The glittering costumes that define Hollywood’s golden era don’t just arrive at a museum in perfect condition — someone has to make sure they survive the decades first. That behind-the-scenes work is now on display at the Denver Art Museum, where two iconic film garments, preserved by a San Diego textile conservation firm, are drawing crowds as part of the major international exhibition DIVA.
Liza Minnelli, New York, New York (1977): A costume designed by Theadora Van Runkle, identified in the museum’s exhibition guide as sequins and polyester.
Costumes from the legacies of Liza Minnelli and Joan Crawford— preserved by Margaret’s the Couture Cleaner — are now on public view at the Denver Art Museum.
When garments have lived on screen and then in a private collection, care decisions become a balancing act between stability and preservation—helping the piece survive across generations of audiences.”— Chuck Horst, President, Margaret's the Couture Cleaner
Before a historic costume ever reaches a museum gallery, there is a less visible but equally critical story: the specialized care required to keep fragile, decades-old garments exhibition-ready. Two Hollywood costumes from the Norman Tipton Collection — treated by Margaret’s the Couture Cleaner — are now on view in DIVA at the Denver Art Museum, the exhibition’s exclusive U.S. venue.
These costumes connect the screen legacies of Liza Minnelli and Joan Crawford with the kind of specialized textile care that helps preserve them for future audiences. A screen costume carries more than the memory of a performance: its silhouette, fabric, and embellishment record the designer’s choices and the visual language of its era. Caring for these garments demands attention to each textile, construction, and condition, with treatment decisions shaped by each piece’s unique needs.
“When a garment has lived on screen, and then in a private collection, every treatment decision is a balancing act between stability and preservation — one that will help this piece survive another generation of audiences,” said Chuck Horst, President.
The San Diego–headquartered Textile Conservation & Restoration House provided cleaning, repair, and/or restoration services for the three costumes through its work with collector and longtime client Norman Tipton, who has entrusted multiple historic costumes to Margaret’s textile conservation team over the years.
The featured pieces span more than three decades of Hollywood costume design:
Liza Minnelli, New York, New York (1977): A costume designed by Theadora Van Runkle, identified in the museum’s exhibition guide as sequins and polyester.
Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce (1945): A costume designed by Milo Anderson, identified as a synthetic textile.
For Margaret’s, including these costumes in DIVA brings its work for a private collection into public view — illustrating the role specialized textile care can play in helping collectors steward garments that later become part of museum exhibitions.
Created by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London, DIVA explores the influence of performers across opera, dance, theatre, film and popular music. Since its debut at the V&A in London in 2023, DIVA has also been presented at Kunsthal Rotterdam, Auckland Museum, and Arts Centre Melbourne. The Denver Art Museum is the exhibition’s exclusive U.S. venue. DIVA opened October 4, 2026, and remains on view through January 31, 2027, in the museum’s Hamilton Building.
Exhibition information and tickets: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/diva
For information about Margaret’s textile conservation and restoration services, visit https://www.margarets.com.
Media availability: Margaret’s is available to discuss the textile-care considerations involved in preserving historic costumes, the stewardship of private collections, and how garments move from private care into public exhibition. To arrange an interview or request additional images, contact the media contact below.
About Margaret’s the Couture Cleaner
Margaret’s the Couture Cleaner is a San Diego–headquartered textile conservation and restoration house serving museums, collectors, and private clients. Its services include couture cleaning, vintage textile conservation and restoration, bridal gown care, and leather and accessory care. With five Southern California locations and nationwide CleanByMail service, Margaret’s provides specialized care for garments and textiles of personal, cultural, and historical significance. Visit www.margarets.com.
Media contact
Katia Graytok
Chief Marketing Officer
Margaret’s the Couture Cleaner
katiag@margarets.com
www.margarets.com
Katia Graytok
Margaret's the Couture Cleaner
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Introduction to Margaret's the Couture Cleaner
Why it matters: The costumes we admire in museum cases don’t preserve themselves — they rely on a quiet ecosystem of textile specialists whose work determines whether a piece of pop culture history survives for future generations. As private collectors increasingly become the stewards of Hollywood’s material heritage, the expertise of firms like Margaret’s is becoming just as essential as the designers who originally created these garments.
