For this year's Spring Fling our presenter will be one of our members, Mela Hoyt-Heydon. Mela is a union costume designer, retired Professor/Chairman of the Theatre Arts Dept. at Fullerton College, founding member of both Costumers Guild West and Costume College, Dean of Costume College twice and Past President of Costumer's Guild West. She is a member of Costume Society of America, USITT, and was a member of the Smithsonian's Copp Family Textiles Research Team. She owns Atelier Mela, which creates millinery and costumes primarily for the entertainment industry.  In 2020, her and her team's hats and "shop dressing" were featured in the opening of Tokyo Disneyland's new Fantasyland. In 2025, over 100 of her designs and fabrications will be featured in the Frozen, Peter Pan and Tangled areas of the new Fantasy Springs located in Tokyo Disney Sea. Mela received her MFA in design from the University of California, Irvine; studied art history at Kings College, London and trained under Rose Corey, milliner to the Queen Mum in London.  Her millinery shop is located in the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem Oregon.

Mela will be presenting the following:

Jane Austen to the Vote-Woman's Fashion from 1800's through the 1920's

What did women really wear and was the sewing of these garments any different than sewing today? Were there patterns? Were there fabric stores as we know them today? Did all women sew their own clothes? Could you buy readymade clothes? When did the sewing machine really make an impact on woman's fashion? These and many more fashion/sewing questions will be answered. Mela will combine both power point with the dressing of several dress forms with reproduction clothing from 1800's through the a920's to visually answer many of these questions.