25 minute read
exhibits
Thierry Mugler, Couturissime
September 30 – April 24, 2021 Musée des Arts Décoratifs From the 1970s until 2002, when Thierry Mugler turned the page on fashion, the designer established himself as one of the most daring and inventive couturiers of his time, going so far as to embody the image of the 1980s, thanks to a graphic silhouette of remarkable strength. In the 1990s, he made a powerful contribution to the renaissance of haute couture through his collections and his sense of staging spectacular catwalks and grandiose photographs, allied with the most iconic models. “Thierry Mugler, Couturissime” organized in several acts, like an opera, thematically mixes costumes, animated projections, photographs and music, creating atmospheres that embody the different projects in which the artist has been involved since the end of the years. The exhibition, which is spread over two levels, opens with an evocation of Mugler’s fantastic bestiary, from the microfauna to the depths of the sea giving pride of place to excess: futuristic silhouettes with pointed shoulders, abyssal necklines, unreal wasp sizes ...Two exceptional silhouettes from the Insects and Chimera collections (1997/1998) brilliantly illustrate this section. A black velvet drag sheath, adorned with butterfly wings from the house of Lemarié and an articulated “creature” of iridescent scales embroidered with crystals, fancy diamonds, feathers and horsehair, are now part of the masterpieces. absolute works of sewing. Nymphs dressed in notched glass shell bustiers and extravagant organza jellyfish seem to move twenty thousand leagues under the sea. Science fiction takes over from this animal and aquatic world: comic book superheroines, industrial design and futuristic automobiles become new sources of inspiration. Surprising robotic, bodied, aerodynamic creatures, fashioned from innovative materials, which have become emblematic, anticipate the revolutions of transhumanism. The artist has humorously designed removable or “convertible” sleeves, “bumper” bustiers, and “radiator” belts. One can only admire his Maschinenmensch, unveiled in 1995 for the 20th anniversary of his company: a fully articulated robotic armor which required no less than six months of intensive work. Outside of fashion design, Thierry Mugler distinguished himself in the field of perfumery by giving birth, in 1992, to Angel, an olfactory revolution that launched the trend for gourmet fragrances. A room staged by the artist
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completes this section by evoking the world of scents imagined by the creator and which have
always been synonymous for him with infinity and dreams. From the end of the 1960s, fashion photography developed by replacing illustrations to fully impose itself. From the second floor, the exhibition devotes pride of place to this medium with many rare prints signed by the greatest artists and fashion photographers, including Guy Bourdin, Jean-Paul Goude, Karl Lagerfeld, Dominique Issermann, David LaChapelle , Luigi & Iango, Sarah Moon, Pierre et Gilles, Paolo Roversi, Herb Ritts and Ellen von Unwerth as well as the fruitful collaboration between Thierry Mugler and photographer Helmut Newton. A room is dedicated to the photographic achievements of Mugler himself who, in 1976, began shooting his own visual campaigns, playing on the glamor and beauty of his muses, from Jerry Hall to Iman, in places extremes, from Greenland to the Sahara, to the roofs of the Paris Opera. At the end of the 1970s, Mugler created the “glamazone”, a chic,
“ Les Insectes “ collection, haute couture spring-summer 1997 Rubber suit, tire effect . Collaboration with Abel Villarreal © Patrice Stable.
modern, urban and glamorous woman going against the flower power and hippie fashion of the time. In a black and white decor, his sequined creations evoke the temptation of eroticism and fetishism, with more bare outfits combining latex and vinyl, subversive and innovative materials, which he elevates to the rank of classics. Music takes pride of place with Georges Michael’s “Too funky ” music video directed by Thierry Mugler, whose outfits are worn by the most famous top models of the 1990s, from Eva Herzigova to Linda Evangelista, from Emma Sjöberg to Estelle Lefebure passing by transgender model Connie Girl, performer Joey Arias and Julie Newmar, the first Catwoman . It also pays tribute to eight-time Oscarwinning American costume designer Edith Head. Mugler also launched, on his catwalks, the phenomenon of parades shows, by inviting Hollywood celebrities, such as Diana Ross, Tippi Hedren or Sharon Stone, and signing their staging and soundtracks himself. Finally, the exhibition brings to life a selection of costumes designed by the artist for “Macbeth,” a play presented by the Comédie-Française troupe at the Avignon festival in 1985. The costume for the character of the first witch, sketches displayed on the wall as well as a multimedia installation by Michel Lemieux (4D Art), are just a few examples of the elements transporting us to this powerfully tragic Shakespearean world.
“Thierry Mugler, Couturissime ” is an opportunity to discover and rediscover this total artist, in turn dancer, stage man, photographer and designer, a man who marked his time by revolutionizing fashion through his creations with sculptural morphologies à la both futuristic and elegant. His distinctive style has transcended fashions and has influenced generations of designers to this day.
Suzie Zuzek for Lilly Pulitzer: The Prints That Made the Fashion Brand
September 1 – September 30, 2021 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum When socialite-turned-designer Lilly Pulitzer’s simple shift dresses hit the fashion scene in the early 1960s, their eyecatching, whimsical prints made them instantly recognizable. Yet few people know that most of those prints were designed by Key West artist Suzie Zuzek (Agnes Helen Zuzek de Poo, American, 1920–2011). Zuzek was a staff designer for Key West Hand Print Fabrics, where Pulitzer sourced most of her fabrics—and all of her prints—between 1962 and 1985, the period during which Pulitzer owned and oversaw the company that bears her name. Zuzek’s prolific imagination fueled Pulitzer’s runaway success. The unexpected combination of classic sportswear styling with playful, eclectic patterns defined a uniquely American style, often spotted on fashion icons such as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Suzie Zuzek for Lilly Pulitzer: The Prints That Made the Fashion
Drawing, Wildness, © September 11, 1972. Designed by Suzie Zuzek (Agnes Helen Zuzek de Poo, American, 1920–2011) for Key West Hand Print Fabrics, Inc. (Key West, Florida). Used by Lilly Pulitzer, Inc., before 1985 (Palm Beach, Florida). Brush and watercolor, pen and black ink, graphite on paper. 38.1 × 56.2 cm (15 × 22 1/8 in.). Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Gift of The Original I.P. LLC, 2019-116. Photo: Matt Flynn © The Original I.P. LLC
Brand is the first museum exhibition to reveal the nature and scope of Zuzek’s artistic contribution to the quintessential Pulitzer style. Included in the exhibition are more than 35 original watercolor and gouache design drawings by Zuzek, alongside finished screen-printed textiles and some of the fashions that made them famous. The works on view include ten drawings recently acquired for the museum’s collection through a gift from the Key West Hand Print Fabrics archive, now privately owned. Zuzek’s designs showcase her creative treatment of subjects ranging from mythical creatures to cosmology to the flora and fauna of the Florida Keys. Her palette was typically naturalistic, employing both the brilliant hues of the tropical flowers and the subtle browns, ochres, and grays used in her renderings of animals. When used as fabrics for the the Pulitzer collections, Zuzek’s designs were printed in the beyond-bright, vivid colors the brand is famous for. The exhibition will demonstrate the process of translating an artist’s rendering to fabric, and ultimately fashion, through silkscreen printing.
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
September 10, 2021–February 20, 2022 Brooklyn Museum In the decades after World War II, Christian Dior became one of the world’s most recognized names in fashion. Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams explores the history of the House of Dior, bringing to life Dior’s many sources of inspiration—from the splendor of flowers and other natural forms to classical and contemporary art. With objects drawn primarily from the Dior archives, the exhibition presents a wide array of over two hundred haute couture garments as well as photographs, archival videos, sketches, vintage perfume elements, and accessories, and features works from the Museum’s collection. The haute couture on view exemplifies the French couturier’s fabled silhouettes, including his groundbreaking “New Look,” which debuted in 1947. Presented are galleries devoted to the years that Dior, as well as his six successors, each designed at the House of Dior, followed by eighteenth-century-inspired gowns, a “colorama” display of Dior accessories, and a gallery of one hundred toiles (the full-scale, 3-D mockups used to confirm finished designs) showcasing the dressmaking process. The central atrium of our BeauxArts Court has been redesigned as an enchanted garden, and a concluding gallery celebrates dresses worn by stars from Grace Kelly to Jennifer Lawrence. The Brooklyn Museum presentation of Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams is curated by Florence Müller, Avenir Foundation Curator of Textile Art and Fashion, Denver Art Museum, in collaboration with Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture, Brooklyn Museum. want to emphasise the non-order of things, from inside to out.” Arteries are inside us (and “art” is nestled inside “artery”), but they also connect us: the “arterial” is used to describe major highways, subterranean cabling, branching rail networks and winding river systems. This exhibition is preoccupied by these networks and channels, by the spaces between inside and outside, you and me, experience and image. Across both venues, Artery responds to the particularities of the gallery spaces and locations. At Nottingham Contemporary, the works will be installed along and behind a series of angled walls, apertures and peepholes; at Camden Art Centre, the exhibition will be reimagined, and be joined by new paintings and works in ceramic. All of the works in Artery were made during the last 18 months, in the midst of an ongoing series of national lockdowns. The questions they ask – of communication and connection, of intimacy without touching – are as much a response to this current moment as a continued exploration of themes that have persisted throughout painting’s history.
Christian Dior:
We have been wanting to interview artist Jo Baker Waters for quite some time now. Her work in and contributions to the fashion industry spans decades and across countries. Her style cannot be boxed in or pegged as traditional, and we find that quite refreshing. We dove in to find out where it all started and learned a lot more.
AD: When did you develop an interest in fashion?
JBW: I first developed an interest in menswear aged nine years old, my grandfather was impeccably tailored, and I had a fondness for his coats, suits, and the accoutrements he used to style with them. I loved trying on his blazers, they were enormous on me. I was fascinated with the lines and their proportion on my frame. Fashion followed suit, I loved drawing outfit illustrations, and coloring them up with markers. It really started there. AD: Can you explain the education you received in fashion?
JBW: I completed a BTEC National Diploma in Art History and Fashion Design for two years, then went on to achieve a BA (HONS) Fashion degree, for four years, both in Britain. They set me up with the skills to design, and produce a collection, practicing live drawing, pattern cutting and sewing skills. What I valued more is the extensive art history theory, which was a part of the courses I selected. At heart I am still an artist, and it drives the message in what I do, but with the hands of a tailor and the eye of a fashion designer.
AD: How did your educational background influence your path in fashion?
JBW: It helped open the door to opportunities starting out in the industry, especially internships, which helped gain some basic experience on getting started, which led to other jobs by meeting people in the business of fashion.
Jo Baker Waters CK Calvin Klein for Raf Simons
AD: How did that path turn into tailoring?
JBW: After graduating I headed straight to New York to work with Anna Sui, firstly as an intern, then a design assistant, which was an amazing experience, especially at that time in New York, in the years before 9/11. However, my passion for tailoring did not diminish, and I wanted to find an apprenticeship on Savile Row, so I moved back to the UK to try. This wasn’t an easy task. At the time male apprentices were preferred for gentlemen’s tailoring, especially cutting, which is why I leaned more towards the tailoring at first.
After repeatedly hand delivering letters to every shop on the Row, and being declined, it was Gieves & Hawkes, who invited me for a trial with a coat maker. I was offered an apprenticeship the same day, after bonding with my mentor over a mutual passion for tailoring.
AD: How do your skills in design and tailoring overlap?
JBW: Design gives you the eye for color, concept, and fabric selection; tailoring gives you the style, make, and fit to realize the design outcome as a piece of work. Both skillsets overlap to achieve the desired outcome. I see no conflict or difference between the two.
AD: Can you explain why pattern cutting and tailoring is so crucial to the fashion industry?
JB: It’s the 3-dimensional realization of an idea or sketch. Using these skills take the sketch to the next level of development, so it is indeed very important for designer brands to get this right. Pattern cutting is the blueprint of a style on paper, and tailoring is the made garment which is fitted and altered according to aesthetic. Both are crucial in fashion for emphasizing more on the style and cut. AD: I see you’ve worked with several notable people in the industry. Is there one relationship that stands out? If so, why?
JBW: I can narrow it down to 3... The first is the late Richard Nicoll. We had a longstanding relationship, working together on many of his collections. Not only was he a true gentleman, his vision and his approach to effortless dressing was unlike anything I’d seen before. I took a lot from my time with him. To me he was the ultimate modernist and futurist.
The second is Raf Simons. I followed his menswear shows throughout my working career, so when he joined Calvin Klein, I was naturally thrilled. Though it was only for a short time, I loved that he brought an attitude, and a point of view, one that I resonated with and admired immensely. After all, clothes should be about identity.
The third is Andreas Gomez. An eccentric Spanish tailor at Gieves & Hawkes, Savile Row, London, who tutored Alexander McQueen, known back then as Lee. He was my mentor and taught me everything there is to know about tailoring coats and blazers. He was sixty-five years of age when he accepted me as an apprentice, sharing endless knowledge and techniques for historical gentlemen’s clothing and uniforms as part of my training. Andreas taught me the history.
AD: What other creative endeavors do you engage in?
I like to play piano keyboard and bass guitar. Music is very important to me. I also engage in writing, currently writing a fictional horror novel; I have also published one book documenting Pattern Cutting Techniques for Ladies’ Tailored Jackets. It was a huge task which took several years to finish, I began in 2010, and it was published in 2017. I am also a keen Artist, using my
Jo Baker Waters CK Calvin Klein for Raf Simons
Jo Baker Waters CK Calvin Klein for Raf Simons
photographs and artworks as mood to inspire color and concept for the collections I design.
AD: What inspires you creatively?
JBW: I have a penchant for androgyny, and genderless dressing, but I like to look at everything culturally both past and present: art, sculpture, photography, film, music, literature, and vintage clothes. I am also a deep thinker, so I always consider a social message, an artistic point of view; where we are, and where we are going. I like to study out of print antique books for historical clothing. I have tailoring books printed in 1880 during Victorian England, 1930s draping and 1940s cutting publications, to call out a few from my collection. I find the history of dress fascinating. I like to innovate cut and drape techniques, merging multiple systems, soft and hard woven, but also, I like to use fabric to sculpt with on the mannequin.
AD: Are you currently working on a project that you would like to share?
JBW: I am currently working on an independent project under the name of: ARTISAN. 44. It’s early days, but I wanted it to be an assemblage of Clothes and Art. ARTISAN 44 is a celebration of beautiful hand-crafted clothes; hand designed, and hand made by myself. Each piece is unique, designed, and made to order. These are seasonless, gender fluid pieces, combining a vision of Art and Clothes. It is not a fashion brand, the clothes are not mass produced, and the product is not aimed at popular demand. After several years of working in corporate fashion and meeting the ever-changing demands of the fashion calendar, I would like to reestablish my bespoke heritage. It’s also the more ethical path to be on right now, which has taken me full circle back to where I started. I plan to showcase them in an art film and photograph the pieces around Los Angeles, as that is where I am based right now.
Be sure to stay up on all Jo’s projects by checking out her website at jobakerwaters.com and following her on Instagram @jo_baker_waters.
Jo Baker Waters Bespoke Tailoring
Jo Baker Waters Bespoke Tailoring for Nicholas Oakwell
Jo Baker Waters Bespoke Tailoring for Nicholas Oakwell
Jo Baker Waters Bespoke Tailoring
Jo Baker Waters Bespoke Tailoring
Haute Season
By Christina Smart
When Charles Frederick Worth founded the first haute couture design house in Paris in 1858, and invented the phrase ‘fashion designer’ along the way, he managed to promote the idea that fashion is an art form and not just mere dressmaking.
Since Mr. Worth’s proclamation, the world of fashion has expanded far beyond anything he probably initially imagined, aided by designers who have stood the test of time.
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton was established four years prior to Mr. Worth’s design house, but was merely in business of trunks and boxes at its start. Opening his atelier in Asnières, just outside of Paris, in 1859, the brand focused on bags, wallets and purses for well over a century. It wouldn’t be until 1998, and the hiring of Marc Jacobs as Artistic Director, that the designer would launch a pret-a-porter line of men and women’s clothing.
Chanel
Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was absolutely born at the right place and time. Born in France in 1883, the groundbreaking designer would open her first shop in Paris in 1910, initially selling hats. This would soon expand to clothing and along the way, Chanel would invent pieces that are still coveted today including the collarless Chanel jacket, the quilted purse and the little black dress.
Gucci
Gucci, like Louis Vuitton, was initially established in 1921 as a luggage manufacturer. Its founder, Italian designer Guccio Gucci, was first inspired by his time as a porter at London’s Savoy Hotel, where he would observe the high society travelers (and their luggage). Always an innovator, when leather became scarce in Italy in the 1930’s (due to sanctions), Gucci expanded his textiles to include a tan hemp fabric and Japanese bamboo for the handles, something that is standard for Gucci bags today. They were much faster than Louis
Balenciaga
Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga was deemed not only “the master of us all” by Christian Dior but fashion editor Diana Vreeland singled him out for creating the future of fashion. The son of a seamstress, Balenciaga opened his first boutique in San Sebastian in 1919 (followed by stores in Madrid and Barcelona) which were prosperous until the start of the Spanish Civil War forced their closure. Launching his first Paris boutique in 1937 under the name Balenciaga, the designer was so successful and so sought after that customers would travel to occupied France during World War II to buy his clothing. What’s most notable about Balenciaga, besides his groundbreaking designs, is his legacy that lived on through designers he trained including Oscar de la Renta and Hubert de Givenchy.
New York Fashion Week
As the fashion world prepares for the return of a somewhat normal New York Fashion Week (NYFW), which will feature American designers including Michael Kors, Anna Sui and Jason Wu, it’s not hard to trace modern designer influences that lead directly to the past.
Moschino, who will be making its NYFW debut on Sept. 9, has a history of satirizing haute couture staples (like the Chanel dinner suit) creating a version in less expensive textiles like denim. Its current creative designer, Jeremy Scott, was once crowned by Karl Lagerfeld, when he was creative director of Chanel, as “the only person working in fashion who could take over Chanel when I left.”
Carolina Herrara, who will be showing on Sept. 9, was introduced to fashion by her grandmother who would take her shows by Balenciaga and purchase clothing for her from Lanvin and Christian Dior.
With these ties to the past, designers can use their influences to create the fashion of the future.
Mastering the Perfect Shoot
Daniela Rettore is an Italian fashion and editorial photographer with a portfolio that can be described a chic, poetic, and charming. “I have been intrigued by the art of photography as early as 14 years old when I received my first camera as a birthday present,” Daniela says. “I can still recall taking pictures of every single guest to a party, and ever since then, I have been dedicating my professional career behind the lens.”
As a photographer, Daniela works well with models as a result of her own successful modeling career. She ended her modeling career at the age of 30 but knew she wanted to continue to pursue a career in photography. “I told myself that I wanted a job that I was happy to wake up to every morning, so I decided to become a professional photographer,” she recalls. “My very first job as a photographer was shooting model tests. Within the first year, I completed more than 100 portfolios/test for models. It was a great way to learn how to approach photography using models and fashion.”
Although Daniella’s imagery comes across as effortless, what we see is the end result of much preparation. She first spends time developing concepts and tapping into her creativity. She may flip through a magazine, scroll through Instagram, but then comes up with something that is original and that she feels is hers. “Nothing comes casually
on a fashion shoot. There’s a combination of planning control, programming, scouting,” she says. “Everything must be perfected, from the idea, model, styling, makeup, hair, to a model’s attitude, lighting, etc. If any of those things doesn’t work, the entire shoot is spoiled.”
Daniela makes use of natural light for the majority of her photoshoots, giving her images a soft yet sophisticated feel. “I started my career using natural light. There’s nothing I don’t understand about light,” she says. “I can shoot with every kind of light. From the harsh sun in a sunny day at the Maldives to a foggy day in winter in north Italy. But over the years I have become quite good with studio light too.” Daniella says her creativity is inspired by everything she sees around her. “My eyes are always wide open to the world around me. Even when I walk my dog, I’m looking, and I see things. Then I tell myself that I need to come back with my camera and a model.”
Daniela is working on several projects that she will share in September. “At the moment, I can’t say anything, but please stay tuned.”
Follow Daniela on Instagram @ danielarettore_photographer to see more of her work.
Daniela Retorre
Daniela Retorre
Daniela Retorre
Daniela Retorre
Daniela Retorre
Daniela Retorre
Daniela Retorre
Decoding Her Puzzle Brain with Fashion
Andrea Williams, CEO, founder and head designer of Delicate Kreations LLC, never really considered herself to be a fashionable person. She recalls that every once in a while, she would “get cute” but never stayed up on the latest trends. “After years of fighting it, one day in 2017, I felt like God told me to learn how to make clothes. I didn’t understand why, but decided why not?”
A practicing contract analyst with a degree in political science, Andrea decided to quit her job and pursue fashion fulltime. “I didn’t want to live my life in a ‘what if’ state or have any regrets. Plus, I was at a place where I was ready to live on faith and not my own fears,” she says. Andrea soon discovered that she was extremely passionate about designing. “I finally figured out how to have fun with what I call my ‘puzzle brain.’”
As a designer, Andrea believes it’s essential to make sure her clients understand their body type and says it’s the key to making a flattering garment. “The goal is to not just have a custom-made garment but one customized to your exact body type.”
As such, Andrea’s clients are completely involved in the design process. “We have an initial consultation where I get to know not just their body type but their personality, style, and must haves/desires in the garment. We talk about colors, fabrics, and the functionality the garment needs to have,” she explains. Andrea will also discuss the functionality of the garment. Before designing, she considers if her clients will be dancing, performing a stunt, sitting for long period of times, walking the red carpet, attending a corporate meeting, etc.
Andrea’s natural eye for fashion and her talent as a skilled tailor contributes to her success as a designer. Her awareness and understanding of the entire design process, including sketching, fit, color, and fabrics allows her to visualize the end result and how it will fall, fit, and func-
Andrea Williams Delicate Kreations
tion. She adds: “Tailoring gives me an advantage with designing because I understand how to construct a garment. So, when I am designing, I’m not just designing and hoping it will work. I am designing knowing it will work. I understand how to manipulate certain fabrics and what issues may arise when working with specific materials.”
Andrea has already had many successes to dates. She’s had the opportunity to be mentored by 3rd generational tailors and has worked on the television series Doom Patrol where she says she gained much knowledge about the overall process of design.
When asked what inspires her creativity, she says: “Honestly Life. My personal experiences (good or bad), colors, scenery, other designers, textures, dreams, etc.” She also dabbles in cooking, rapping (but just for fun!), drawing, photography, and creative directing.)
Andrea is currently working on an exclusive line that will be available for stylist only. “We will have a private showcase in Atlanta, Ga soon. So, all of the stylist out there looking for some classy/edgy wear stayed tuned we are excited to roll this out for you all!”
Follow Andrea on Instagram @delicate_ kreations to stay up-to-date and see more designs.
Andrea Williams Delicate Kreations
Andrea Williams Delicate Kreations
Andrea Williams Delicate Kreations
Andrea Williams Delicate Kreations
Andrea Williams Delicate Kreations
Andrea Williams Delicate Kreations
