Hobby Leads Farm Women To "Antique" Fashion Shows

Hobby Leads Farm Women To "Antique" Fashion Shows AG WORLD 28-3-24 Valerie Van Kooten has been fascinated by antique clothes since she was a child. So it's not surprising that as an adult she has turned that passion into a business. Van Kooten is a history buff with a vast collection of vintage clothing. Over the past 20 years, the Pella, Iowa, mother of three has collected over 3,000 pieces of historical attire from auctions, second hand shops, and little old ladies' attics. Much of it was given to her. "I get little packages in the mail all the time from women who've seen my show and are sending me things," she says. Van Kooten puts the public speaking skills she learned in 4-H to work by offering one-hour "edu-tainment" antique clothing fashion show presentations to clubs, associations and event organizers. In this way, she became a professional speaker 15 years ago, and has been hired all over Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Minnesota to present her informative program about the nostalgia of garment style. The items in her collection are from the 1850's on up to the 1980's, and Van Kooten offers presentations with various themes (often customized) such as: "125 Years of Fashion in America," "100 Years of Bridal Fashions," and "'20's Flapper Clothing." She does about 25 presentations per year and is busiest from April until June. Though the rate varies, depending on several factors, Van Kooten charges about $500 if the job is within driving distance. She provides the clothing and commentary, and the group that is sponsoring her provides the models. Besides the general historical information she relates, Van Kooten is usually able to tell the real-life stories of the clothing's previous owners û talking about what their lives were like, and when and where they wore the clothes now being modeled. This summer, she has also been hired to do a two-week stint of shows on the Mississippi Queen Riverboat. "You can just never predict where your hobbies will take you," she says. Van Kooten is currently working on a book about how fashion has influenced history, and vice versa. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Valerie Van Kooten, 2051 Old Hwy. 163, Pella, Iowa 50219 (ph 641 628-9789; email: vankootenv@central.edu; website: www.central.edu/homepages/vankootenv).

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