Fashion as a Reflection of Time and Place: The Davis 4-H Clothing Collection with Leslie Davis Burns

Name: Fashion as a Reflection of Time and Place: The Davis 4-H Clothing Collection with Leslie Davis Burns
Start: 2025-10-11T13:00:00-06:00
Location: 422 2nd Street South, Great Falls, MT, United States, Montana 59405

Schedule

Sat, 11 Oct, 2025 at 01:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

422 2nd Street South, Great Falls, MT, United States, Montana 59405 | Great Falls, MT

The History Museum & Research Center invites the public for a fascinating Second Saturday program “Fashion as a Reflection of Time and Place: The Davis 4-H Clothing Collection.” Leslie Davis Burns will discuss the recently acquired Davis 4-H Collection housed in the museum's collections. This event on October 11 at 1pm in the Ozark Club event room is free and open to the public.
Leslie Davis Burns brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the topic, having built a distinguished career in fashion and academia. Her journey began in elementary school in Cut Bank, Montana, where she first developed a passion for sewing, making doll clothes and placemats. Through her 4-H club, Leslie began making clothes for herself. In high school at CM Russell High School in Great Falls, Montana, she expanded her interest in clothing construction and pattern making through a 5-month apprenticeship with Cele Forzley, a family friend who had taught clothing courses at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Under Forzley's guidance, Leslie mastered advanced “couture” sewing and tailoring techniques.
The culmination of Leslie's high school years was marked by two impressive 4-H projects: a tailored suit for her father and a wool coat ensemble for herself, winning her the Montana State 4-H Dress Revue. This early foundation in fashion and design propelled Leslie's academic and professional pursuits. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fashion Merchandising and Design from Washington State University and later received her Ph.D. in Consumer Sciences and Retailing from Purdue University.
As a Professor of Apparel Design and Merchandising Management at Oregon State University, Leslie taught courses on fashion forecasting, retail merchandising, and global sourcing in the fashion industry. Her impressive body of work includes 10 books, over 30 business case studies, and more than 70 articles in research journals and monographs. Leslie's achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Scholar Award and Educator of the Year Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association.
After “retiring” from Oregon State in 2015, Leslie founded a company focused on creating educational resources for responsible global fashion. Now fully retired, Leslie looks forward to sharing her insights on the Davis 4-H Collection with our community.