Donations and Gifts

Monetary Donations

The Texas Fashion Collection appreciates the financial support of individuals and institutions that share a passion for our mission, vision, and values. Donated funds are tax-deductible and directed toward the collection's care, conservation, new acquisitions, research and outreach.

To learn more about joining our Giving Societies and the critical TFC initiatives that those members support, visit our Giving Societies web page.

To make a tax-deductible monetary donation online or by mail, please contact Felicia Lewis, senior director of development and fundraising for the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas.

Object Donations

The Texas Fashion Collection acquires and preserves rare and unique materials to support scholarship, teaching, and learning according to the missions, visions, and values of the University of North Texas, the College of Visual Arts and Design, and the TFC. These garments, accessories, and other objects worn within the context of dress are preserved for use by students and faculty at UNT and the scholarly community.

Process

Acquisitions are considered case-by-case and require thorough evaluation before becoming part of the TFC’s permanent or study collections. Donors may propose prospective acquisitions to the director by emailing photographs and information relating to provenance, condition, and identification. The TFC director then reviews the proposed acquisition in relation to collecting priorities and the TFC’s ability for sustained stewardship. The donor-supplied information and director’s findings are then shared with an accessions committee, which makes a final determination. Accepted items will be acquired following the completion of a deed of gift. Note that the TFC staff are not appraisers; we cannot assign values to any objects offered for consideration.

Collecting Priorities

As an extension of its mission, vision, and values, the TFC’s holdings reflect ongoing critical conversations in the field of dress. While collecting practices have historically emphasized elevated design with less consideration for cultural context, the TFC seeks to document underrepresented narratives that illuminate a wider spectrum of perspectives rooted in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, size and ability.

To that end, current collection priorities include artifacts that:

  • Created by or for people of color, with a focus on individuals based in the United States
  • Showcase innovative design, from within or outside the fashion industry
  • Challenge established beauty standards, e.g., sizeism

There are exceptions to every rule however, in general, the TFC is uninterested in reviewing proposed acquisitions that:

  • Duplicate artifacts already in the TFC’s holdings. The collection already includes robust representation in these categories, which will only be augmented in special circumstances
    • Wedding dresses
    • Garments made of fur
    • Military uniforms
    • Baptismal gowns
    • Paper patterns
  • Require substantial conservation and/or storage space
  • Fall outside the context of garments or accessories worn on the body, including:
    • Textile-based materials such as household linens, textile swatches
    • Tools and implements used for garments construction or manufacturing
    • Documents relating to dress history; periodicals, publications, and small amounts of supporting documentation may be held as non-accessioned research materials
    • Costumes, including those made for themed parties, festivals, pageants, holidays, such as Halloween, or stage or film productions
  • Do not address the TFC’s priorities or relate to its mission, vision, and values   

Image description: Five standing whole-body mannequins wearing various fashions including a blue-and-white chiffon evening dress with abstract peacock motifs and pink accents; a light blue, draped evening dress with one shoulder and a wide-tie belt at the waist; a graphic suit with a bold photorealistic landscape print in blues, greens and browns; a sleeveless blue dinner dress with a blousy light blue bodice, wide sash at the waist, and white skirt; and a light blue-purple figure-hugging evening dress of organically pleated fabric with dense pink-and-white beading on long sleeves.