The UNT Diamond Eagles Society — donors who work together to fund an annual, high-impact project on campus — voted to support Digitizing the Texas Fashion Collection in 2019-20. Thanks to the group’s collective investment, more of the Texas Fashion Collection’s 20,000 historic and designer garments will be preserved and presented.

Digitizing the collection is a monumental task, and the people behind the Texas Fashion Collection have long been at work photographing their world-class items for access in publications and online as part of the Gloria and Bruzzy Westheimer Digital Archives.

“The best way to make sure most people can appreciate our Christian Dior evening dresses and eighteenth-century men’s coats is through digitization,” says Anette Becker, director of the Texas Fashion Collection.

Members of the Diamond Eagles voted to support the project after learning about the Texas Fashion Collection’s cultural significance and coming to understand how labor intensive and expensive the digitization process can be.

With the backing of the Diamond Eagles, the people behind the Texas Fashion Collection will create 7,500 more publication-quality images of  garments by internationally known designers. This process will provide extended professional development opportunities to students and facilitate the preservation of artifacts, ensuring the collection’s longevity while increasing its accessibility and impact. 

“The Diamond Eagles’ support of this project is critical,” says Becker. “It not only provides the staffing and professional materials we need, but also ensures that UNT students gain experience with this process to prepare them for future career opportunities.”

To learn more about the Diamond Eagles Society, or to join in time to participate in next year’s project selection, visit one.unt.edu/diamondeagles.