Dress 1935 - 1942

Editor: Here we have "Dress", a watercolor and pencil drawing by Edna C. Rex, created between 1935 and 1942. It's a fashion design sketch, quite delicate. What stands out to you? Curator: The drawing speaks volumes about the social conditions embedded in textile production and consumption during the interwar period. Look at the presumed fabric – likely cotton or linen. Where were these materials sourced? What labor practices underpinned their creation, their refinement into thread, the weaving of cloth? Editor: That’s a completely different perspective than I had. So you’re seeing beyond the garment itself, focusing on its production? Curator: Precisely. This image presents a challenge. The "incomplete sketchy" nature suggests design process, not product. What socio-economic strata could afford this proposed garment, and how did its projected aesthetic reinforce class structures? It's crucial to analyze fashion design not just as aesthetics but as an industry implicated in global supply chains, labor exploitation, and environmental concerns. Editor: It’s amazing how much context can be drawn from what seems like a simple sketch. It really makes you think about where things come from, even something like a dress. Curator: Indeed. The "light pencil work," even the "watercolor" itself implies resource extraction and processing. To what degree was Rex aware of, and engaging with, these complexities within her artistic practice? These are critical avenues for exploration. Editor: I never considered those elements before. I guess I’ll start researching garment production during the early 20th century. Thanks for sharing this perspective! Curator: My pleasure. It’s about interrogating the seemingly mundane, revealing the power dynamics embedded within our material world.