Trailblazing Trends: Fashion & Accessories from the Gilded Age

Marcella Sembrich was one of the first modern celebrities, a solo artist sought out by businesses to lend her star power to a new fledgling trend or product. During the turn of the 20th century, Sembrich lent her celebrity endorsements to many notable companies including Baldwin Piano, House of Worth, Victor Talking Machine Company, Columbia Records, and Vin Mariani. Because her endorsements carried weight in the public eye, Sembrich became a trend setter not only in music, but in the fashion world as well — even inspiring a style of shirt collar and ladies’ hat!

This year, a specially curated collection of Sembrich’s own Gilded Age fashion accessories will help illuminate the iconic, and sometimes controversial, trends that birthed them. The exhibition highlights her personal accessories from fans to lorgnettes, gloves, and even several custom pieces by Louis Vuitton.