Lipscomb University students and staff have been working “9 to 5” to bring us a first-of-its-kind fashion exhibit — “Dolly Parton & The Makers: My Life In Rhinestones” — coming to Beaman Library’s John C. Hutcheson Gallery from Oct. 31 – Dec. 9. Guests will get up close and personal with some of Dolly’s most iconic outfits and learn more about the makers behind her glitz and glamor. We sat down with Charlotte Poling, Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Fashion and Design, to dive deeper into this exciting exclusive exhibit.
How did the collaboration between Dolly Parton and Lipscomb University come together?
Funny enough, it started with a summer camp connection! Director of the School of Art & Design, Rocky Horton, went to summer camp with Iisha Lemming, Dolly's former head patternmaker & seamstress — and the rest is history. Once we made the connection and introduced the idea to Rebecca Seaver (Dolly's archivist) and John Zarling (marketing & strategic partnerships), it's been all hands on deck ever since. We've worked behind the 'seams' consistently over the last year to bring this project to life and are thrilled to finally share it with everyone!
What can guests expect when they come to see Dolly Parton and the makers?
This fully interactive and creative exhibit tells the story of Dolly's fashion aesthetic throughout the years, but its true vision and purpose is to tell the stories of the makers — those behind the scenes of Dolly's iconic looks. We'll have 25 iconic looks from the ‘70s all the way to the most recent — and everywhere in between — which pay homage to the makers that have been on Dolly's team for decades. We'll visually walk through the process of making a garment — to include special techniques like rhinestoning, feathering, tambour beading and more!
The final look of the exhibit is a piece created just for Dolly’s new book, Behind the Seams — and is being shown for the first time here at Lipscomb. There will be multiple installations meant for photo sharing and interaction, making it a truly special and memorable exhibition.
What was the process of narrowing the exhibition down to 25 of Dolly's looks?
This question comes at such a perfect time — we just completed the garment selection with Dolly's archive team on Monday! It's been such a fun process to see such beautiful pieces come to life in a color story. It was impossible to choose when each piece had a story... but we've been sure to include makers throughout the decades so that each can have a moment to share their own special moments with Dolly.
How have the students been involved in this exhibition?
This is my favorite part of this project: student impact! The scope of this project is such that we've created an academic course around it called the DP Practicum. This involves teams of students working on various areas of the project: Gallery Management, Graphic Design, Film, Exhibition Design & Execution, Merchandising, Hospitality & Event Management, and Lipscomb Fashion Week.
These students are front and center in the execution of the project and are gaining real world, hands on, portfolio work and resume lines! For example: our Student Art Director Sean Worth has created the branding package for the project. So far, it has been on various national news platforms, DollyParton.com and a billboard at I-65 & Wedgewood. How's that for real world experience?! And that's just one student...
This project is creating moments like this for so many more as we work directly with Dolly's teams in merchandising, social media, archives and more!
In her new fashion-focused book, Behind the Seams, Dolly Parton shares the full story behind her lifelong passion for fashion, including how she developed her own “distinctly Dolly” style that endears her to fans around the world. Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones is set for release on Oct. 17 and is available for preorder.
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