PUBLISHED WORK
Shoes (Tiny Folio)
By RAISSA BRETAÑA — Published by Abbeville Press
This petite volume presents 250 eye-catching examples from the seventeenth century to the present, including many of today’s top designers such as Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Roger Vivier, and Nicholas Kirkwood. Fashion historian Raissa Bretaña introduces each new era with a concise overview of the period’s fashionable styles and innovations. A must for shoe collectors and a delight for any fashionista, this Tiny Folio™ will inspire you to put your best foot forward.
PBS American Masters
“I AM NOT A DAZZLER: HOW MARIAN ANDERSON’S FASHION LEGACY RECAST THE ROLE OF OPERA DIVA”
Fashion historian Raissa Bretaña explores how Marian Anderson's sartorial choices ultimately helped shape her persona as a distinguished trailblazer in the world of classical music.
PBS American Masters
“HOW LITTLE RICHARD FOUND HIS FLAMBOYANT STYLE”
Fashion historian Raissa Bretaña details how Little Richard cultivated his unique style, from his hair, makeup and clothing, and the many musicians he inspired along the way.
The New York Times – Book Review
“WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? HISTORY, COMPLEXITY AND A LOT OF ART.”
Victoria Finlay’s “Fabric” examines the tangled stories of the textiles we wear and what they say about their times.
The New York Times – Book Review
“A SCRAPBOOK OFFERS A MATERIAL GLIMPSE OF ANOTHER WORLD”
“The Dress Diary” is an intimate record of one wardrobe — and its era.
Fashion History Timeline — Film Analysis
1939 – CUKOR, THE WOMEN / 1956 – MILLER, THE OPPOSITE SEX
Comparative analysis of the costumes in the 1939 classic film, The Women, and those in the 1956 musical remake, The Opposite Sex.
Fashion History Timeline — Film Analysis
1941 – WYLER, THE LITTLE FOXES
Detailed analysis of Bette Davis’ costumes in the 1941 film, The Little Foxes—including an appraisal of historical accuracy and an investigation of contemporary influences on designer Orry-Kelly.
The Journal of Dress History, Spring 2018
“BLOOMERISM IN THE BALLROOM: DRESS REFORM AND EVENING WEAR IN 1851”
Originally presented at the International Conference of Dress Historians in 2017, this paper addresses the phenomenon of the “Bloomer Ball” and its confrontation of traditionally held notions of femininity through fashionable dress, dance etiquette, and social activism in the mid-nineteenth century.
The Journal of Dress History, Winter 2018
BOOK REVIEW — LONDON SOCIETY FASHION, 1905–1925: THE WARDROBE OF HEATHER FIRBANK
Cassie Davies–Strodder, Jenny Lister, and Lou Taylor, London Society Fashion, 1905–1925: The Wardrobe of Heather Firbank, V&A Publishing, London, England, 2015, Notes, Bibliography, Credits, Index, 163 Colour Illustrations, 176pp, Hardback, £30.00.
Fashion Institute of Technology, S.U.N.Y. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019
“PICTURING THE AMERICAN SUFFRAGIST: STYLE AND SATIRE IN THE POSTCARD AGE, 1900–1920”
From its beginnings during the mid-nineteenth century to its culmination in 1920, the American Women’s Suffrage Movement experienced several iterations under shifting leadership, party ideologies, and political strategies. During the final push of the campaign in the twentieth century, the leaders of the movement placed an emphasis on image in an effort to build support for the cause—both in the strategic styling of its female supporters and through the illustrations circulated to generate public awareness. One of the most provocative forms of visual media was the suffrage postcard, which proved a valuable promotional tool for suffragists and anti-suffragists alike. This study focuses on the period of the suffrage movement that overlaps with the Golden Age of the Postcard (1905 to 1917), and takes into account the dramatic evolution of fashionable dress that also takes place during those years.