BATON ROUGE, LA.- The Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM) and the LSU Textile & Costume Museum (LSUTCM) are presenting Louisiana Couture: The Legacy of San Carlin, a landmark exhibition celebrating one of Louisiana's most influential fashion houses. Currently on view at LASM, the exhibition showcases the artistry, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurial spirit behind San Carlin, the Baton Rouge couture label whose elegant designs earned international acclaim while remaining proudly rooted in Louisiana.

Drawn from the LSU Textile & Costume Museum's extensive San Carlin archive, the exhibition represents a significant collaboration between LSUTCM and LASM to share this remarkable chapter of Louisiana's cultural history with a broader audience. Through couture garments, extensive photography by noted Baton Rouge photographer Fred Frey, and archival materials, visitors will discover the story of a fashion house whose influence extended from Baton Rouge to New York, Paris, and beyond. “The LSU Textile & Costume Museum is thrilled to partner with the amazing team at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum to present the history of San Carlin told through luxury garments, photography, and ephemera,” said Michael E. Mamp, PhD, LSUTCM Director & Curator. “Fashion in museums is more popular than ever, and it is a delight to bring an exhibition of this caliber and scope to the public.”

Founded in the mid-1980s by Carla Jumonville and Linda Ward-Dalton, San Carlin became synonymous with exceptional eveningwear and special-occasion fashion. Joined early by LSU fashion graduate Gonzalo Calderón Ortiz, the company dressed Mardi Gras queens, brides, political wives, and celebrities—including Joan Collins—and earned multiple Alpha Awards from the Fashion Group International of New Orleans. These elegant designs, constructed from the finest fabrics and trims available at the time, were sold internationally through high-end boutiques and department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Collections were presented at seasonal market weeks and to customers at trunk shows across the country and abroad in London, Paris, and South America.





While the garments dazzle with luxurious fabrics, intricate beadwork, and impeccable tailoring, they also reveal the technical mastery behind couture fashion. Visitors will gain a deeper appreciation for the engineering of garment construction, the innovation of materials, and the precision required to create garments that are both beautiful and functional. Original photographs by renowned Baton Rouge photographer Fred Frey provide a rare glimpse into the world of San Carlin, documenting the designers, models, and garments that defined an era of Louisiana elegance. The exhibition reflects LASM's mission by demonstrating how art and science continually intersect through design and craftsmanship. "We are honored to partner with the LSU Textile & Costume Museum to share the remarkable legacy of San Carlin with our community," said Tracey Barhorst, LASM Curator and Director of Art Programs. "These extraordinary garments are beautiful works of art that also reveal the science, engineering, and craftsmanship behind couture fashion. This exhibition reflects LASM's mission by demonstrating how art and science come together through creativity, innovation, and design."

For the LSU Textile & Costume Museum, the exhibition fulfills its mission to preserve, research, and interpret the history of textiles and dress. For LASM, it offers visitors an opportunity to experience the intersection of artistic expression, technical innovation, and Louisiana history through one of the state's most celebrated creative enterprises. Financial support for this exhibition was provided by the Big Ideas in Arts & Humanities – Provost's Fund for Innovation in Research at LSU, Carla Jumonville, Linda Ward-Dalton, and Pat Alford.