House Ledger

The House Ledger is the public record for The Index. Each entry carries a unique ID, season, and status so provenance is clear. Corrections are dated and signed. Credit is recorded; editorial judgment remains with the House.

Season 01 (2025) — current
Season 02 — observing

Verification Ledger (Season 01)

We log factual corrections and added evidence with dates and initials; accepted submissions include a reputable source.

• 2025-10-11 — Clarified Tank introduction year (1917) and early production (1919); AB
• 2025-10-12 — Confirmed DVF first retail year as 1974; AB

ID convention

MM-INDEX-YYYY-TYPE-###
TYPE: OBJ (object) · HSE (house) · COD (code)

Cartier Tank Watch— Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-OBJ-001

Category
Object

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-09-12

Basis of Admission
Form — Rectangular case with balanced proportions; rail-track minutes; Roman numerals; blued hands; cabochon crown; disciplined negative space.
Substance — Serviceable movements; replaceable straps; durable metals; legible at smaller sizes.
Provenance — Introduced 1917; early production 1919; sustained manufacture; documented families (Louis, Américaine, Française); museum/auction records.

Women’s Culture Note
Portable authority at small scale; day-to-evening neutrality; sleeve-friendly profile.

Identifiers
Maker: Cartier, Paris · Model Family: Tank (Louis, Américaine, Française) · Year: 1917/1919 · Materials: gold/steel case, sapphire cabochon crown, leather straps · Dial: Roman numerals, chemin de fer minutes, blued hands

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1917–1919 — Conception/early series; grammar fixed.
1920s–1930s — Adoption; advertising sets dial code.
1960s–1970s — Slimmer profiles; editorial re-adoption.
1990s — Américaine/Française expand use.
2010s–present — Continuous production; deepened documentation.

Comparative Guidance (what fails the standard)
• Oversized cases that overwhelm wrist proportion
• Logo-led dials that reduce legibility
• Decorative numerals/heavy bezels that break restraint
• Excess thickness that interrupts sleeves

Primary Sources
Cartier catalogues/archives; period advertising; V&A/Met references; auction catalogues.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
2025-10-11 — Clarified introduction year (1917) and early production (1919); AB

Verified By
AB — House

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Diane von Fürstenberg Wrap Dress — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-OBJ-002

Category
Object

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-03

Basis of Admission
Form — Cross-front wrap; V neckline; waist tie; knee-skimming hem; draping jersey; pattern scale readable at social distance.
Substance — Packs/washes/returns to shape; fast to dress; adjustable fit; day-to-evening utility.
Provenance — Introduced 1974; rapid adoption; sustained production; archival reissues; museum acquisition.

Women’s Culture Note
One-move garment that reads competent and feminine without decoration; adjustable; travel-proof.

Identifiers
Maker: Diane von Fürstenberg · Model: Wrap Dress · Year: 1974 · Materials: printed/solid jersey (often silk/rayon blends) · Features: self-tie belt; cross-front; collar/collarless; long or ¾ sleeves

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1974–1976 — Launch + scale in press/retail.
Late 1990s–2000s — Archival revival; museum recognition.
2010s — Reissues; broader sizing.
2020s–present — Ongoing production; strong second-hand durability.

Comparative Guidance (what fails the standard)
• Faux-wraps (no adjustability)
• Fabrics that pill/cling/shine
• Hem lengths that break knee proportion
• Trims/hardware that fight the single move

Primary Sources
DVF archives; fashion press; Met/FIT notes; retail catalogues/pattern references.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
2025-10-12 — Confirmed first retail year as 1974; AB

Verified By
AB — House

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Gee’s Bend Quilts — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-OBJ-003

Category
Object

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Basis of Admission
Form — Improvisational geometry; proportion and negative space that read at distance.
Substance — Durable utility; repair over discard; continued making.
Provenance — Documented makers/families; landmark exhibitions; museum holdings.

Women’s Culture Note
Communal authorship and resourcefulness-as-form carried by women across generations.

Identifiers
Makers: Gee’s Bend (Boykin, AL) quilters · Materials: pieced cotton/wool; found cloth · Features: improvisational blocks/strips; visible mending

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1930s–1960s — Local practice; household utility.
2002 — Major museum exhibition introduces global audience.
2010s–present — Ongoing documentation; intergenerational teaching; conservation.

Comparative Guidance (what fails the standard)
• Decorative pastiche without lived utility or repair culture
• Factory-perfect symmetry lacking improvisational proportion
• Synthetic, shiny cloths that fight the read of age and use

Primary Sources
Exhibition catalogues; oral histories; museum collections and conservation notes; field photography.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
—

Verified By
AB — House

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Hoop Earrings — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-OBJ-004

Category
Object

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Basis of Admission
Form — True circle; consistent gauge; clean closure; proportion to face.
Substance — Metals that wear and service; hinges/posts that endure.
Provenance — Continuous use across cultures; documented iconography and fashion cycles.

Women’s Culture Note
A daily code of presence and ease; scale and finish shift tone without losing legibility.

Identifiers
Form: round tube/solid hoop · Closures: hinge/sleeper/clicker · Materials: gold, silver, steel; minimal surface treatment · Scale: small to large in balanced proportion to jawline/ear

Lineage (dated waypoints)
Antiquity — Gold hoops in multiple cultures.
1970s–1990s — Editorial/urban fashion cycles fix modern read.
2010s–present — Constant daily wear; fine-to-fashion range.

Comparative Guidance (what fails the standard)
• Excessive logos/charms interrupting circle
• Sharp edges, poor closures, or thin soft posts
• Over-large hoops collapsing proportion to face/neck

Primary Sources
Archaeological catalogues; jewelry house specs; fashion/editorial archives.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
—

Verified By
AB — House

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Toni Morrison — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-PER-001

Category
Person

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Women’s Culture Note
Authorship that makes moral authority and memory legible; language as a standard of care and clarity.

Basis of Admission
Form — Sentence architecture and voice that hold at the line level.
Substance — Enduring readership; institutional study; public use.
Provenance — Documented publication history; awards; archives/lectures.

Identifiers
Domain: Literature · Signature works: Beloved, Song of Solomon, Sula · Active years: 1960s–2010s

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1970 — The Bluest Eye published.
1987 — Beloved; major critical consolidation.
1993 — Nobel Prize in Literature.
2000s–2010s — Lectures; editorial/teaching legacy; archives.

Scope Clarification
We record public literary contribution and its cultural standard; not an exhaustive biography.

Primary Sources
Collected editions; Nobel archives; university archives; interviews/lectures; major profiles.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
—

Verified By
AB — House

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Zaha Hadid — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-PER-003

Category
Person

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Women’s Culture Note
Intellect as style—ugly/beautiful dialectic made wearable; restraint as radical act.

Basis of Admission
Form — Proportion/material juxtapositions that read at city scale.
Substance — Garments/accessories persisting in daily use.
Provenance — Documented collections; archives; institutional study.

Identifiers
Domain: Fashion design · Signature works: nylon lineage; minimal tailoring; platform shoes · Active years: 1980s–present

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1980s–1990s — Nylon accessories; minimal codes set.
2000s — Iteration cycles refine proportion.
2010s–present — Ongoing collections; institutional retrospectives.

Scope Clarification
We record the public design standard; not commercial/financial history.

Primary Sources
Runway archives; brand literature; museum catalogues; critical essays.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
—

Verified By
AB — House

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Miuccia Prada — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-PER-003

Category
Person

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Women’s Culture Note
Intellect as style—ugly/beautiful dialectic made wearable; a repeated proof that restraint can be radical.

Basis of Admission
Form — Proportion and material juxtapositions that read at city scale.
Substance — Garments and accessories that persist in daily use.
Provenance — Documented collections, archives, and institutional study.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
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Verified By
AB — House

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Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-PER-004

Category
Person

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Women’s Culture Note
A public grammar of quiet authority—proportion, palette, finish without decoration.

Basis of Admission
Form — Neutral palette; clean lines; controlled silhouette.
Substance — Wardrobe repeatability; durable public references.
Provenance — Documented appearances; editorial record; designer attributions.

Identifiers
Domain: Public figure/style author · Signature looks: slip dress tailoring; monochrome daywear · Active years: 1990s

Lineage (dated waypoints)
Mid-1990s — Public appearances fix the grammar.
2000s–2010s — Editorial retrospectives.
2020s — Renewed influence in minimal women’s dress.

Scope Clarification
We record public style grammar; not personal biography.

Primary Sources
Editorial archives; photographer records; designer attributions; museum fashion notes.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
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Verified By
AB — House

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Ann Lowe — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-PER-005

Category
Person

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Women’s Culture Note
American couture grounded in hand and proportion; ceremonial dress as living craftsmanship.

Basis of Admission
Form — Cut/embellishment that hold at ceremony distance.
Substance — Construction that endures handling/preservation.
Provenance — Documented commissions; museum holdings; revived scholarship.

Identifiers
Domain: Couture dressmaking · Signature works: ceremonial gowns; floral appliqué · Active years: mid-20th century

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1940s–1950s — Major commissions; atelier practice.
1960s–1990s — Under-acknowledged; preservation begins.
2000s–present — Scholarly revival; exhibitions; catalogues.

Scope Clarification
We record couture craft standard and documented commissions; not full biography.

Primary Sources
Museum collections; exhibition catalogues; atelier records; press profiles.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
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Verified By
AB — House

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White Oxford Shirt — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-OBJ-005

Category
Object

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Basis of Admission
Form — Balanced collar roll; stitched placket; yoke/pleat that keep back ease; cuff proportion that clears wrist; hem length that tucks without bulk.
Substance — Oxford (basket weave) that softens with laundering; durable seams; replaceable buttons; tolerates starch/steam.
Provenance — Century-scale use in uniform, sport, and work; documented retail/pattern histories; museum references.

Women’s Culture Note
Daily object of quiet authority; pairs across codes; endures care and repair.

Identifiers
Cloth: Oxford (basket weave, matte) · Collar: button-down or soft point with visible roll · Placket/Cuffs: stitched; two-button barrel or convertible · Construction: split/single yoke with center pleat; side gussets · Buttons: MOP or quality resin

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1900s–1930s — University/sport adoption.
1950s–1960s — Office-casual bridge; button-down popularized.
1980s–1990s — Women’s wardrobes adopt men’s patterns; sleeve/shoulder refined.
2000s–2010s — Heritage revivals; persistent daily use.
2020s–present — Repair/second-hand confirm longevity.

Comparative Guidance (what fails the standard)
• Shiny poplin/sateen; sheer fabrics losing shape
• Collars with no roll (fused/flat)
• Decorative seams/logos/hardware on placket/cuffs
• Lengths that cannot tuck or that billow

Primary Sources
Pattern/retail archives; maker spec sheets; museum costume collections; trade texts.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
—

Verified By
AB — House

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Dior Bar Jacket — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-OBJ-006

Category
Object

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Basis of Admission
Form — Nipped waist; controlled shoulder; restrained lapel; soft peplum carrying hip; clean front with minimal fastening; architectural proportion.
Substance — Tailoring that holds: canvas/horsehair structure; reliable lining; seams that take alterations; modern wearability.
Provenance — 1947 New Look debut; sustained reissues/reinterpretations; museum documentation.

Women’s Culture Note
A public grammar of composure—waist clarity and shoulder discipline made livable in cloth.

Identifiers
Silhouette: fitted waist; gentle flared basque/peplum · Shoulder/Lapel: moderated shoulder; narrow lapels · Front: single-breasted; covered/tonal buttons · Interior: canvas support; stable lining; alteration access · Length: hem covering waistband; peplum over hip

Lineage (dated waypoints)
1947 — Debut; silhouette codified.
1950s — Couture/RTW diffusion; photography fixes image.
1990s–2000s — Archival revivals; pattern/material rework.
2010s — Tailoring renewal; retrospectives.
2020s–present — Ongoing reissues; secondary-market proof.

Comparative Guidance (what fails the standard)
• Exaggerated shoulders/oversized lapels
• Decorative trims/hardware that read costume
• Peplum too long/stiff collapsing hip proportion
• Unstructured bodies that cannot hold architecture

Primary Sources
House/runway archives; museum collections/exhibition catalogues; pattern analyses; period fashion press.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
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Verified By
AB — House

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The Scent Wardrobe — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-COD-001

Category
Code

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Basis of Admission
Form — Palette restraint; sillage discipline; day/evening balance.
Substance — Materials quality; wear curve; reformulation awareness.
Provenance — Documented editorial/industry practice; house notes; collectors’ patterns.

Women’s Culture Note
A deliberate set of scents for context and season—memory and presence without volume.

Identifiers
Definition: small, intentional set (work, evening, quiet, seasonal) · Scope: personal wardrobe planning; hospitality rules · Thresholds: projection under control; materials not cloying; seasonal rotation

Lineage (dated waypoints)
Mid-20th c. — Etiquette/house manuals discuss context-appropriate scent.
1990s–2010s — Editorialization of “wardrobes” (scents by role/season).
2020s–present — Fragrance communities and houses codify sets.

Comparative Guidance (what breaks the code)
• One signature scent used for all contexts
• Loud projection in small rooms/shared spaces
• Excess trend-driven rotation without seasonal logic

Primary Sources
Etiquette/house manuals; fragrance editorials; house technical notes; interviews with perfumers/collectors.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
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Verified By
AB — House

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Seasonal Wardrobe Edit — Ledger Card

Ledger ID
MM-INDEX-2025-COD-002

Category
Code

Season
Season 01 (2025)

Status
Admitted

Publish Date
2025-10-12

Basis of Admission
Form — Palette/silhouette coherence by season; proportion tuned to outerwear/footwear.
Substance — Repair, laundering, and storage decisions that extend life.
Provenance — Household/professional practice with documented benefits; stylists’ and retailers’ seasonal open/close.

Women’s Culture Note
A twice-yearly reset that keeps proportion, palette, and care aligned with life and weather.

Identifiers
Definition: deliberate seasonal review (keep/repair/store/shift) · Scope: wardrobe planning + care · Thresholds: remove non-functional items; service basics; align palette/codes

Lineage (dated waypoints)
20th c. — Domestic guides on seasonal clothing storage/care.
2000s–2010s — Editorial adoption of seasonal edits/capsules.
2020s–present — Wardrobe systems (capsules/rotations) normalize practice.

Comparative Guidance (what breaks the code)
• Carrying entire wardrobe year-round without care cycles
• Palette/silhouette incoherence within a season
• Neglecting repair/cleaning/storage, accelerating discard

Primary Sources
Domestic care manuals; editorial features; retailer stylist guides; conservation notes.

Editorial Actions (Change Log)
—

Verified By
AB — House

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