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| Alessandro Trincone, Annodami dress, 2017. |
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The unexpected popularity of the attendance record-setting 2011 show featuring
Alexander McQueen's work, at the Metropolitan Museum of New York, kicked off a movement of fashion arts exhibits in museums traditionally known for collections of painting, sculpture and decorative arts. A recent example these big fashion installations in major cultural institutions is
Gender Bending Fashion, curated by Michelle Finamore, Penny Vink curator of Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and on display from 21 March 2019 through 25 August 2019. This exhibit is making a splash, with favorable write-ups in both
The New York Times and
The Wall Street Journal.
Kudos to the design and installation fabricators of this exhibit, which features custom plinths and lighting in a rainbow of colors, creating a display environment responsive to the artifacts and content.
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| Exhibit intro wall text - rainbow foil lettering. |
The dress in my first image above, intended for a male wearer, is a mix of Italian and Japanese influences; characters in anime and in video games introduced elements of samurai dress to westerners. Remember Teenage Ninja Turtles? A samurai warrior costume included a kimono topped with a pleated overskirt. The "Annodami" dress above has layered elements which are halfway between pleats and ruffles, but the Japanese influence is unmistakable in the parasol/hat and the tied straps and belted elements.
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| Source: http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat16/sub107/item502.html |
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I'm currently reading the first volume of the
Usagi Yojimbo graphic novels (hey, I learned to read with comic books) and am enjoying the adventures of this rabbit ronin, dressed in an outfit that is a first cousin to the Trincone dress.
Another action hero in karate-ready garb takes me back to my teenage years. Actually a heroine - Mrs. Peel (actor Diana Rigg) from the television series,
The Avengers. Below is the sketch for one of Mrs. Peel's form-fitting outfit, and a black-and-white photo of Ms. Rigg wearing the garment. Finally, Ms. Rigg, shown below as Lady Olenna Tyrell, continues to wear character-defining costumes in HBO's
Game of Thrones.
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| Diana Rigg outfit for The Avengers, John Bates, c. 1965. |
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| Source: https://wikiofthrones.com/14035/diana-rigg-thrones-end-olenna-tyrell/ |
I enjoyed seeing fashion sketches, in addition to actual outfits, as it gives a sense of the designer's working process. Below is a sketch by
Lucien Lelong, with fabric samples, for a menswear-influenced woman's evening outfit. Broad shoulders and narrow hips create a masculine-ized silhouette, while the lower part of the ensemble is ambiguous - a skirt or palazzo pants? (It's a skirt). Gold net, with metallic thread embellishment, at neck and lower sleeves gives a bit of sparkle and reminds me of the lace collars and cuffs from men's outfits of the 18th century.
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| Lucien Lelong, sketch "Le Grandin" (the Dandy), 1935. |
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| Men's ensemble, 17th c. Collection Victoria & Albert Museum. |
The theme of gender identity aside, luxury fabrics remain one constant throughout the exhibit; of course this is partly due to the survival of more expensive clothing worn only on occasion. Garments of lesser quality and which experienced daily wear would have been discarded or repurposed. My grandmother (1900 - 1994) would make rag rugs out of ripped-up, worn-out garments.
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| Invitation for O'Rossen fashion show, Robert Polack, early 20th c. |
The drawing above was used as the cover for a fashion show invitation. Reminds me of the dress for success books aimed at women in the 1970's; the popular, research-based book by John T. Molloy was also displayed in the exhibit.
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| First edition, The Woman's Dress for Success, 1977. |
The show featured numerous images of entertainers crossing, or blurring, gender lines in dress, including the well-documented - Marlene Dietrich, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix - as well as figures such as maverick Harlem Renaissance performer
Gladys Bentley.
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| Ensemble worn by James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix, 1967. |
Although he was a stellar entertainer, Jimi Hendrix's music was not my soundtrack of my youth; rather, I used to wash the dishes while listening to station WXYZ in Detroit. Mouthing the words to
"Stop in the Name of Love" I'd wave the dishcloth in the air, mimicking Diana Ross's "stop" hand motion. "Girl singers" of that era wore beautiful pageant-ready gowns and had elegantly styled wigs and hair. Such presentation made them acceptable to all audiences.
While much of the exhibit was devoted to the role of entertainers as "influencers" one gallery devoted a sizeable display to women in active wear as well as in uniform. As women entered the work force clothing became more practical, and was often adapted from the male wardrobe for work and recreational. The image below shows women's attire for swimming, riding astride, and auto racing. Of course, women aspiring to be like men - perceived as addressing a deficiency - was in some way less threatening than men appearing in women's clothing, which still has the power to discomfit.
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| Dressing for the active life in colorful installation. |
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| Turner-prize winning artist Grayson Perry. Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Grayson-Perry |
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| https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/style/jason-momoa-scrunchies-for-men.html |
For most straight men, just wearing pink makes a statement. Check out the matching scrunchie on Mr. Momoa's right wrist, above. I found myself best liking the outfits that subtly combined masculine and feminine elements, such as the outfit below, where a black man-tailored suit is partly obscured by a beautifully embroidered kimono-like garment. Mixes business with pleasure.
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| Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons, Dress/jacket, 2006-7. |
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| Dress/jacket, detail. |
I also really like the red ensemble, below center, worn by Janelle Monae at the 2018 Oscars. In eye-catching red, the tailored bodice starts to descend into a skirt, but the skirt volume is cut back in front, revealing red trousers. The skirt does continue in back into a train; a fascinating meld of menswear tailoring and red carpet glamour.
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| Christian Siriano, Evening Suit, 2018. |
The final gallery of the exhibit is really a set design, with panel backdrops and nine pedestals bathed in diagonal aurorae of projected light, almost outshining the nine outfits displayed in this gallery. In an exhibit examining self-presentation, it is fitting that the galleries themselves have personality.
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| Gallery overview. |
