Woman's Playsuit and Skirt, 'Drumbeat'

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Woman's Playsuit and Skirt, 'Drumbeat'

United States, California, Los Angeles, 1947
Costumes; ensembles
Cotton plain weave, printed
Length (a) Playsuit center back length): 25 in. Length (b) Skirt center back length): 27 3/8 in.
Gift of Laurel Thornburg (M.2007.194.5a-b)
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

One of California’s most influential contributions to American fashion was the bathing suit ensemble—consisting of any combination of bathing suit, skirt, shorts, pants, and top of the same fabric to ...
One of California’s most influential contributions to American fashion was the bathing suit ensemble—consisting of any combination of bathing suit, skirt, shorts, pants, and top of the same fabric to mix and match to fit the occasion. Many fashion designers had an avid interest in regional costume or “exotic” cultures: Louella Ballerino’s striking Drumbeat outfit clearly displays the influence of African textile patterns.

(California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way," 2011-12)
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Bibliography

  • Kaplan, Wendy, ed. California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way. Los Angeles: Los  Angeles County Museum of Art; Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2011.
  • Kaplan, Wendy, ed. Living in a Modern Way: California Design, 1930-1965.  Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2013. 

Exhibition history

  • California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way" Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, October 1, 2011 - June 3, 2012
  • California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way" Tokyo, Japan, The National Art Center, Tokyo, March 20, 2013 - June 3, 2013
  • California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way" Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, October 1, 2011 - June 3, 2012
  • California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way" Tokyo, Japan, The National Art Center, Tokyo, March 20, 2013 - June 3, 2013
  • California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way" Auckland, New Zealand, Auckland Art Gallery, July 6, 2013 - September 29, 2013
  • California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way" South Brisbane, Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, November 2, 2013 - February 9, 2014
  • California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way" Salem, MA, Peabody Essex Museum, March 29, 2014 - July 6, 2014
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