Dolly Parton's fashions to be highlighted in fall Lipscomb University exhibition

Dolly Parton's ramping up for an impressive fall 2023 season with numerous global-to-local Nashville connections.

Foremost, the multiple-time Hall of Famer and pop culture icon's 30-track album "Rock Star" -- featuring members of groups including Aerosmith, The Beatles, Bon Jovi, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doobie Brothers, Duran Duran, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Journey, Judas Priest, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Motley Crue, The Police and Steely Dan -- arrives on Nov. 17, 2023.

As well, "Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones" -- a 336-page book celebrating the "Coat of Many Colors" vocalist's "lifelong passion for fashion" and "endearing, convention-defining, distinctly Dolly style" -- is being released Oct. 17, 2023, via Ten Speed Press/Penguin Random House.

In honor of the latter, Lipscomb University's Department of Fashion and Design will present the exhibition "Dolly Parton and the Makers: My Life in Rhinestones," from Oct. 31-Dec. 9, 2023, at the John C. Hutcheson Gallery in Lipscomb's Beaman Library. The limited exhibition is described via a press statement as "the first physical interpretation of Parton's new fashion-focused book." 25 of Parton's fashions from her career and their makers will be highlighted.

Limited $25 tickets for a 45-minute tour of the fashion exhibition go on sale, online only, on Sept. 1.

More information is available at https://www.lipscomb.edu/art/dolly-parton-and-makers-my-life-rhinestones.

The exhibit hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT. Parking is available for guests adjacent to the library in the lot located at One University Park Drive, Nashville.

The exhibit is curated by Parton's archivist, Rebecca Seaver. She also curated Parton's new book. Parton's former head seamstress, Iisha Lemming, will also serve as fall 2023's Artist-in-Residence for Lipscomb's Department of Fashion and Design to assist in the development and execution of the exhibit.

"Iisha Lemming has worked for me over 15 years and is the artist-in-residence at Lipscomb University," said Parton. "Iisha and Rebecca Seaver have put together this display celebrating the makers of these clothes and 25 of my favorite looks celebrating the people who make it all happen."

"We are thrilled to partner with Dolly Parton and those behind her iconic fashion to offer the community this exciting opportunity to have an up-close look at some of her favorite outfits and to learn more about these treasured looks," said Lipscomb University President Candice McQueen. "This unique fashion exhibition will also provide tremendous learning opportunities for our students as they discover more about the creative process and techniques and interact with the makers who have developed these fashions."

The book is the second in a planned trilogy that began with her 2020 bestseller "Songteller: My Life in Lyrics."

Co-written by Parton with Holly George-Warren (and curated by Seaver), "Behind the Seams" is currently available for pre-order at https://dolly.lnk.to/BehindTheSeams.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dolly Parton's fashions to be on display at Nashville exhibit