Fashion Exhibitions in Art Museums
Current and Upcoming Costume Shows in 2007 and 2008
One British and two American museums are hosting five special exhibitions about costume and fashion from the 18th to the 21st Century.
Five exhibitions at the M.H. deYoung Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum explore the significance of costume in the history of Western art and culture. The works of apparel on view include important imaginative designs from the 18th to the 21st Century; they were worn by aristocrats, recording artists and actors portraying comic book superheroes in film. One innovative presentation invites the viewer to use the Internet and help scholars interpret a wide array of clothing.
Nan Kempner: American Chic
A devotee of fine fashion from early adulthood, slender New York socialite and inveterate traveler Nan Kempner (1930-2005) immersed herself in the world of international haute couture. Her impeccable wardrobe included the designs of Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino, to name a few. This exhibition assembles a selection of Mrs. Kempner's outstanding garments from her Park Avenue residence. Formal evening gowns, tailored suits, sophisticated leisure clothing and examples of sportswear are on display.
- M.H. de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA USA: June 16-November 11, 2007
The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957
Christian Dior's 1947 New Look ushered in a self-styled "Golden Age" in dressmaking and haute couture after World War II. While Paris excelled in glamour, London made significant strides in tailoring. By the end of the 1950s, Europe's major fashion houses branched out into the creation of scents, their clothing designs having been licensed to manufacturers elsewhere. Houses other than Dior's represented in this show include those of Cristóbal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain and Hubert de Givenchy, among others.
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK: September 22, 2007-January 6, 2008
blog.mode: addressing fashion
The novel installation of some 40 costumes and accessories from the 18th Century to the present, all recently acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, will allow its Costume Institute curators, fashion designers and visitors to interpret them via computer terminals in the show and on the Internet. Works from the last 100 years include those from the Houses of Geoffrey Beene, Manolo Blahnik, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gautier, Donna Karan, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Paul Poiret, Yves Saint Laurent, Elsa Schiaparelli and Vivienne Westwood.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY USA: December 18, 2007-April 13, 2008
Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
The imagery and symbolism of comic book superheroes as seen in modern-day fashion are saluted in this unusual landmark special exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Approximately 70 movie costumes, pieces of avant-garde haute couture and high-performance sportswear demonstrate how the superhero metaphor has been interpreted by modern-day fashion designers in their apparel. The show deals with issues of identity, nationalism and sexuality through the costumes of Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, the vigilante Cat Woman, Wonder Woman, The Hulk, Iron Man, the X-Men and others. The fashion designs of Giorgio Armani, Pierre Cardin, John Galliano, John Paul Gauthier, Givenchy, House of Harlot, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Thierry Mugler, Nike and Speedo, among others, are represented. Superheroes... is divided thematically into seven distinct "bodies": graphic, fetishistic, patriotic, aerodynamic, mechatronic, mutant and postmodern.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY USA: May 7-September 1, 2008
The Story of The Supremes from the Mary Wilson Collection
This exhibition chronicles the spectacular changing fashions of popular recording group The Supremes during the 1960s, from the members' early outfits they wore as The Primettes to the wild Hollywood-inspired costumes they donned at the pinnacle of their careers. This multimedia presentation displays the elaborate dresses of Motown Records chanteuse Mary Wilson and her partners, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. Archival television footage, photographs and magazine images supplement the fantastic articles of clothing on view.
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK: May 13-October 28, 2008
