Conversations on Dress | Artisans and Designers Book Launch with Rebecca Jumper Matheson

In this conversation, fashion historian Rebecca Jumper Matheson joins Costume Society of America Series Editor Kelly L. Reddy-Best to discuss her new book, Artisans and Designers: American Fashion Through Elizabeth and William Phelps — the first in-depth look at a husband-and-wife duo who built a remarkable legacy in handcrafted leathergoods and women's sportswear from the 1940s through the 1960s. What you'll learn: -Who William and Elizabeth Phelps were and why they matter -How their work connected luxury, utility, and social impact decades ahead of their time -What their story reveals about postwar consumerism and American identity -How fashion history research uncovers the designers history left behind About the speakers: Rebecca Jumper Matheson is a fashion historian and instructor in the Fashion and Textile Studies MA program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is also the author of The Sunbonnet: An American Icon in Texas and Young Originals: Emily Wilkens and the Teen Sophisticate. Kelly L. Reddy-Best is Professor and Chair of Family and Consumer Sciences at Illinois State University and Editor of the CSA Series, published by Kent State University Press. 📖 Preorder your copy of Artisans and Designers using the link below: https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2025/artisans-and-designers/?highlight=matheson