Category "Costume Exhibitions"

image of new lesson West African Textile - Vlisco - Cote d"Ivorie

Announcing Our Newest Lesson: West African Textiles: Vlisco — Cote D’Ivoire

Francesca Sterlacci - September 26, 2026 - Costume Exhibitions, Fashion Education, Fashion Events, Fashion Exhibitions, Fashion History, Fashion Lectures, New Lessons, New University of Fashion Lessons, Textiles

University of Fashion’s lesson on West African textiles of Cote d’Ivoire – specifically the Vlisco Group. (Image credit (University of Fashion)

This new lesson examines the Vlisco Group and its powerful role in the textile industry of Côte d’Ivoire, as well as throughout much of West Africa. As a leading supplier of commercially produced, nontraditional African wax-print textiles, Vlisco has had a far-reaching influence on the visual culture, fashion economy, and consumer textile market of the region.

Although Vlisco’s fabrics have become closely associated with West African dress and identity, the company’s relationship to African textiles is also complex and controversial. Its Dutch-produced wax prints draw upon techniques and aesthetics shaped by global trade, colonial history, Indonesian batik, and generations of African consumers, merchants, designers, and dressmakers who have given these textiles their distinctive cultural meanings.

In this lesson, you will explore Vlisco’s significant financial and creative impact on the African textile industry, with particular attention to Côte d’Ivoire. You will also consider how commercial wax prints have evolved into an important medium for personal expression, fashion, status, and cultural communication across West Africa.

UoF’s West African Textile Series

Mina Dia-Stevens and her other lessons in the series on the textile traditions of Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and, coming soon…Ghana.

Origin of “African Prints”

African fashion on display at the Perelman Building 2016. (Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Did you know that the textiles commonly called “African prints” today are industrial wax-print fabrics with roots in the much older batik tradition? Batik—created through hand-drawn or hand-blocked wax-resist dyeing—has early precedents in China and India as far back as the eighth century. By the thirteenth century, artisans on the Indonesian island of Java had refined the technique into the highly sophisticated visual and technical tradition now most closely associated with Africa.

During the nineteenth century, Dutch textile entrepreneurs adapted and industrialized Javanese batik methods. Although these textiles were initially intended for markets in Indonesia, they found an especially enthusiastic audience in West and Central Africa. Over time, African consumers, traders, and dressmakers made the fabrics their own, assigning distinctive names, meanings, and social significance to individual patterns. The result is the vibrant wax-print tradition recognized around the world today.

Haarlem Cotton Company

One of the earliest Dutch firms credited with imitating Javanese batik—the technical and visual precursor to the textiles later known as African wax prints—was the company founded by Jean Baptiste Théodore Prévinaire. Prévinaire established a textile enterprise in Haarlem, the Netherlands in 1835 and developed La Javanaise, a mechanized process for reproducing Javanese-style wax-resist cloth. His firm later became the Haarlemsche Katoen Maatschappij (HKM), or Haarlem Cotton Company.

The factory ceased production in 1917 as a casualty of World War I. The following year, its facilities were auctioned. Van Vlissingen, later known as Vlisco, purchased several of HKM’s printing machines and engraved copper rollers. These historic tools continued to be used in the production of designs that remain among the classic patterns associated with the wax-print technique.

Zoba-Zoba: “Children Are Better Than Money”

Early Haarlem Cotton Company cotton wax block pattern designed as a zoba zoba, (associated with fertility). (Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art)

This textile is designed as a zoba-zoba, a patchwork-style composition combining several distinct patterns. At its center is an early Haarlem Cotton Company motif associated with fertility. The design is named after the proverb l’enfant vaut mieux que l’argent — “children are better than money”— and reflects the central importance of children and family within many African communities.

Vlisco

Vlisco was founded in 1846 in Helmond, the Netherlands, by Dutch entrepreneur Pieter Fentener van Vlissingen. Originally established as P. F. van Vlissingen & Co., the company later became known as Vlisco. Vlisco found a market in West Africa around 1867. Since then, their prints have caught on and been made popular by African vendors who assign meaning and value to the prints. In fact, when printed cloth is sent to Africa from Vlisco, it leaves only with a stock number. Once it arrives, African vendors name the fabric based on proverbs, current events, politics, religion and material culture. One design can have many interpretations depending on where it is used. It is through naming that the prints acquire social meaning, status, and value and become culturally assimilated into African society.

Cotton wax print named Love, Bomb and Dynamite designed by Cor van den Boogaard for Vlisco 2002. (Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art)

This pattern is known by many names, among them Love, Bomb and Dynamite. In Togo, it is referred to as Wounded Heart, reflecting the broken heart of a woman who knowns her husband is cheating on her. Japanese fashion designer Junye Watanabbe used this textile for his 2009 spring/summer collection.

Creative Africa @ Philadelphia Museum of Art 2016

In 2016, African prints and fashion designs were the subject of an exhibition entitled Creative Africa at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building. On display were the rich textile prints and examples of designers who were inspired by these prints. Enjoy!

Inspirational Vlisco Textile Patterns

Assorted Vlisco textile patterns. (Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Vlisco-inspired Fashion Designs

Assorted Vlisco textile patterns for fashion design. (Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Title of LACMA's new exhibition, Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity

Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity @ LACMA

Francesca Sterlacci - September 6, 2026 - Costume Exhibitions, Current Topics in Fashion, Fashion Events, Fashion Exhibitions, Fashion History, Fashion Lectures

Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s exhibition, Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity, through October 12, 2026.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting LACMA’s newest exhibition, Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity. The exhibition examines a pivotal period in Chinese history, beginning with the final decades of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911)—whose fall brought an end to nearly 300 years of Manchu rule and more than two millennia of imperial governance—and continuing through the profound social and political transformations of the early twentieth century.

Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity traces the evolution of women’s dress from the late Qing era through the mid-twentieth century, revealing how fashion both reflected and shaped changing ideas about identity, modernity, and everyday life in China.

3D Printed Bespoke MannequinsFashion designer Jason Wu’s 3D printed mannequins representing various decades. (Image credit: Los Angeles County Museum of Art).

I was especially captivated by the extraordinary embroideries and the more than seventy made-to-measure garments on view. Equally impressive were the custom 3D-printed mannequins created by fashion designer Jason Wu. Thoughtfully designed to evoke the periods in which the clothing was originally worn, the mannequins enhance the presentation of the garments and visually transport visitors from the 1900s through the 1960s.

Qing Dynasty — Final Decades

Lotus slippers were worn by Chinese women whose feet were bound beginning at age three. (Image credit: Pinterest)

In the early twentieth century, China experienced sweeping social and political transformations that reshaped everyday life. The collapse of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) brought an end to nearly three centuries of Manchu rule and more than two millennia of imperial government. In 1912, the newly established Republic of China inaugurated a new Republican era.

Before this period, foot binding was widely regarded as an important marker of a woman’s desirability and suitability for marriage. After marriage, a woman’s social standing could also be expressed through dress, including finely pleated skirts worn over trousers. Although the Republic of China officially banned foot binding in 1912, enforcement varied greatly by region. The practice therefore persisted for decades in some rural and geographically isolated communities.

Han-style jacket (Ao) and pleated skirt (Qun) with Lotus slipper footwear circa 1900. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

Silk robe and vest (Jinsen) with silk & gold thread tapestry embroidery (Kesi) circa 1890-1910 worn with Lotus slipper footwear. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

In the final decades of the Qing dynasty, informal Manchu-style robes and Han-style jackets were frequently embellished with elaborate ribbon and appliqué borders and paired with lotus slippers.

Han-style Jacket (Ao) and skirt (Qun) circa 1900. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

The Republican Period

In 1912, the Republic of China emerged as a modern nation-state, though its early decades were marked by political instability and conflict. Civil war, which began in 1927, ultimately led to the establishment of the Communist government on the mainland in 1949 and the Republic of China’s retreat to Taiwan.

Long vest (Majia). Silk jacquard, stencil printed, rayon & cotton ribbon, silk satin binding and knotted buttons (pankou) circa 1925. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

Amid this tumultuous era, women assumed new social and professional roles as their participation in public life expanded. Fashion became a powerful visual expression of these changing identities, reflecting evolving ideals of modern womanhood. Drawn primarily from the recently acquired Lai Mah Collection, the garments presented in this exhibition represent China, Hong Kong, and the global Chinese diaspora.

Bridal DressEmbroidered wedding jackets (gua) were worn in the 1950s after a wedding and for special occasions. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

Bridal dress in the first half of the twentieth century used embroidered motifs to express long-standing ideals of marital harmony even as changing silhouettes reflected new influences. Pink, white and black replaced the auspicious red of traditional after wedding jackets. Fitted shapes with darts and curved sleeves reflected Western tailoring techniques. Wedding Ensemble Jacket and Skirt (Qun Gua) Silk satin and metal-wrapped silk thread embroidery 1965. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

The Cheongsam

Silk & rayon mechanical lace cheongsam and circa 1930 .(Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

The cheongsam (also called the qipao) has roots in the long, loose robes worn by Manchu women during China’s Qing dynasty. But the fitted, high-collared dress most people recognize today emerged in Shanghai during the 1910s and especially the 1920s. Its popularity steadily increased as China became increasingly connected to the wider world and Western textile advances began to influence Chinese fashion.

The Leavers loom, invented in Europe around1813, made intricate laces faster and cheaper to produce. The process expanded into China with dozens of factories opening in Shanghai by the 1930s.

Variations on the cheongsam 1930-1950. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

New materials and manufacturing methods broadened both the appearance and accessibility of fashionable dress. Synthetic dyes introduced brighter, more colorfast hues, while rayon and other manufactured fibers made silk-like fabrics more affordable and widely available. Mechanized jacquard weaving enabled intricate patterns informed by international design trends. Machine-made lace and dévoré, or burnout, velvet expanded access to decorative textiles, producing dramatic effects of texture, opacity, and transparency that were especially suited to the era’s increasingly fitted silhouettes.

Chinese dress circa 1960s. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)

By the mid-twentieth century, Chinese fashion had evolved into a distinctive visual language, blending international innovation with enduring local traditions as China engaged more closely with a globalized world. During the 1960s, cheongsam tailoring responded to the decade’s popular shift-dress silhouette through simplified, knee-length styles that showcased bold, graphic textiles. Today, the cheongsam remains a recurring presence in contemporary designers’ collections and an enduring source of creative inspiration.

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What I Learned After 25+ Years as a Fashion College Professor — Part One

Francesca Sterlacci - July 18, 2026 - Costume Exhibitions, Current Topics in Fashion, Fashion Art, Fashion College Admissions Process, Fashion Education, Fashion Exhibitions, Fashion History, Fashion Illustration, Fashion Lectures, Fashion School, Sustainability

After decades in fashion education, I often find myself reflecting on what truly matters for aspiring designers. When considering new topics to share with our community of subscribers and followers, one idea stood out: why not pass along the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the past 25+ years?

During my time at the Fashion Institute of Technology—17 years teaching in the classroom and 3 years serving as Chair of the Fashion Design department and then 6 years teaching graduate level fashion design at the Academy of Art —I had a front-row seat to students’ journeys into the fashion industry. I saw firsthand how they navigated everything from the application process to making the most of their education once accepted.

In this two-part series, Part One focuses on guiding prospective students through selecting and applying to fashion colleges. Part Two will shift to supporting educators, offering insights on how to help students thrive and create a meaningful, positive experience once they begin their fashion school journey.

How to Pick a Fashion College

UoF’s free list of global fashion schools — 2-year and 4-year fashion school options. (Image credit: University of Fashion.com)

Choosing the right fashion college is one of the most important decisions in your journey. As you explore your options, take time to ask yourself a few key questions:

How far from home am I willing to go for school?
Should I pursue a two-year program or commit to a four-year degree?
Which schools offer the strongest programs for my specific interests? For instance, if you’re passionate about costume design, which colleges specialize in that field?
What famous fashion designers graduated from this college?
What are the admission requirements, and can I realistically meet them? Consider factors like minimum GPA, standardized test scores, and, most importantly, portfolio expectations.
What is the tuition and do they offer scholarships and/or financing options?

Once you’ve researched and narrowed down the schools that you’re excited about, the next step is applying. Be sure to schedule visits to your top choices whenever possible. Walking the campus and experiencing the environment firsthand can help you picture your life there. For example, some students accepted to FIT later realized that living in a fast-paced city like New York wasn’t the right fit for them.

The Fashion College Application Process

University of Fashion’s lesson, Portfolio Tips for Fashion College Admissions (Image credit: University of Fashion)

In a recent conversation with Tina, a Chicago-based high school senior applying to fashion schools, she described the process as anxiety-producing and overwhelming. Her high school did not offer sewing classes, and its art program lacked guidance on building a fashion portfolio, leaving her to navigate the requirements on her own. Many of the schools she applied to expected both sewn garments and a strong fashion illustration portfolio. A surprise since wasn’t that the whole reason she should go to a fashion school in the first place?

Fortunately, Tina had an early advantage. During her sophomore year, her aunt gifted her a subscription to University of Fashion. Through its lessons she learned how to sew, draw fashion figures, and develop a cohesive portfolio. The platform also provided valuable resources, including a global directory of fashion schools, guidance on crafting a compelling admissions essay, and insight into what makes a portfolio stand out. The lesson, Portfolio Tips for Fashion College Admissions is an amazing guide that takes you through the whole process and is taught by a current FIT professor.

Tina also discovered that expectations vary by school. Some programs require original fashion design work, while others accept fine art pieces as part of the portfolio.

As applicants prepare their materials, it is important to ask:

Does my personal statement clearly express my passion for fashion?
Am I knowledgeable about the fashion history, current industry trends, and key sectors such as couture, luxury, and sustainable fashion?

Fashion college admissions teams want to see that applicants are fully committed and genuinely invested in pursuing fashion.

The Dos & Don’t of the Fashion College Essay

Your portfolio matters, but your essay should reveal who you are as an artist. Some schools require an artist statement—use it to explain your work, philosophy, aesthetic, and point of view. Colleges are looking for fresh, exciting, and innovative work. Show what makes your voice meaningful in fashion. Read the essay requirements carefully, since they want you to answer the question, not just talk about what you want to talk about.

Essay Dos

From UoF’s costume history lesson series, 100 Years of Fashion Rebels & Revolutionaries – Part 1. (Image credit) University of Fashion).

Immerse yourself in fashion—costume history, magazines, blogs, fashion shows and exhibitions—and stay aware of broader culture, from museums to pop and emerging artists. Know key designers, both established and new, and understand enough fashion history to reference it thoughtfully (e.g., Chanel’s legacy, the New Look, punk and grunge).

Write from a clear sense of the impact you want to make in the industry. You can also explore how the internet and digital culture are reshaping fashion, from early adopters to the contrast with traditional, big-budget fashion houses.

Essay Don’ts

Avoid clichéd essays, such as claiming you want to be a designer because you dress well or because you expect to inherit a family fashion business. Be cautious with questions about negative work experiences or strengths and weaknesses; always balance any weakness with a corresponding strength. For example, missing deadlines can be framed as a result of your commitment to producing high-quality work.

Take your essay seriously. Write concisely, avoid repetition, and remember that longer is not always better. Have a teacher or mentor review your work and allow time for revision—strong writing is a process. An A.I. essay is always discoverable.

The 5 Essential Principles for a Great Portfolio

Example of a fashion college admissions portfolio — including an inspiration/mood image, fashion sketches, flat sketches, neat fabric swatches and clean & clear signage. (Image credit: Nancy Kwan for University of Fashion)

When preparing your portfolio, regardless of the school you’re applying to, there are five essential principles to keep in mind.

First, ensure your portfolio feels cohesive, with a clear and consistent visual direction, starting with your inspiration.

Second, presentation matters—avoid anything that appears sloppy or smudged. If you include fabric swatches, they should be cleanly cut, properly labeled, and thoughtfully aligned with your designs.

Example of a fashion college admissions portfolio — including an inspiration/mood image, stylized fashion sketches, neatly cut fabric swatches and clean & clear signage. (Image credit: Ziyon Gong for University of Fashion)

Third, avoid relying on croquis templates from books or the internet. Develop your own sketching style so it reflects your unique design voice and aligns with your aesthetic.

Fourth, focus on technical accuracy in your sketches. Demonstrate your understanding of construction by clearly indicating details such as darts and garment openings.

How to Feature Your Garment Designs

Examples of how to creatively feature your garment designs. (Image credit: University of Fashion)

If you are including sewn examples of your work, create the best possible format for doing so. For example, shoot the garments on a model, then artfully place them on a background listing the design description and fabric choice. Or exhibit them artfully on a dress form. You can kill your portfolio with images that you haven’t spent time on. Professionalism matters.

In conclusion, invest the time to curate a visually compelling portfolio that is innovative, forward-thinking, and an authentic reflection of your passion for fashion. A thoughtfully crafted presentation will resonate with any admissions team. Aim for a portfolio that clearly communicates creativity, dedication, and the promise that you will represent their institution with distinction.

What’s the Real Meaning Behind the Met’s Costume Art Exhibition?

Francesca Sterlacci - May 10, 2026 - Costume Exhibitions, Fashion Exhibitions, Fashion Shows

images of Costume Art at the Met and Devil Wears Prada 2 poster

The Met’s exhibition Costume Art (Image credit: MetMuseum.org) and Devil Wear’s Prada 2 (Image credit: HarpersBazaar.com)

Timing is everything. I recently saw The Devil Wears Prada 2, which opens with Runway (a thinly veiled Vogue) under fire for publishing a glossy puff piece that conveniently overlooks a brand’s sweatshop labor practices. The backlash threatens the magazine’s credibility, forcing a scramble to restore integrity. It’s hard not to see a parallel. The Met and Vogue’s new exhibition, Costume Art, feels less like a celebration of fashion and more like an exercise in reputational repair.

According to the Met, the exhibition “examines the centrality of the dressed body,” pairing garments with artworks to explore the relationship between clothing, the body, and fashion as an embodied art form. It’s an elegant premise—but one that sidesteps the more urgent realities shaping fashion today.

Like Runway in the film, Vogue—and by extension, the Met—feels increasingly out of step with both the industry and its audience. Years of overlooking body diversity and prioritizing mega-brands with massive advertising budgets over emerging designers cannot be erased by staging an exhibition featuring diverse mannequins and a nod to streetwear. Representation, when deployed selectively, risks reading as strategy rather than substance.

image of Mat exhibit showing body diverse mannequins

The Met’s Costume Art exhibition with body diversity on display (Image credit MetMuseum.org).

Insult to Injury

A bit of context matters. Diana Vreeland, Vogue’s editor-in-chief from 1963 to 1971, helped shape the modern Met Gala during her tenure at the Costume Institute from 1973 to 1986. She introduced themed exhibitions and cultivated a glamorous guest list, but she also championed young, emerging designers—myself included—and actively supported the New York fashion community. Her vision was expansive, not exclusionary.

Today’s Gala, by contrast, has taken on a distinctly transactional edge. Under Anna Wintour, it has evolved into what many see as a “pay-to-play” spectacle, where influence can be bought as readily as it is earned. The widely publicized $10 million donation from Lauren and Jeff Bezos only underscores the point. Against this backdrop, Costume Art begins to feel less like a thoughtful inquiry into whether fashion is art, and more like a carefully orchestrated PR moment.

More Damage Control?

image of the Ball Without Billionaire's show in the Meatpacking

Ball Without Billionaires runway show in the Meatpacking (Image credit HarpersBazaar.com)

The Fix?

If The Devil Wears Prada 2 gets anything right, it’s this: credibility can’t be curated – it has to be earned. Vogue and the Met may be trying to recalibrate their image, but true relevance will require more than a well-staged exhibition. It will demand a genuine shift in values, priorities, and who gets a seat at the table.

Chloé Malle, the new head of editorial content at Vogue U.S., may want to take a cue from Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy Sachs, in Devil Wears Prada 2, and learn how to navigate the changing world of fashion publishing and the fashion industry.

Runway Revelations: Where Do Designers Actually Get Their Inspiration?

Francesca Sterlacci - August 30, 2025 - Costume Exhibitions, Current Topics in Fashion, Fashion Events, Fashion History, Trends

Alexander McQueen collection inspired by Leigh Bowery Autumn/Winter 2009, titled “Horn of Plenty.” (Image credit: vogue.com)

Fashion designers don’t just wait for inspiration—they chase it like it’s the last slice of pizza at a fashion week afterparty. Sure, their process sounds elegant, but at heart, it takes talent, skill, tons of research and a thing called a Process Book to help them develop their ideas. Being inspired isn’t just about people-watching mixed with Pinterest marathons, or copying some bold teenager’s outfit and calling it couture. It’s a process.

In a previous blog, guest writer Annabella Lawlor covered the six ‘must see’ fashion museum exhibitions for 2025 as great sources of inspiration for fashion designers. This week I’ll expand on the topic of inspirational sources and how designers organize their ideas that later turn into product. It starts with the Process Book.

The Process Book

University of Fashion’s lesson on How to Create a Process Book by Nicole Bisono

Designers are like walking sponges, always in tune with their surroundings. With brains that process information like mini-computers, designers are constantly observing and engaging. They dive into books, music, films, art, architecture, are hyper-tuned into cultural events and politics, and even travel to remote places to find inspiration. Everything that sparks an idea gets recorded in a thing called a Process Book.

They take photos, hoard fabric scraps, collect flowers or other interesting tidbits and scribble tons of design details. They endlessly sketch things that can later be used in future collections. It becomes a treasure chest full of ideas.

Did you know that sometimes a prospective employer will require a job applicant to show their process book? It’s a great way for a company to see the designer’s creative thought process.

Interesting Sources of Inspiration

Olivier Rousteing for Balmain’s 2012 Fabergé egg-inspired collection (Image credit vogue.com)

Among the objects that have provided inspiration include the Fabergé egg from the 19th and early 20th Russian court. Under the creative direction of Olivier Rousteing, the Balmain Fall/Winter 2012 collection was heavily inspired by the opulent and intricate artistry of these eggs, which today can be worth millions of dollars, in fact some exceeding $30 million. This collection translated the grandeur of the iconic eggs into elaborate clothing designs, featuring meticulous embellishments, crystals, pearls, and golden threads.

Dolce & Gabbana’s playing card inspiration in their Spring 2018 collection (Image credit: in digital.tv)

Another inspiring object is the playing card. In 2018, Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2018 collection, titled Amore e Bellezza (Love is Beauty), drew inspiration from the Queen of Hearts, a romantic 1950s aesthetic, and elements of Italian food and family tradition. The show featured a lavish set with giant playing cards and a carpeted runway, with models adorned in clothing and accessories reflecting these themes.

Artists Inspiring Artists
(Image credit: agnuacouture.com)

Sometimes fashion designers are inspired by artists. One of the most popular sources of inspiration has been Australian-born performance artist Leigh Bowery (1961-1994), who became one of Britain’s most heroically ambitious, yet underappreciated designer/performance artists. Bowery’s work has had a profound impact on designers beginning in the 80s & early 90s, inspiring designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Gareth Pugh, Alexander McQueen, Maison Martin Margiela and many others.

(Image credit: agnuacouture.com)

Bowery used sexuality as his primary mode of artistic expression. His work continues to be a treasure throve of inspiration for fashion designers up to the present day.

Leigh Bowery-inspired collection by John Galliano (Image credit: Steven Meisel for Vogue)

Through his outrageous costumes, dramatic masquerades, and theatrical cross-dressing, Bowery pushed the boundaries of fashion and the body.

(Image credit: agnautacouture.com)

Bowery significantly influenced numerous artists across various disciplines, including musicians like Boy George, Antony and the Johnsons, Lady Gaga, and Scissor Sisters. Bowery’s distinctive physiognomy with exaggerated red lips and other bold, sculptural references are all iconic Bowery looks. This influence is widely recognized within the fashion industry for its theatricality and vivid, avant-garde aesthetics directly channeling Bowery’s irreverent style and creativity.

A Leigh Bowery-inspired look from Maison Martin Margiela (Image credit: agnautacouture.com)

For more on this kitch artist, read last week’s UoF blog, where we covered the Leigh Bowery! exhibition at the Tate Modern, which showcases his “Looks” and collaborations with other artists.

Top 6 Must See Fashion Exhibitions in 2025

Annabella Lawlor - August 4, 2025 - Bespoke Tailoring, Costume Exhibitions, Current Topics in Fashion, Fashion Events, Fashion History, Field Trip

Paul Poiret: Fashion is a Feast at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in Paris, France (Image credit: Christophe Dellière for the Musée des Arts décoratifs – www.madparis.fr)

As summer comes to a close, the seasons change, and so do global exhibitions. Museums around the world carry some of the most significant artifacts in textile history. Gallery exhibitions represent a moment in time, a reflection on the past that transports crowds into temporally defying spaces. Working to preserve pieces as time works against their construction, museums beautifully conserve garments as art pieces themselves, detailing the history of expression through their design and function. Here are some fashion exhibitions, current and upcoming, that are worth visiting this year, beginning with what’s on now:

Paul Poiret: Fashion is a Feast at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in Paris, France – Until January 11, 2026

Home to one of the largest collections of Paul Poiret works, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris pays homage to the designer’s extensive history in the fashion world. Featuring a diverse range of his creations—clothing, accessories, and decorative art—the show showcases his boundless creativity, both in medium and form. Often regarded as a significant influence in popularizing the corset-less free silhouette, Poiret’s designs reflected the spirited, charismatic, and theatrical essence of the early twentieth century. With his disregard for constrictive clothing, the sumptuous drapery of his silky silhouettes remains resonant in today’s cultural sphere.

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City – Until October 26, 2025

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Image credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, metmuseum.org)

On the first Monday of May, celebrities walked the Metropolitan steps in sleek tailoring while attending the annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute. Beneath the spectacle of flashing cameras and timed poses, the Met Gala also marked the opening of the Institute’s new exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. One of the most finely curated shows to date.

The powerful exhibition chronicles the evolving image of dandyism as a reclamation of power following the systemic oppression of American enslavement. With a collection ranging from zoot suits to velvet overcoats to modern casualwear, Superfine draws attention to the unrecognized historical importance of black garmenting. Its thoughtful arrangement of historical garments beside their contemporaries wonderfully displays the sharp grandeur and overwhelming influence of black dandyism.

Leigh Bowery! at Tate Modern, in London, UK – Until August 31, 2025

Leigh Bowery! at Tate Modern, London ((Image credit: Temilade Adelaja for the guardian.com)

Outlandish. Psychedelic. Kitsch. Artist and designer Leigh Bowery was boundary-breaking. The Tate Modern’s recent retrospective chronicles the many works of the late Bowery. In exploring the mediums of performance art, music, and fashion, his status as a remarkable artist and Queer icon came from his defiance of normalcy and exuberant vitality. The show pairs his clothing designs with their accompanying mediums, allowing his creations to thus become extensions of performance themselves. The bold to the point of tacky, exaggerated to the point of gross, Leigh Bowery!remarkably captures the essence of these pieces: that life is a stage for the many characters in which our body takes form.

Later this year

Virgil Abloh: The Codes at the Grand Palais, in Paris, France. September 30th – October 10, 2025

Virgil Abloh: The Codes at the Grand Palais, Paris (Image credit: virgilabloh.com)

September 30th marks two dates: the opening of the design retrospective Virgil Abloh: The Codes, and the day that would have been Abloh’s 45th birthday. Drawing from the 20,000-object collection, The Virgil Abloh Archive chronicles his accomplishments as a multidisciplinary artist, creative director, and cultural figure. Located in Paris, the city where he carried out much of his work, the approaching Grand Palais exhibition highlights his unending impact on the zeitgeist of modern menswear. With over 1,000 sketches and prototypes of his clothing and shoe designs to be shown to the public, The Codes will soon tell the story of Virgil Abloh’s creative process and his vast legacy in contemporary design.

Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion at Barbican Art Gallery in London, UK. September 25, 2025 – January 25, 2026

Robert Wun, Yellow Rose, Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2024. (Image Credit: Ellen Sampson for Barbican.org.uk)

The average clothing consumer often thinks of dirt as an unwanted stain upon one’s purchases. But to some, it becomes the spirit of the garment. It certainly embodies the spirit of the Barbican Art Gallery’s upcoming show. Dirty Looks questions the perceived objectivity of “beauty” by platforming material decay and destruction. Featuring clothing from over sixty designers, the curators set out to explore the diverse interpretations of weathered objects. Some pieces incorporate raw materials as a return to the garments’ origin from Earth, while others explore the fallibility of meticulous construction through dishevelment. Dirty Looks navigates the relationship between body and Earth, grounding the viewer through textile deconstruction.

Hope you take time to visit a few of these exhibitions, the inspiration is boundless.

Pinstripes & Tailoring on Steroids: MET’s Superfine Exhibition

Francesca Sterlacci - May 10, 2025 - Costume Exhibitions, Current Topics in Fashion, Fashion History, Red Carpet

Pinstripes and tailoring are a quintessential menswear staple seen on display at the MET Gala (from left to right): Emma Chamberlain in Courreges (Photo: John Shearer-WireImage); Doja Cat in Marc Jacobs (Photo John Shearer/Getty Images); Pharrell Williams in Louis Vuitton (Photo: Vogue/Getty Images); Janelle Monáe in Paul Tazewell x Thom Browne (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images); Khaby Lame in Hugo Boss (Photo: Vogue); Shaboozey (Photo: Robert Wun-Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images); Rihanna in Marc Jacobs (Photo: Vogue/Getty Images); Teyana Taylor in collaboration with Ruth E. Carter (Photo: Vogue/Getty Images); Ugbad Abdi in Michael Kors (Photo: Vogue).

MET Gala Fun Facts

The big MET Gala 2025 (May 5^th) is over and Superfine: Tailoring Black Style opens today to the public ( Monday, May 12^th). Knowing that Anna Wintour and her Costume Institute team plans out at least two years in advance for each show, I thought it would be fun to explore where inspiration for this year’s show originated. But before I do that, here are some fun facts about the Gala and its theme. Did you know that::

The Gala, which began in 1948, was originally known as “The Party of the Year” and is a fundraiser for the MET’s Costume Institute.
For decades the Gala was open to the public at a cost of $50. Today it’s by invitation-only at a cost of $75,000 per ticket and the invitation list is capped at 700 with 300 people walking the “Blue Carpet”.
The dress code for this year’s Gala was “Tailored for You” in celebration of Black Dandyism.
According to Merriam-Webster, “Dandyism is the style or conduct of a dandy, or a literary and artistic style marked by artificiality and excessive refinement, particularly in the latter part of the 19th century. Essentially, it’s about a focus on elaborate and fashionable appearances, whether in dress, manner, or artistic expression”.
Anna Wintour, Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief and lead chairperson of the Gala since 1995, has raised $250 million for the Costume Institute with around $30 million coming from this year’s event.

What & Who Inspired the Superfine MET Exhibition?

Slaves to Fashion by Monica L. Miller (Image credit: Amazon.com)

In her book, Slaves to Fashion, Black Dandyism and the Styling of the Black Diasporic Identity, Dr. Monica L. Miller explores Dandyism’s roots which was initially imposed on black men in eighteenth-century England, as the Atlantic slave trade and an emerging culture of conspicuous consumption generated a vogue in dandified black servants. “Luxury slaves” tweaked and reworked their uniforms and were soon known for their sartorial novelty and sometimes flamboyant personalities. Her book served as one of the inspirational sources for this years’s MET exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.

Co-curated by Harold Koda and Dr. Miller, they trace the history of the black dandy from his emergence in Enlightenment England to his contemporary incarnations in the cosmopolitan art worlds of London and New York. The exhibit chronicles the ways in which black people have used dress and fashion to transform their identities and imagine new ways of embodying political and social possibilities.According to the MET’s press release, “the exhibition explores the importance of sartorial style to the formation of black identities in the Atlantic diaspora”.

Black Indians by William Loren Katz (Image credit: Amazon.com)

Another inspiration for the exhibition is the book, Black Indians by William Loren Katz published in 2012. This book explores enslaved Africans and their descendants who have had a history of cultural exchange and intermarriage with Native Americans and their sartorial contributions to Black Dandyism. Fun fact: LL Cool J is of mixed ancestry.

Justin Jacob Louis, creative Director at Section 35 dressed Christian Allaire for MET Gala 2025 (Image credit: @JustinJacobLewis).

Justin Jacob Louis, creative director and founder of his brand Section 35 is a member of the Samson Cree Nation. He designs with the intention of using art and fashion to tell his peoples’ stories. For the Gala he dressed Christian Allaire, a Vogue staff writer and member of the Ojibwe Nation, who is an important voice for indigenous fashion. The three-piece pinstriped suit designed by Justin Jacobs Louis and worn by Christian Allaire features indigenous-style beadwork throughout, as well as a pocket chain and scarf tie by MDW Jewelry and a ring by NotAbove, also indigenous brands.

Dapper Dan

Dapper Dan wearing his custom Zoot suit emblazoned with the Sankofa symbol representing the Harlem Renaissance. (Photo: Theo Wargo/FilmMagic via Getty Images).

Dapper Dan, known as the “father of logo-mania” is an American fashion designer and haberdasher from Harlem. He is widely credited with introducing luxury fashion to hip-hop and streetwear from 1982-1992, shaping the visual identity of an entire generation. His story is one of resilience, creativity, and cultural innovation, earning him a place on Time’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2020 and as host committee member for the MET’s Superfine 2025 Gala. Today, Dapper Dan continues to inspire new generations of designers and remains a symbol of Harlem’s enduring influence on global fashion and its role in Black Dandyism.

Tailoring

The Met Gala provided a unique lens through which to view tailoring, blending high fashion with celebrity and often pushing creative boundaries. In next week’s blog I will be highlighting the craft and skills of the world’s best tailors alongside those red-carpet looks, offering a rich and insightful perspective. Stay tuned…

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