Description

Dress & Drinks: The Valentine Museum
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific
FREE Webinar, Open to All

Join us for an evening of costume, character, and curated conversation as CSA welcomes Nichol Gabor, fashion historian and Nathalie L. Klaus Curator of Costume and Textiles at The Valentine Museum in Richmond, VA. Gabor will guide us through the glittering world of disguise and delight in her current exhibition, Fancy: Costumes, Characters, and the Richmond Masque, on view through January 2026 at The Valentine. From colonial pageantry to contemporary cosplay, the exhibition explores how Richmonders have used creative dress to transform themselves—whether for celebration, satire, or sheer spectacle. Gabor’s curatorial lens draws on her deep experience with institutions including the National Museum of American History, Colonial Williamsburg, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She will examine the performative dimensions of fashion in Richmond’s civic life.

Click here to register
Registration closes 24 hours prior to the event.
If you missed the deadline, email conversationsondress@costumesocietyamerica.com.

Our cocktail for the evening: Masquerade Sparkler Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz citrus-infused vodka
  • 0.5 oz apple schnapps
  • 1 oz watermelon juice
  • 0.5 oz apple juice
  • Dash of lime juice
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.
  2. Add vodka, schnapps, watermelon juice, apple juice, and lime juice.
  3. Shake vigorously until chilled.
  4. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
  5. Optional: Garnish with a thin apple slice or edible glitter for flair.

Source: Food.com Masquerade Cocktail


Non-Alcoholic Version: Midnight Sparkler Mocktail

  • 2 oz apple juice
  • 1 oz watermelon juice
  • 0.5 oz lime juice
  • Sparkling water or non-alcoholic sparkling wine
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Fill a shaker with ice and combine apple juice, watermelon juice, and lime juice.
  2. Shake gently and strain into a flute or coupe glass.
  3. Top with sparkling water or NA sparkling wine.
  4. Optional: Garnish with a twist of lime or a sugared rim.

Source: FOX 4 Midnight Sparkler Mocktail