Rebecca Jumper Matheson, adjunct instructor in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, has published a new monograph, Artisans and Designers: American Fashion Through Elizabeth and William Phelps. Long before the fashion industry formally addressed questions of sustainability and advocated for “slow fashion,” husband-and-wife design duo William and Elizabeth Phelps were already working to create handcrafted leather goods and functional women’s sportswear that could be worn for decades. Active from the 1940s to the late 1960s, Phelps Associates quickly won acclaim and found success, attracting a broad clientele and becoming known for quality, utility, and craftsmanship.
This book is Matheson’s third monograph in the Costume Society of America series, currently published by Kent State University Press. Her previous titles were The Sunbonnet: An American Icon in Texas and Young Originals: Emily Wilkens and the Teen Sophisticate.
The School of Graduate Studies will host a book launch event for Matheson and Artisans and Designers at 5:30 pm on Monday, December 1, in FIT’s Katie Murphy Amphitheatre.