Historic Reproduction Dress Wins A Blue Ribbon At State Fair | Elk River Star News

This historic reproduction dress made by Raphael Ferreira won a blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair.

Raphael Ferreira (center, back) with some of his family members at the Minnesota State Fair. Behind him is the case containing his prize-winning garment.

The jacket and skirt of this blue-ribbon dress are made from black silk velvet lined with silk taffeta. The blouse is made from China silk habotai.

This historic reproduction dress made by Raphael Ferreira won a blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair.

Raphael Ferreira (center, back) with some of his family members at the Minnesota State Fair. Behind him is the case containing his prize-winning garment.

The jacket and skirt of this blue-ribbon dress are made from black silk velvet lined with silk taffeta. The blouse is made from China silk habotai.

Raphael Ferreira earned his master’s degree at performing arts school in Liverpool

A blue-ribbon-winning historic reproduction dress made by Raphael Ferreira was on prominent display at this year’s Minnesota State Fair, showcased in a large glass display cabinet at the entrance to the Creative Activities building.

This is the first time Ferreira entered the State Fair, but he’s no stranger to historic reproduction garments.

He went to college at North Dakota State University in Fargo, where he studied theater costumes.

“My last year and a half that I was there I fell in love with historical garmentry,” he said

He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in technical theater and then was off to the United Kingdom, where he attended the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. One of the school’s founders is Paul McCartney of Beatles fame.

Ferreira studied there in 2020 and 2021 and earned a master’s degree in costume, specializing in historical dress.

Ferreira’s primary work is now focused on historical garments from the 1860s to the 1940s.

The blue-ribbon dress he entered in the State Fair is circa 1904 to 1906. The jacket was inspired by a book about bridal fashions from the Victorian era. He made the skirt from a pattern in a book by Janet Arnold.

The jacket and skirt are made from black silk velvet lined with silk taffeta. The blouse is made from China silk habotai. The ensemble also included a bust bodice (which was not included in the display) and a tufted bum pad.

Ferreira, who recently moved from Rogers to Columbia Heights, hopes to work for museums and teach people about historical dress and making original works of historical garments. He said the film and TV industry doesn’t do Victorian garments a lot of justice.

See more of his work at ferreiraraphael.com.

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