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Michael Faircloth Exhibition
Fashion designs of University of North Texas alumnus and Dallas resident Michael Faircloth, whose clients include First Lady Laura Bush, will be displayed by UNT’s Texas Fashion Collection Sept. 21 through Dec. 21 in downtown Dallas.
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Exhibit to present fashion designs of Texan Michael Faircloth
Fashion designs of Dallas' Michael Faircloth, a distinguished University of North Texas alumnus whose clients include such luminaries as First Lady Laura Bush, will be presented by the Texas Fashion Collection, which is part of the UNT College of Visual Arts and Design (formerly the School of Visual Arts). "Reflections: Work by Michael Faircloth" will be on display from Sept. 21 through Dec. 21 at Fashion on Main at Universities Center in downtown Dallas. The center is located at 901 Main St. The exhibition will feature highlights from Faircloth's career, including more than 20 evening gowns, dresses, suits and wedding and debutante gowns that he designed for a largely Texan clientele. "His business operates from a more discreet, private point of view for his clientele," says Myra Walker, director and curator of the Texas Fashion Collection. "He does not design and deliver in the typical industry-based model - filling orders from buyers at stores. That is why this show is special, as it's a look at this very private realm of the custom designer business." Faircloth has worked in the fashion industry for more than 20 years. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in fashion design from UNT in 1983 and has built a distinguished career designing fashions worn internationally. In 2003, UNT honored Faircloth with the Distinguished Alumnus Award for achieving distinction in his profession and making significant contributions to society. "My intention is to enhance a woman's own style and attitude," Faircloth says. The exhibition will include examples from some of his earliest clients, including a suit for Dallas-based resident Faye Gould and a 1985 evening suit for Dallas philanthropist Louise Gartner. In spring 2007, Faircloth created a green beaded silk evening gown for the inauguration of Dr. Gretchen Bataille, the first female president of UNT. Her gown will be included in this exhibition, along with fashions of many notable Dallas women. The exhibition will also feature an evening dress of blue sequined velvet, worn by First Lady Laura Bush to one of the festivities during the 2001 presidential inauguration, and a blue wool suit and coat, worn to the 2001 presidential swearing-in ceremony. An original drawing of the famous red evening gown worn by Bush for the 2001 presidential inauguration will also be in the exhibition. The gown itself is displayed in the Smithsonian. Walker says the exhibition has been planned for many months. "Working with Michael on this exhibition is a real pleasure because his work has so much integrity. His work is proven over time, often continuing with the next generation. Michael has discreetly and consistently pleased his clients for more than 24 years. That says a lot right there," she says. UNT opened Fashion on Main in September 2006 with 500 square feet of space at Universities Center at Dallas - the original Titche-Goettinger department store that now provides office and classroom space for several higher education institutions, including UNT. The exhibition space is expected to expand to 3,500 square feet into the adjacent 1900 Elm Street building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, in the near future. The original gallery area that opened in 2006 was made possible with support from the Fashionistas, a nonprofit group founded by Heidi Dillon of Dallas. The exhibition space is dedicated to showcasing items from UNT's Texas Fashion Collection, which is considered to be one of the most important historic fashion collections in the country. Dillon describes Faircloth as "our very own haute couturier." "His designs reflect the true personality and style of each individual client, and, of course, the fit is perfection. That's the beauty of wearing a Michael Faircloth," she says. The Texas Fashion Collection began in 1938 when Stanley and Edward Marcus preserved examples of top designers' works in honor of their aunt Carrie Marcus Neiman, a co-founder of the Neiman Marcus store. The Carrie Marcus Neiman Foundation maintained the collection after her death in 1953, and the Dallas Fashion Group took over in the 1960s at the Apparel Mart. The collection, then known as the Dallas Museum of Fashion, came to the UNT campus in 1972 and was later renamed the Texas Fashion Collection. It has grown from 3,000 items to more than 15,000 historic items today. Designs from the Texas Fashion Collection were also recently featured at Southern Methodist University's Meadows Museum in "Balenciaga and His Legacy," an exhibition curated by Walker. "Reflections: Work by Michael Faircloth" is sponsored by The Fashionistas, Dallas Modern Luxury and GREY GOOSE Vodka. Fashion on Main hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays. For group visits, call (214) 752-8151.
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Ellen Rossetti (940) 369-7912
Email: erossetti@unt.edu
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