Sage Collection stylizes history

From the outside, The Sage Collection doesn’t appear grandiose. The large, white building has no sign. Except for a few cars, the parking lot is vacant.

But tucked away in a back room inside is the result of more than 90 years of collecting: a stockpile of over 24,000 pieces of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and fashion accessories, all dating from the late 18th century to today. 

In 1913, Elisabeth Sage, the first IU professor of clothing and textiles, started a private fashion collection for teaching and classroom activities. After retirement in 1937, she donated her collection to IU and planted the first seeds of the Elisabeth Sage Historic Costume Collection.

Kathleen Rowold, the head curator of the collection,said that from 1913 to 1990 the collection was housed in Wylie Hall but outgrew the space and moved to a larger location at 1430 N. Willis Dr.

Rowold and Assistant Curator Kelly Richardson are in charge of maintaining and organizing the Collection’s storeroom – an “oversized closet” filled with shelves of labeled gray boxes and rows of cloth-covered hanger racks, which preserve the pieces while they wait to go on exhibit.

The Collection’s most recent exhibit, “Child’s Play,” is on display now through Feb. 27 in the Monroe County History Center and showcases children’s wear dating back through the mid-19th century. The entrance fee for the Center is $2 for adults and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Since the Collection is primarily donor-based, articles like those seen in “Child’s Play” are supplied by different individuals across the country. The result is a diversified spectrum of modern and historic fashion.

Donors from New York have helped stock the collection with haute couture gowns from designers, including Givenchy and Chanel.

“Being able to access the collection and see examples of innovative couture garments is an incredible resource and something I think the IU fashion design students are very lucky to have,” said Lauren Zuber, a fashion design and apparel merchandising major.

However, Rowold said the collection is primarily a social history collection meant to chronicle everyday fashion. Examples of IU sports apparel and  military uniforms, she said, are meant to emphasize the personal, relatable nature of fashion.

“What always moves me is trying to relate to where a piece was, to see them and imagine where they’ve been and who they’ve belonged to,” she said.

Richardson said in the confines of the collection, a resourceful and curious explorer can discover vintage clothing patterns, archives of fashion magazines and boxes of fragile, antique garments.

“Every time we work on a different project, I find something wonderful,” Richardson said.

The Collection’s warehouse is free and open to the public, but viewings must be scheduled in advanced.