Collaboration blends fashion, film studies and spark of fun

On a recent afternoon, four women gathered in the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection (CF+TC) in Cornell Human Ecology (CHE) to “mine” the collection. The collaborators were preparing an exhibit for the upcoming film screening of “Sunset Boulevard,” and selecting garments that embody main character Norma Desmond, an aging relic from the silent film industry who aspires to recapture her faded glory.

Molly Ryan, director of Cornell Cinema,  approached Catherine Kueffer Blumenkamp, associate director of CF+TC, over the summer, about working together on a film series featuring costume designer Edith Head. The influential designer, whose career spanned five decades, won eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design. Head is the most awarded woman in the Academy’s history. She is also believed to have inspired the character Edna Mode, the superhero costume designer in Pixar’s “The Incredibles.”

“This project came together so beautifully,” said Blumenkamp, who is also a lecturer in CHE’s Department of Human Centered Design. “Around the time that Molly approached me, I was developing independent studies with two students who were interested in doing curatorial projects this fall: Mia Bachrack ’25 and Sophia Peck ’26. 

Together the team identified five iconic films with costumes designed by Head. Throughout the semester, the students, with support from Blumenkamp and Ryan, curated three cohesive looks inspired by each film and provide a brief presentation ahead of the films’ screening. The films are “Roman Holiday,” “Notorious,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Sting” and “Samson and Delilah.” 

Read the full story on the College of Human Ecology website.