Visions of the Future Past: A Reimagined Fashion Photo Essay

To celebrate the opening of our new exhibition, Reimagined Fashion: Creations of the Future Past, please enjoy this photo essay about the designers who made this show such a fine display of Lowcountry talent. They truly committed to using our collections as a wellspring of creative inspiration, which meant many afternoons in the museum storeroom, examining historic pieces and discussing them in detail. Some designers knew immediately what they were looking for, others sought to be inspired, and still others were surprised by pieces they didn’t expect to catch their attention. It was a joy to explore the collections from a new perspective with each designer, and find the pieces that lit them up from within.

 

Designer attendees from left to right:

Back Row: Emily and Dana Brereton of Indigo Bee Co.; Daniel Velasco of DEVA; Sarah Kay Yawney of Penelope Design Studio; Keiko Striplin of Kei Koakutsu Designs and The Tiny Tassel; Nicholas Overstreet of Boysterous Co.; Andrea Jahde of Jahde Leather Atelier; Shaniequa L. Washington of Zuriel Kingdom Collections; Jocelyn Patterson of Gola Sweetgrass; and Jared Major of Major Vintage

Front Row: Morgan MacAnanny of Morgan Kimberly Bridal; Gina Marie Roberts of Brooke Wilder; Gina Iacovelli of Mementos Entwined; Paige Hathaway Thorn of Paige Thorn Silks; Jess Nicoles of J.Stark; Andrea Tuton of APlus; and Sirena Smith of Lucky Luna Clay;

Not Pictured: Jessica Knuff of Dotsuwa Designs; Leigh Magar of Madame Magar; and Paulina Rodriguez of Lina Rosa Jewelry.

 

 

Keiko Striplin (middle) and her assistant (right) examine 18th century flat textile fragments in the museum storeroom with Curator of Historic Textiles Virginia Theerman.

Striplin’s creation for the exhibition, a ruffled coat with draped sash, along with the textiles and cameo shells that inspired the oceanic theme and color palette.

 

 

Paige Hathway Thorn entranced by the border of guinea hens on the scarf she chose from the collection as her inspiration piece.

Thorn’s reinterpreted scarf, screen printed in two colorways on doubled layers of silk satin.

 

 

Nicholas Overstreet smiles down at details on an 1830s jockey suit, as Theerman delicately displays it with gloved hands. Overstreet’s inspiration was based on working garments, and while he eventually chose other pieces from the collection to showcase, his sources for his design were widespread.

Overstreet’s The Porter’s Portmanteau, a luxury leather duffel bag with a hexagonal frame and salvaged Charleston mail slot. Visitors to the exhibition can mail a postcard to themselves by depositing it in the bag.

 

 

Shaniequa L. Washington and Theerman together examine an 1886 silk skirt, as Washington takes detail photos.

The full 1886 ball gown (left) and Washington’s reinterpretation on the right. The piece combines the original style of silk damask with steampunk sensibilities and elements of the African diaspora, including sweetgrass medallions and cowrie shells.

 

 

Morgan MacAnanny takes a moment to drink in the details of wedding gowns during her first research appointment.

MacAnanny’s final pieces on exhibit, combining elements of gown designs from the collection with colorful silks and subtle floral patterns created with the rōketsuzome dyeing technique, in the style of the Anna Heyward Taylor batik hanging above.

 

 

Paulina Rodriguez takes photos of the cape that will become her inspiration piece during her research appointment with Theerman.

The piece on display, now mounted with a set of earrings created by Rodriguez that perfectly match the styles and colors of the embellishments on the cape.

 

 

Sirena Smith pointing out elements of design on a purse she kept coming back to during her research appointments.

Smith’s floral resin designs, including a circle purse inspired by the handbags she saw in the collection. All of the pieces were created to suit a modern woman out on the town in this red-orange silk velvet evening dress from the 1920s.

 

While several of our designers are featured here, there are so many more pieces to see in Reimagined Fashion: Creations of the Future Past! The show will be open now through January 18, 2026, so we hope you’ll make us a stop on your summer travel plans.

For those readers who are more local, particularly artisans, designers, and other craftspersons, we hope that you’ll remember our collections as a resource for research and ongoing learning.  While history does not always repeat itself, it certainly rhymes, and our collections can be a deep well of inspiration for artists looking to kindle new creative sparks.

Virginia Theerman
Curator of Historic Textiles June 2025

 

Designer Daniel Velasco’s 2018 interpretation of a 1960s paper dress in the Historic Textiles Collection, created for the first Reimagined Fashion, a one night only event in 2019.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA CREDITS
To see more of their work, you can find all of our Reimagined Fashion designers on Instagram at the following handles:

@deva_chs
@boysterous.co
@kei.koakutsu.designs of @thetinytassel
@aplus__________
@paigethornsilks
@dotsuwadesigns
@jstark
@indigobeeco
@golasweetgrass
@shaniequalwashington of @zurielkingdomcollections
@madamemagar
@mementos_entwined
@morgankimberlybridal
@jahdemade
@linarosajewelry
@penelope.design.studio
@luckylunaclay
@major_the_creator
@brookewilderatelier