In a time where everyone is looking forward to the future in the form of acquiring the latest technology or the fastest way to reach an audience, some fashion designers are beginning to look back with the help of museums.
Over the summer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art set a new precedent for fashion exhibits with its retrospective on Alexander McQueen titled, “Savage Beauty.” Following closely behind, Valentino unveiled a groundbreaking idea in late 2011 in the form of a virtual museum where guests could browse all of the designer’s iconic work without even getting up from their computer. Fashion exhibits are becoming more and more successful and popping up all over the world. While fashion may seem fleeting to most, these exhibits have the ability to show the permanence behind iconic collections.
With the growing popularity of fashion exhibitions, designers and fashion-lovers alike are given the chance to remember and get inspired by creative geniuses from the past and present. Because we all know history repeats itself, maybe looking back is the best way to look forward, so, here’s five exhibitions slated for 2012 that will give you that chance.
1. Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion
What would happen if one of the most famous designers from the present got to sit down with one of the most famous designers of the past? The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was curious about that question as well, and as a result, it’s the basis for the upcoming exhibit that will debut on May 10 and run till Aug. 19.
Elsa Schiaparelli, who was an iconic Italian designer during the World War II era, and Miuccia Prada, who is the brain behind the famous brands like Prada and Miu Miu, will engage in a simulated conversation about topics such as women, fashion, politics and art. Both Schiaparelli and Prada will have 80 pieces on display, and the clothing will span from the 1920s to present day.
2. Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs
An exhibition paralleling the two men who made Louis Vuitton a name everyone knows and a brand everybody dreams to have. The exhibit will take place from March 9 to Sept. 16 at Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris and is described on the museum’s website as “an analysis rather than a retrospective.”
Both Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, who is currently the creative director of the brand, have made huge creative strides, and this exhibit is meant to highlight the talent behind the brand that has spanned a century and become a household name for luxury.
3. Christian Louboutin Retrospective
Christian Louboutin has created the glass slipper of the 21st century, and now, the Design Museum in London wants to celebrate the success and flair that is behind the red-soled shoe. Highlighting both the design process and the artistry behind the Louboutin high heels, boots and sneakers, the exhibit will run from March 28 to July 1 and will showcase 20 years of shoes. Made famous by celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss, the shoes with the red sole are a favorite of the A-list stars, and if you’re a shoe lover who happens to be in London over the summer, this is one exhibit you don’t want to miss.
4. Yves Saint Laurent at the Denver Art Museum in Colorado
Parisian style is coming to Colorado this spring in the form of world-renowned designer Yves Saint Laurent. Tickets went on sale Friday, and as this is the only United States venue for the retrospective, the exhibition is expected to be incredibly popular. The exhibit will include 200 haute couture pieces, photographs and illustrations chronicling 40 years of the Parisian designer’s work. Creating a timeline of YSL’s evolution and style, the exhibit will be organized into themes and include everything from his first days as a designer at Christian Dior to his last work in 2002. The YSL Retrospective has traveled the globe, and if you have the chance to see it on American soil, I’m sure it will be worth the trek.