Sustainability, Identity, Artisans and Designers

Dec 25, 2025

Dr. Rebecca Jumper Matheson, a fashion historian and author, explores the innovative contributions of Elizabeth and William Phelps to American fashion. Dedicated to sustainability long before it was trendy, the Phelps crafted durable leather goods and functional sportswear in a humane workshop environment. Matheson discusses their unique partnership, the challenges of her research, and how WWII reshaped American fashion. She connects the Phelpses' legacy to broader themes of craftsmanship, identity, and the enduring nature of American-made luxury.

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INSIGHT

From Law To Fashion History

Rebecca Jumper Matheson traced her path from law to fashion history through museum work and textile study.
Her academic work on clothing history grew from personal collecting and museum internships into a PhD project.

ANECDOTE

Stitching Together Scattered Records

Matheson reconstructed the Phelpses' lives from scattered sources and oral histories in a painstaking archival patchwork.
She relied on local oral histories and small surviving documents to stitch together their personal story.

INSIGHT

Craft Movement Shaped Their Design

The Phelpses joined a 1930s movement to forge an American design identity through craft and government-sponsored documentation.
Their transition from woodworking and painting into leatherwork created a uniquely American artisanal practice.

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Long before the fashion industry formally addressed questions of sustainability and advocated for “slow fashion,” a husband-and-wife design duo were working to create handcrafted leather-goods and functional women’s sportswear that could be worn for decades. Active from the 1940s to the late 1960s, the Phelps quickly won acclaim, attracting a broad clientele and becoming known for quality, utility, and craftsmanship.

Using vintage metal insignia and hardware, the Phelpses designed bags and belts that answered the need for American-made luxury goods during and after World War II. They worked to revive artisan workshops, fostered positive work environments for their employees, and employed injured veterans.

In Artisans and Designers: American Fashion Through Elizabeth and William Phelps, Dr. Rebecca Jumper Matheson offers the first in-depth analysis of the Phelpses’ partnership, their contributions to the fashion industry, and their forward-thinking business practices. She connects their work to larger conversations about sustainable fashion, consumerism, industrialization practices, and the intersection of art with American identity during and after World War II. The result is a richly-illustrated account of a brand, and the classic pieces that stood the test of time.

Guest: Dr. Rebecca Jumper Matheson is a fashion historian and adjunct instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on nineteenth- and twentieth-century American women’s dress, using interdisciplinary approaches to discover women’s narratives as designers, makers, sellers, and consumers. She is the author of three monographs, including Artisans and Designers: American Fashion Through Elizabeth and William Phelps.

Host: Dr. Christina Gessler is the producer of the Academic Life podcast. She holds a Ph.D. in history, which she uses to explore what stories we tell and what happens to those we never tell.

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