Tadashi

Shoji

Dior

That collection, housed in two huge rooms closed to the public, includes garments that are so fragile that “they have to lie down,” in Steele’s words, lying on neat shelves and protected by acid-free paper.

On a brief tour through one of the two rooms last week, staffers watched carefully to make sure no garment was accidentally touched by a bare hand – or a journalist’s camera. Steele pointed out famous dresses like a pink cocktail number with a rose at the waist by Yves Saint Laurent for Dior, featured in the recent exhibit “Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color”.

Draped over a specially made artificial body was a two-tone pink-and-red gown by James, the mid-20th century designer who specialized in spectacular, sculptured dresses constructed with intricate draping techniques. “This one can neither lie down nor hang from a hanger,” Steele explained of the fragile ballgown. (AP)