examining Chanel suits and copies close-up, and doing hands-on fabric design. The George Washington Museum and The Textile Museum also hosted a workshop, the first of three events at that institution. Founding members Elizabeth Ann Coleman and Elizabeth Jachimowicz led off the evening celebrations with the keynote beginning with “The Dark Ages” of the founding and how the Society grew. Grants, awards, and honors recipients were recognized (a full list can be found here ), and then the group adjourned to food, beverages, music, and dancing. Presentations began Thursday morning. Each day led off one of the grants, awards, and honors presentations in plenary session to bring us all together before we split up to visit one of four or five concurrent sessions. Thursday afternoon, attendees left the hotel for organized tours to Arena Stage, the DAR Museum, Ford’s Theatre, the Library of Congress, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Textile Museum, and a special added treat at the National Museum of American History. Our hosts and hostesses extended warm hospitality. Some stayed behind to meet CSA’s editors, while others went on their own to some of the many other museums in the area. Meanwhile, the silent auction, ably directed by symposium co-chair Debbie Farthing and a crew of volunteers, got the massive donations organized in order for us to start bidding at noon. As usual, there were many treasures. A new feature was the cash and carry dollar table. We are pleased to say that these efforts yielded over $5,500—thanks go to all those who donated and purchased items. Later that day, student members met and then went out to dinner. Registrants were also invited to the Textile Museum for an evening lecture, “Three Centuries of Europe’s ‘Clouded’ Ikat Textiles,” by Martina D’Amato. Friday featured the Creative Works Exhibition in addition to plenary and concurrent research sessions. In the evening, former First Lady Dolley Madison (aka living history interpreter Katherine Spivey) came to dine with a small group at the fundraising dinner. Saturday morning, the Town Hall gave attendees a chance to express their concerns with newly installed President Leon Wiebers. As a result of this discussion, a task force is being assembled to review the DEAB language in symposium rubrics before the next call for abstracts is released this summer. If you have an interest in serving or a concern to add to this review, please let the national office know as soon as possible by sending an email to national.office@costumesocietyamerica.com . The symposium came to a close at 3:00 on Saturday afternoon. However, some attendees remained to get in one last museum visit or enjoy some of the vibrant nightlife. Abstracts of this 50 th Annual Meeting and Symposium can be downloaded on the members-only site . You can see some of the action as participants shared photos on social media with the hashtag, #CSA50th. If you attended and haven’t shared your photos yet, please take a moment to do so. We want to hear from you! Whether you attended this year’s symposium or not, please give us your thoughts by clicking here . Your feedback is valuable to us as we plan for the future. We extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsors, Bloomsbury Publishing, DittoForm LLC Michigan, and UOVO Fashion all at the Silver Level; Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum and Zephyr Preservation Studio, LLC at the Bronze Level; 2024 Angels Project sponsors University Products, Talas, Gaylord Archival, and Archival Methods; Creative Works Exhibition sponsors Marymount University, Arlington, VA, and Fashion Archives and Museum of Shippensburg University, PA. Thanks also to our marketplace participants and advertisers: Intellect Books, Past Crafts, Yale University Press, and Cora Ginsburg. Attendees also showed their individual support through sponsorships named after First Ladies’ Gowns. At the $500, Dolley Payne Todd Madison Level: Annie Pacious, Anne Sullivan Waskom, and Ann Wass. At the $200, Mary Todd Lincoln Level: Lalon Alexander, Theresa Alexander, Jennifer Tracz, and Polly Willman. At the $100, Lou Henry Hoover Level: June Burns Bové; Debbie Farthing; Margaret Ordoñez; and Sarah Stevens. At the $50, Mamie Doud Eisenhower Level: Elizabeth Ann Coleman, Mary Gibson, Marjorie Jonas, and Leigh Southward. At the $25, Rosalyn Smith Carter Level: Ann Braaten, Deborah Brothers, Jennifer Brown, Judi Dawainis, Michaele Haynes, Erin Howell-Gritsch, Deborah Miller, Nan H. Mutnick, Susan Picinich, Colleen Pokorny, Elizabeth Potter, Danielle Reeves, Claire Shaeffer, Arlesa Shephard, Constance Spotts, and Susan Yanofsky. At the $10, Nancy Davis Reagan Level: Heidi Cochran, Arti Sandhu, Jenise Sileo, and Michelle Tarantina. We would like to express our immense gratitude for the hard work of our fantastic local arrangements team, led by the dynamic duo Co-Chairs: Ann Wass, Debbie Farthing; Hotel Site Visits: Tanya Wetenhall; Abstracts Co-Administrators: Theresa Alexander, Karin Bohleke; Abstracts Editor: Gail Alterman; Angels Project: Martha Grimm, Margaret Ordoñez; Keynote: Alden O’Brien, Ann Wass; First Timers/Member-to-Member Meet and Greet: Monica Sklar, Petra Slinkard; Student Meet and Greet: Dyese Matthews, Paige Tomfohrde; Reception Dance Leader: Jim Wass; Professional Development Workshops: Brian Centrone, Angel DuBose, Katrina Orsini; Scholars’ Roundtable: Jaleesa Reed, Ginger Stanciel; Creative Works Exhibition: Jean Parsons, Julia Ravindran; Tours: Howard Vincent Kurtz, Katherine Hill McIntyre, Megan Martinelli, Alden O’Brien, Katrina Orsini, Shelly Foote, Laura Johnson; Marketplace: Deborah Miller, Debbie Farthing; Silent Auction: Debbie Farthing, Heidi Cochrane, Charlene Gross, Polly Willman ; Fundraiser Event: Katherine Spivey, Ann Wass; Social Media: Katrina Orsini, Frank Gabriel New; Evaluations: Ann Wass; Volunteers: Mid-Atlantic Members and Friends. Special thanks go to the more than 30 abstract reviewers who made our symposium possible. Next Year’s Plans Next year, we will convene across the country in Los Angeles. CSA's Western Region will host the 51 st National Annual Meeting and Symposium at Loyola Marymount University. Hope to see you there! Images top row left to right: The record number of Fellows who joined us for the festivities; Symposium Co-Chair Ann Wass in character as Ann Brodeau with Katherine Spivey as Dolley Madison at the Friday night fundraiser; Symposium Co-Chair Debbie Farthing, queen of the Silent Auction; Jeremy M. Bernardoni shows his work in the Creative Design Exhibition; attendees view rare books on the Library of Congress Tour Images bottom row left to right: Nadege Pierre, her mother, Sarah Hixson, Talia Spielholz, Monica Sklar, and Charlene Gross during their trip to the Library of Congress during the Thursday afternoon tours; Angels Project participants at The Howard County Historical Society in Ellicott City, Maryland; Howard Vincent Kurtz with the winners of the award that bears his name: Yee Lin Elaine Yuen (2022 winner), Mona Jahani (2023 winner), Kessler Jones (2024 winner)

2024 Costume Society of America Grants, Projects, Awards, and Honors Announced

By Kristen Zohn • April 15, 2024
Costume Society of America (CSA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 grants, projects, awards, and honors . "We have an exceptional group of awards, honors, and grant recipients this year. I want to thank all of our committees for their work and dedication in reviewing the nominees,” says Arlesa Shephard, CSA Vice President for Awards and Honors. Patricia Edmonson, Vice President for Grants and Projects adds, "We truly appreciate the time our applicants spend on each submission. Our committee chairs are always here to help members through the process of applying!” All awards, grants, and projects are funded through the generosity of donors to the CSA Endowment . One Costume Society of America Fellow has been chosen this year to honor her significant contributions to the field of costume. Linda Baumgarten is a specialist in the early history of textiles and costumes. For 39 years she held the position of curator of textiles and costumes at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia. She is the author of three books and co-author of two others. What Clothes Reveal, The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America won CSA’s Millia Davenport Publications Award. In her retirement, Linda continues to lecture, research clothing and quilts, and draw quilt patterns using Computer-Assisted Design technology. In addition to this most prestigious honor, each year CSA supports its members and recognizes their achievements by conferring numerous awards. For example, this year’s Millia Davenport Publication Award goes to Ann Lowe: American Couturier by Elizabeth Way (Rizzoli Electa, an imprint of Rizzoli New York), and the Betty Kirke Excellence in Research Award is given to Anne Bissonnette and Sherry Schofield for their Creative Design titled Zero Waste Thinking: Portrait Tunic and Palazzo Pants . The two Richard Martin Exhibition Awards go to Lee Alexander McQueen and Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous from Barrett Barrera Projects and Past and Present Lives of Upcycled Fashion by curator Kat Roberts at Cornell University. The Costume Design Award is given to Daniel James Cole for his work on Ariadne auf Naxos at Arizona Opera and The Howard Vincent Kurtz Emerging Theatre Artist Award is given to Kessler Jones for her designs for Clue at Michigan State University. This year’s CSA Entrepreneur Recognition Award goes to Tricia Camacho of The Patterned Seamstress LLC and Creative Costume Academy. Along with honors and awards, CSA distributes grant money to a variety of individuals and organizations in the field. These include the CSA Stella Blum Student Research Grant, which has been given this year to Dyese L. Matthews for her research Fashioning Memories and Places: Black Women's Style in Harlem 1970-Present . The 2024 Angels Project Grant is given to The Howard County Historical Society in Maryland. Two Adele Filene Student Presenter Grants go to Constance Spotts and Paige Tomfohrde. A full list of all of CSA’s grants, honors, and awards can be found below. They will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, during CSA’s 50 th Annual National Meeting and Symposium in Washington, DC . Costume Society of America Fellow Honor: Linda Baumgarten, Williamsburg, Virginia CSA Entrepreneur Recognition Award: Tricia Camacho, The Patterned Seamstress LLC and Creative Costume Academy, Mocksville, North Carolina CSA Costume Design Award: Daniel James Cole, Ariadne auf Naxos , Arizona Opera CSA Richard Martin Exhibition Award, Large Organization: Lee Alexander McQueen and Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous , Barrett Barrera Projects, St. Louis, Missouri CSA Richard Martin Exhibition Award, Small Organization: Past and Present Lives of Upcycled Fashion , Kat Roberts, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York CSA Richard Martin Exhibition Award Commendation: Woven Identities: Ghanaian and Guatemalan Textiles in the Face of Globalization , Anne Bissonnette (PhD), Siming Guo (PhD) Elsie Osei (MFA), and Chiara Power (BA), University of Alberta Millia Davenport Publication Award: Ann Lowe: American Couturier by Elizabeth Way with contributions by Heather Hodge, Laura Mina, Margaret Powell, Katya Roelse, and Katherine Sahmel (Rizzoli Electa, an imprint of Rizzoli New York) CSA Howard Vincent Kurtz Emerging Theatre Artist Award: Kessler Jones, Clue , Michigan State University CSA Stella Blum Student Research Grant: Dyese L. Matthews, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Fashioning Memories and Places: Black Women's Style in Harlem 1970-Present Betty Kirke Excellence in Research Award Anne Bissonnette, University of Alberta, and Sherry Schofield, Florida State University, Zero Waste Thinking: Portrait Tunic and Palazzo Pants Scholars’ Roundtable: 1973 to 2073: The Past, Present, and Future of Dress Studies ; Marilyn DeLong, University of Minnesota; Clarissa Esguerra, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Monica Sklar, University of Georgia; Elizabeth Way, The Museum at FIT CSA Travel Research Grant: Holly Durbin, Stitched Identities: American Menswear and the Art of Assimilation College and University Collection Care Grant: California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California CSA Small Museum Collection Care Grant: Old Trails Museum, Winslow Historical Society, Winslow, Arizona CSA Dependent Care Grant: Sarah Silvas-Bernstein Adele Filene Student Presenter Grants: Constance Spotts, Iowa State University, and Paige Tomfohrde, Cornell University CSA Angels Project: The Howard County Historical Society, Ellicott City, Maryland Pictured above from left to right: The Creative Design by Anne Bissonnette and Sherry Schofield titled Zero Waste Thinking: Portrait Tunic and Palazzo Pants , recipient of the Betty Kirke Excellence in Research Award; Mustard, Green, Peacock, White, Plum and Scarlet eavesdrop at the door of Boddy Manor’s grand dining room in Michigan State University’s production of Clu e with costumes designed by Kessler Jones, recipient of the CSA Howard Vincent Kurtz Emerging Theatre Artist Award; cover of Ann Lowe: American Couturier by Elizabeth Way with contributions by Heather Hodge, Laura Mina, Margaret Powell, Katya Roelse, and Katherine Sahmel (Rizzoli Electa, an imprint of Rizzoli New York), recipient of the Millia Davenport Publication Award.
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