The National Corvette Museum already has hot cars. Now the museum is adding cool fashion to its showcase. The International Fashion Collection, on loan from Northwood University in Midland, Mich., represents more than 40 years of fashion history and design from some of the worlds most recognized designers, including Gianni Versace, Yves Saint-Laurent, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Bob Mackie, Emilio Pucci and Bill Blass. About 20 articles of clothing and accessories from the 2,100-piece collection are scheduled to be displayed through spring at the museum. Weve worked them into some of the Corvette lines we have at the museum, said museum communications coordinator Bobbie Jo Lee. The people from Northwood did a great job. International Fashion Collection curator Cynthia Keefe said Northwood has a long history of association with automobiles, especially since Midland is near Detroit, a hub of the automobile industry. The exhibit was founded in 1985 by the Northwood National Womens Board. The Northwood group that came in to put together the exhibit tried to match the color and decade of the outfits to the cars that were being shown, Keefe said. We fly down and do installations. Its in an effort to turn back time, she said of the exhibit. I think it takes people back to that era. Although a portion of the exhibit travels, it mainly rotates within three campuses in Midland, Keefe said. We use it for educational purposes and to work with students, she said. Clothing from the 30s, 40s and 50s its obsolete in the way they were constructed. In some materials for the collection, it says that in 1953 the first car came off the Corvette assembly line and Christian Dior introduced the A-line, Keefe said. We find that people are fascinated by clothing from another era, she said. Each outfit has information about the designer, the year the piece was designed, details about the fabric and other materials used and often the women who wore them. Some of the clothes were worn by famous women or had historical significance. For example, the Corvette display features a periwinkle gown and diamond encrusted sweater designed in 1998 by Pamela Dennis that was worn by Academy Award winner Anna Paquin, who starred in films such as The Piano and Finding Forrester. There also is a wool sheath with a jacket accented with fur trim that was worn in the 1950s by legendary actress Marlene Dietrich. Another interesting item is a black silk jersey gown designed in 1985 by James Delanos. Encrusted with crystals, the dress weighs 21 pounds. Many of the outfits could be worn today, Keefe said. The mark of a very strong design is that it transcends decades, she said. Seeing outfits scattered among the cars has made many of the museums visitors pause and take a second look, Lee said. A lot people think its different, she said. It adds to the display. The National Corvette Museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information about the exhibit, call 781-7973 or (800) 538-3883 or visit the museums Web site at http://www.corvettemuseum.com.