Santa Barbara’s Couture Pattern Museum Featured in Women’s Wear Daily (With Word Attachment)
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Santa Barbara, CA – Feb 20, 2025 – The Couture Pattern Museum, founded by local historian and preservationist Cara Austine-Rademaker, was recently featured in Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), the leading fashion industry publication. The article highlights the museum’s role in preserving the forgotten history of couture sewing patterns and their impact on democratizing high fashion.
Located in a Spanish-style building on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara, the museum houses over 2,000+ rare couture patterns, authentic dresses that were turned into patterns, reconstructed costumes made from patterns, counter books, magazines, and ephemera dating back to the 1920s, including designs from Jeanne Lanvin, Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Madame Grès. It is the only institution in the world dedicated solely to preserving and digitizing couture patterns piece by piece.
“This recognition from WWD is a huge step in raising awareness about the importance of patterns in fashion history,” said Austine-Rademaker. “Patterns are the architectural blueprints of couture. Without them, we lose not just the designs, but entire techniques and traditions.”
Since its founding in 2022, the museum has attracted visitors from around the world, hosted discussions with notable authors and designers, and launched a membership program that provides digital access to a growing archive. The Couture Council and Founding Members visit for free, and non-members can visit for a fundraising fee of $125 per person which includes a private guided tour, tea and French desserts overlooking the Arts District, naming rights next to a digitized pattern in the database, and one year access to the growing online database. Appointments can be made online under, “Visit Us,” or by calling 805-303-4775.
The full WWD article can be read at:
For more information about the Couture Pattern Museum, upcoming events, and membership opportunities, visit couturepatternmuseum.com
If you don’t have access to the story because it is behind a paywall, it is also published on Yahoo here: