Exhibition Review: Gender Bending Fashion
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ recent 2019 exhibition, Gender Bending Fashion, explored some of the ways in which designers and wearers in European and American contexts have challenged traditional ideas around dress and gender over the last century. This included the rejection of conventional dres...
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Centre for Fashion Diversity and Social Change, Ryerson University
2019-12-01
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doaj-24b7c1c7ad544c83a78a81ec82fc5a7f2020-12-09T21:21:09ZengCentre for Fashion Diversity and Social Change, Ryerson UniversityFashion Studies2371-34532019-12-01221910.38055/FS020202Exhibition Review: Gender Bending FashionMyriam Couturier0Ryerson UniversityThe Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ recent 2019 exhibition, Gender Bending Fashion, explored some of the ways in which designers and wearers in European and American contexts have challenged traditional ideas around dress and gender over the last century. This included the rejection of conventional dress codes (in the form of men wearing skirts and women wearing suits); the blurring of gender lines in fashion (the combination of “masculine” and “feminine” design elements and the construction of unisex clothing); as well as attempts to transcend the idea of gendered dress altogether (through the creation of new forms of genderless clothing). This review highlights key objects featured in the exhibition, with special attention paid to everyday ensembles and personal narratives that effectively communicated ideas of embodiment, cultural experience, and fashion storytelling that were missing from some of the high fashion garments on display. The deliberately critical and academic approach taken by the curatorial team is discussed, as are some of the tensions and material challenges inherent in representing different bodies and expressions of gender in the context of a major museum fashion exhibition. This exhibition addresses themes that are of critical importance to fashion curators, scholars, and anyone interested in fashion studies more generally.https://www.fashionstudies.ca/review-gender-bending-fashiongendermuseum exhibitionsmaterial culturefashion curation |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Myriam Couturier |
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Myriam Couturier Exhibition Review: Gender Bending Fashion Fashion Studies gender museum exhibitions material culture fashion curation |
author_facet |
Myriam Couturier |
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Myriam Couturier |
title |
Exhibition Review: Gender Bending Fashion |
title_short |
Exhibition Review: Gender Bending Fashion |
title_full |
Exhibition Review: Gender Bending Fashion |
title_fullStr |
Exhibition Review: Gender Bending Fashion |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exhibition Review: Gender Bending Fashion |
title_sort |
exhibition review: gender bending fashion |
publisher |
Centre for Fashion Diversity and Social Change, Ryerson University |
series |
Fashion Studies |
issn |
2371-3453 |
publishDate |
2019-12-01 |
description |
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ recent 2019 exhibition, Gender Bending Fashion, explored some of the ways in which designers and wearers in European and American contexts have challenged traditional ideas around dress and gender over the last century. This included the rejection of conventional dress codes (in the form of men wearing skirts and women wearing suits); the blurring of gender lines in fashion (the combination of “masculine” and “feminine” design elements and the construction of unisex clothing); as well as attempts to transcend the idea of gendered dress altogether (through the creation of new forms of genderless clothing). This review highlights key objects featured in the exhibition, with special attention paid to everyday ensembles and personal narratives that effectively communicated ideas of embodiment, cultural experience, and fashion storytelling that were missing from some of the high fashion garments on display. The deliberately critical and academic approach taken by the curatorial team is discussed, as are some of the tensions and material challenges inherent in representing different bodies and expressions of gender in the context of a major museum fashion exhibition. This exhibition addresses themes that are of critical importance to fashion curators, scholars, and anyone interested in fashion studies more generally. |
topic |
gender museum exhibitions material culture fashion curation |
url |
https://www.fashionstudies.ca/review-gender-bending-fashion |
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AT myriamcouturier exhibitionreviewgenderbendingfashion |
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