A new fall exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will focus on fashion as an art form.
"Fabulous Fashion: From Dior's New Look to Now" will be on view from Tuesday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, March 3.
The haute couture and ready-to-wear garments and accessories in the collection range in date from 1947 – the year Christian Dior’s revolutionary "New Look" was introduced – to recent ensembles by audacious designer Bernhard Willhelm.
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Two pink outfits from 50 years apart will be the first thing visitors see when they enter the exhibit.
Dior’s two-piece, pale pink, satin day dress from 1948, with a nipped-in waist and full skirt that epitomizes the ultra-feminine "New Look," contrasts with a flirtatious, hot pink, fur-collared wool suit designed in 1998 by John Galliano for the house of Dior. Both embody fashion-forward dressing for the time.
Throughout the exhibit, designers' works will be grouped together to offer striking visual comparisons.
"Fabulous Fashion" will explore designers’ creative use of color and pattern, shape and volume, draping, metallics, bridal traditions and innovations, and embellishments.
Included in the collection will be a 1972 Chanel suit, a dress made of plastic discs linked by metal rings designed in the '60s by Paco Rabanne, a 1999 Vera Wang custom-made bridal dress and many more iconic pieces of fashion history.
"Fabulous Fashion: From Dior’s New Look to Now"
Tuesday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, March 3
$14-$20 general admission
Philadelphia Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130
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