Reigning Men:
Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015 explores the history of men’s
fashionable dress from the eighteenth century to the present and
re-examines the all-too-frequent equation of “fashion” with
“femininity.”
Beginning with the
18th century, the male aristocrat wore a three-piece suit conspicuous
in make and style, and equally as lavish as the opulent dress of his
female counterpart. The 19th-century “dandy” made famous a more
refined brand of expensive elegance which became the hallmark of
Savile Row. The mid-twentieth-century “mod” relished in the
colorful and modern styles of Carnaby Street, and the 21st century
man—in an ultra-chic “skinny suit” by day and a flowered tuxedo
by night—redefines today’s concept of masculinity.
Drawing primarily
from LACMA’s renowned collection, Reigning Men makes illuminating
connections between history and high fashion. The exhibition traces
cultural influences over the centuries, examines how elements of the
uniform have profoundly shaped fashionable dress, and reveals how
cinching and padding the body was, and is, not exclusive to women.
The exhibition features 200 looks, and celebrates a rich history of
restraint and resplendence in menswear.
On VIEW:
PDF:
No comments:
Post a Comment