From the Nominator

Of all the resources and collections at Smith College, perhaps the least known is the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection—until recently. When professor of theatre Kiki Smith '71 returned to campus 50 years ago to teach costume design, she recognized the teaching value of several garments donated as theatre costumes. Since then, Professor Smith has led a dedicated group of students and alumni, and the SCHCC has evolved into a 4,000-piece collection of women's everyday clothing (housedresses, maternity clothes, waitress uniforms, power suits, and more) dating back to the 1800s. In conjunction with the release of Professor Smith's book, "Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore," the SCHCC's first major exhibition opened last fall at the New York Historical in Manhattan. The web series "Women's Clothes and the Stories They Tell" is a unique look at how Professor Smith and her team prepared the garments for the exhibition, the impact that working with the collection has had on students' careers, and the significance of the SCHCC as a multidisciplinary teaching resource. Since the collection is not well-known across campus, "Women's Clothes and the Stories They Tell" was also a way to promote the collection itself among students, faculty, and alumni. The series comprises three digital stories and a companion piece, "Every Stitch a Story," in the Smith Quarterly. The distinctive Smith-based view of the series complemented the significant national media attention the exhibition received. The three-part digital series generated nearly 10,000 visits—significantly higher than average.

From the Judges

We were blown away by this collection from Smith College about their historical archive of clothing and textiles. On writing and design, it stands out for excellence and creativity, as well as for being a great representation of the college.