Parodi Costume Collection supports an active curatorial program of exhibitions, publications, and loans through its preservation, conservation, and technical research of the thousands of objects in PCC’s collection, spanning from the Eighteenth Century to present. Conservators at PCC excel in the practices and theories of costume and textile conservation, with specific expertise in garment construction, the creation of custom mounts for storage and exhibition, digital documentation methods, and technical analyses. They are responsible for setting guidelines for the storage, handling, and display of the collection. They are also active in conservation education, providing lectures for specialized groups, students, and the public.
PCC Restoration Process
The complex construction of garments and accessories, with diverse and incompatible materials joined into a single object, complicates their restoration. Consumable, ever-changing fashionable clothing is a seldom made with a primary concern for longevity. Since most garments require the presence of a body to realize their intended appearance, conservation treatments and mounts must restore structural integrity and dimensionality to the garment as worn while not interfering with the natural drape of the fabric. The restoration process is an extremely tedious and a time consuming process which needs a handful of care and knowledge to execute. Our founder and lead restoration personnel, Paquita Parodi, makes sure to lead by example and make sure no detail is left behind with her extensive knowledge of garment restoration.
PCC Conservation Process
Here at PCC we strive to keep every item at its most conserved state. This process could be defined as overdone but it’s excruciatingly needed for the dedicated exhibition, research and study of the history of fashion design. Our conservation team takes extreme care of each and every garment with routine checks up and restoration when needed throughout the facility.
PCC Internship Program
Parodi Costume Collection offers internship opportunities for college and graduate students interested in careers in art museums, as well as Miami Dade area high school students. Parodi Costume Collection welcomes pre-program and current fashion design students as well as recent graduates of most design programs as interns and fellows in the lab. Interns and fellows become integral members of the PCC team, learning from the professional expertise of PCC’s conservators and engaging in the active schedule of the department. If you are interested in becoming an intern here at PCC please email your CV, cover letter and portfolio to [email protected]
Restoration and Conservation Team
Our team here at Parodi Costume Collection consist of the following:
Paquita Parodi – Director, Restoration/Conservation Department
Email : [email protected]
Miriam Reyes – Assistant Director, Conservation Department
Jesus Pineda – Director of Media/Operations
Email : [email protected]
Abigail Thielen – Assistant of Media/Operations
Email : [email protected]
The Person Behind The magic
Francisca Parodi, worked on her first garment at the age of twelve when her grandmother challenged her to repair a chemise to its original state. She never imagined that this first challenge would recur countless times in her future, shaping her into one of the leading collectors and restoration experts of vintage fashion. A native of Madrid, Spain, Parodi spent her childhood browsing through the antique shops of El Rastro District, where she discovered the richness of filigree patterns featured in Edwardian lace garments and Irish Crochet pieces. In the mid 1960’s she decided to start wearing vintage clothing that echoed her own designs in ceramics as a good luck charm during her opening exhibitions. This practice soon grew into a small personal collection, and along with it, the challenges of conservation. Fifty years later, her vision and work begins to consolidate into documents and events that present seminar topics within a vast and deep collection of the history of fashion design from the mid 1800’s to the late 20th Century.
