Fashion exhibitions are a great way to explore the roots of some of the leading fashion houses, fashion trends and movements. Fashion houses are increasingly sharing their archives with the general public. Also, them can send a shiver up the spines of the style-obsessed.
We have round-up out must-see fashion exhibitions that you should visit and don’t forget: Clothes, can also speak!
Paris
“Christian Dior, Couturier Du Réve” Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Paris’s Musée des Arts décoratifs is celebrating the 70th anniversary of fashion house Dior with an exceptional retrospective. Over 300 dresses, countless documents, as well as paintings and other works that explore Christian Dior’s passion for the arts, come together to paint a multi-layered portrait of the man and his legacy. It includes showcasing the work of Dior himself as well as the six designers who went on to oversee fashion design for the label following Dior’s death in 1957, including Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, and Raf Simons. Don’t miss the paintings and furniture taken from Dior’s personal collection, either—they prove his impeccable eye went well beyond memorable clothing. This Fashion Exhibition will open at January 7, 2018.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), New York
“Items: Is Fashion Modern”
This Fashion Exhibition explores the present, past—and sometimes the future—of 111 items of clothing and accessories that have had a strong impact on the world in the 20th and 21st centuries—and continue to hold currency today. 111 items of clothing like the leather jacket, the classic American jean, and the little black dress. A pair of Lululemon yoga pants from 1998 is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art. There’s also Calvin Klein briefs, Levi’s 501s, a Prada backpack, Nike Air Force 1s and a 1980s-era plaid flannel shirt from the Woolrich archive. All of these pieces, in addition to so many more, are part of MoMA’s new exhibit “Items: Is Fashion Modern?”. Beyond the so-called “high-fashion” garments are items that are truly landmarks of our modern world.
The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion
The V&A is set to host another major fashion exhibition this year, which celebrates the work of couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga. This Fashion Exhibition opened at May 27, 2017 and will last until next year, February 18, 2018. The exhibition is will closely examine the craftsmanship and skill which made the designer’s creation so unique, while exploring how his designs shaped future creations. It will feature over 100 garments and 20 hats made by the couturier as well as never before seen sketches, film, photographs and fabric samples. The exhibition at the V&A is split into two sections – one that looks back on the later part of his career, and the second examining his effect on other contemporary designers such as Molly Goddard and Rei Kawakubo.
The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
The House of Dior: 70 years of Haute Couture
In honour of the seventieth anniversary of Dior, the French fashion house has teamed up with the National Gallery of Victoria to host a unique retrospective exhibition. The National Gallery of Victoria and the House of Dior collaborated for a grand display of more than 140 garments designed by Christian Dior Couture between 1947 and 2017. This Fashion Exhibition opened August 27, 2017 and will last until November 7, 2017. This includes Christian Dior’s early influences, the design codes synonymous with the brand and the influence of the six successive designers since Dior’s death in 1957. The exhibit explores the history of Dior by examining key pieces from the seven designers who have each played a pivotal role in shaping the fashion house’s identity: Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri. There have examples from Dior’s iconic spring 1947 New Look collection as well as some of his signature ball gowns and evening dresses.
The exhibition also focuses on Christian Dior’s early influences, design codes, offers insights into its atelier workrooms as well as the role of accessories.
Milan
“Fashion & Politics in Vogue Italia”
After its debut last year, the Vogue Italia Photo Vogue Festival is returning to Milan for 2017. From November 15-19, the festival will host a number of exhibitions across the city that explore how fashion photography has interacted with politics, drawing on 50 years of Vogue Italia’s archives as well as spotlighting emerging talent. The exhibition will also show how photography has been a catalyst for debates within the industry. In addition to the more established names featured, the festival also looks to the photographers of tomorrow via PhotoVogue – a scouting project to launch emerging talents. PVF – Photo Vogue Festival – seeks to establish itself as a meeting place and point of reference for all photography, art and fashion enthusiasts by giving professionals and amateurs alike the chance to come in contact with key industry figures: the most renowned photographers, leading curators and the most prestigious agencies.
