History of Contemporary Fashion Exhibition: 1990-2010 (Paris, France)

As some may remember, a while ago I blogged about the first part of the History of Contemporary Fashion Exhibition (aka 'Histoire idéale de la mode contemporaine'), which covered the 70s and 80s. Hosted by the 'Musée des Arts Décoratifs', the showcase featured the more iconic styles of eras long forgotten by some. The second part of this installation, which was presented this Spring, might be a little closer to heart for most though, considering the pieces presented, stem from very recent history. Curated once again by Olivier Saillard, the journey through the 90s and 2000s took a look at key designers who revolutionized the fashion world and runway shows with their unique voice, whether it was the Japanese heavyweights Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo - or subsequently the Belgian designers who followed in their footsteps: Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester or Veronique Branquinho. Then there were the newcomers such as Alexander McQueen or Hussein Chalayan, not to mention the designers who gave established fashion houses a breath of fresh air: Galliano for Dior, Ford for Gucci, Lagerfeld for Chanel, Elbaz for Lanvin and Ghesquière for Balenciaga.

The key look from the exhibition poster: Maison Martin Margiela blazer.

As with all exhibitions, it was impossible for the curator to feature every designer from recent history. So while some may question the lack of American talent (with the exception of Tom Ford) or omissions which included Jil Sander, who ruled 90s minimalism, - or fellow female creatives such as Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo to name a few - it was definitely still a very well laid-out and expansive presentation. At times it was a bit odd to see pieces, which had so recently graced the runway or appeared in boutique windows, displayed in a museum setting. But if anything, it's a nice reminder that even collections of the recent past, already deserve a place in fashion history.

Apologies if some of the images aren't of the best quality. The lighting wasn't ideal for photography.


Maison Martin Margiela

Veronique Branquinho

Ann Demeulemeester


Dries van Noten


Junya Watanabe / Issey Miyake


Comme des Garçons


Yohji Yamamoto


Azzedine Alaïa


Helmut Lang


Prada


Lanvin par Claude Montana


Hussein Chalayan


Alexander McQueen

A dress from SS04, which was almost impossible to capture.

Christian Dior par John Galliano

Click here to see the rest of the exhibit, which includes Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Lanvin, Balenciaga and more.

Selfridges: Project Ocean - Washed Up (London, UK)

As you all know, the fashion and retail industry is at its best when it doesn't just present the world with pretty clothes, but fights for a charitable cause. This May and June, Selfridges launched a special campaign titled 'Project Ocean' that saw the department store tackle the problem of over-fishing and poor fishing practices. Partnering with over 20 environmental and conservation groups, the main goal was to celebrate the beauty of the ocean, help the general public understand the threats to the ocean and make positive choices about the right fish to buy and eat.

As part of Project Ocean, Selfridges is raising money for the Zoological Society of London to create Marine Reserves – protected areas in the ocean set aside as safe havens for fish and their ecosystems. In addition, the store is featuring a host of activities including everything from celebrity chef cooking demonstrations to craft events for children. But the event that immediately caught my eye, was the 'Washed Up' fashion exhibition, curated by Judith Clark.

Overview of the exhibition space. The pieces were displayed in glass tanks, while visitors walked along wooden planks surrounded by corals.

Housed in the concept store, the exhibition showcases the most interesting ocean inspired pieces from big-name designers such as Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan and Gareth Pugh to name a few. Also on display is Lady Gaga's famous lobster hat, designed by Philip Treacy. According to Clark "it is a rare opportunity for a curator of dress to be able to draw attention of such great political importance and urgency”. Having visited this exhibit last weekend, I was stunned by how incredible the exhibition space looked and think Clark did an excellent job. The haunting and desolate backdrop of driftwood and dead coral (salvaged from customs after it was seized from illegal smugglers) provided a stark contrast to the exquisite pieces on display and highlighted the critical environmental issues of Project Ocean. The corresponding window display was equally striking. Each set of designs was categorized into groups such as 'The Deep' or 'Atlantis', depending on what the pieces were inspired by, and an accompanying fact sheet gave additional information on the subject.

Radiolarum: Hussein Chalayan / The Deep: Hussein Chalayan

Left: Hussein Chalayan- Bubble Dress FW07/08. Right: Hussein Chalayan- LED Dress, February 2009 (made of 15 000 LED lights under fabric), both in collaboration with Swarovski.

Underwater Flora: Maison Martin Margiela, John Rocha / Oil Spill: John Rocha

Left: Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal- Flora Dress FW11/12, John Rocha- Reef Dress SS11. Right: John Rocha- Black Reef Dress FW10/11

The Beach: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Mariel Manuel

Top: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac- Shark Dress SS10. Bottom: Mariel Manuel- Lobster Bodybuilder Ensemble (left) and Octopus Dress (right), both from the 'Keep Your Eye on the Doughnut' collection, 2010.

Structure & Geometry: Junya Watanabe, Sandra Backlund, Iris van Herpen

Top: Junya Watanabe- top, private collection (left), Sandra Backlund- Origami top, Ink Blot test paper (right).
Bottom: Iris van Herpen- 3D printed top and skirt, Crystalization collection.

Texture: Gareth Pugh, Iris van Herpen

Left: Gareth Pugh- Fisch Scale Dress SS11. Right: Iris van Herpen- RI011, Radiation Invasion, Ecco Leather, Porcelain Treatment.

Atlantis: Alexander McQueen, Andrea Cammarosano

Top: Alexander McQueen- Jellyfish Print Ensemble (left), Plato's Atlantis SS10. Andrea Cammarosano- Seaweed Dress, Serenada Moleculare 2008 (right). Bottom: Alexander McQueen- Jellyfish Dress, Plato's Atlantis SS10.

Octopus: Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen- Octopus Dress, Escapism Couture.

The Water's Edge: Vintage / Looking Out To Sea: Vintage

This category focused on the history of swimwear and seaside inspired leisure dresses. From left: Blue & yellow skirted swimsuit 1820s, Swimsuit C 1900, Blue & white striped bustle dress 1870s, 'Stored' dress with abstract fish motif 1850s.

Hats

Left: Philip Treacy- Lobster Hat, courtesy of Lady Gaga. Top: Naomi Filmer- Crystal Swimming Cap. Right: Stephen Jones- Sway Hat (right).

Top: 1920s Brain Coral Cloche; Judith Clark- Pearl Waves: A Hypothetical 1930s wig (embroidery: Rosie Taylor-Davies).
Bottom: Stephen Jones- Beach Comber Hat; Philip Treacy- Zero Gravity Hat.

From left: Philip Treacy- Feather Ocean Worm Hat, Justin Smith Esquire- Rope Octopus Hair, Emma Yeo- Swan 20 Headdress, Stephen Jones- Shoal Hat, Justin Smith Esquire- Rope Beach Bonnet.

Stephen Jones- Fish Mobile Hat.

From left: Dai Rees for Alexander McQueen- Echinoderm Headdress, Emma Yeo- Dragonfly 9 Headdress, Zana Gorman- Headdress, Zara Gorman- Shell Hat, Philip Treacy- Leaf Hat.

If you happen to be in the London area, I'd highly recommend a visit (the exhibition ends June 8). As a fish eater and scuba diver, I had witnessed the damage done to the marine world, but wasn't all too aware of which species were actually endangered. If you're not in the area or still want to play a part in rescuing the ocean, you can donate to Project Ocean here or inform yourself as to what type of fish you should and shouldn't eat. Selfridges has not only created a free pocket guide, available in their stores, but also designed a (free) iPhone app, complete with a fish guide, fish recipes (yum!) and restaurant reviews. And lastly, if you want to make a real statement, you can also purchase special edition Project Ocean items, including totes, tees and shoes online.

Maison Martin Margiela 20 - The Exhibition (London, UK)

The Margiela caravan in front of the exhibition entrance (top). Following the Tabi footprints to the exhibition (lower left) and various magazine clippings pertaining to Margiela over the years (lower right).

The last time I was in London, I made sure to check out the Margiela retrospective, which had previously been presented in Munich and Antwerp. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in October 2008, this tribute not only salutes one of the world's most influential and groundbreaking fashion houses, but displays never before seen work and harder to find iconic pieces. Unlike a typical retrospective, the exhibition doesn't rely on a chronological order (which generally tends to be a somewhat stale approach), but instead delves into the different themes Margiela explored during the last 20 years.

Having visited several fashion exhibitions in the past, I must say that this one was exceptional. I'm probably somewhat biased, since I am a Margiela fan, but I found the layout on all three floors to be cleverly done and unlike other presentations which tend to be overshadowed by the museum space itself, the white walls and decor instantly screamed 'Margiela', making you believe you were completely immersed in the brand. There were 30 sections in total, usually kept fairly small, so the exhibit was not overwhelming at all.

Although this post is (yet again) slightly overdue, there's still time to dive into the world of Margiela if you haven't done so already. The exhibition runs until September 5 and despite the fact that Martin Margiela himself has left his eponymous label, this is a wonderful reminder of everything both he and his team have achieved over the last two decades. Apologies in advance for bombarding you with all these photos (more, after the jump), but hopefully this will be a worthy replacement for those who can't make it to the showcase. But if you need more, I'd highly recommend the official exhibition book, available via Amazon here.

Top: 3D portrait of the Maison Martin Margiela team (not incl. Margiela himself). Giant hand displaying a list of all sub-labels (lower left) and overview of the ground floor (lower right).

The Tabi boots, incl. graffiti covered ones (lower left), ten interpretations of the boot in silver chrome (middle, top right and lower left) and an oversized blow-up Tabi boot (top right).

"Tailoring/Shoulders": A showcase of Margiela's experimentation with shoulder proportions over the past two decades. The runway birthday show footage is seen in the background.

Overview of invitations for fashion shows and showrooms (top). A trompe l'oeil canvas leading to the top floor entrance (lower left) and film footage on the Tabi boot production (lower right).

"Le Porté" shows how garments can be worn in different ways, such as dresses combined with various skirts (right) or jackets and dresses layered over other dresses (left).

"Paint" demonstrates how Margiela repainted various garments, accessories, but also furniture or interiors white. As items are worn, the paint cracks and reveals the true color of the original piece - a presentation of a hidden past and proof that history can't be denied.

The down duvet coat with detachable sleeves from FW99 featuring a floral projection (center) and a repainted London phone booth (right).

"Incognito" displays Margeila's love of anonymity, not only in relation to his own persona but also to the fashion house's branding (white label), staff attire consisting of white coats (top left), masking the models (lower center) or various items incl. taped up shoes (lower left), chiffon covered chain necklaces (lower right) or veiled boots (top right).

Overview of the top floor (left) and "Assemblage" - a sleeveless fur garment made from two second-hand fur jackets (right).

"Flat Garments" - I think the name pretty much says it all. I actually saw the circular leather jacket on the right at a sample sale recently.

"Trompe L'oeil" featuring pieces from SS06 (top left) printed with old photographs and photocopies of other garments. Jacket and long skirt from SS08 (top right) embroidered with different colored sequins to give the illusion of reflected light. Pumps with a fake mud print (lower left), silver plated collar and cuffs as accessories (lower center) and wig made from fur coats (lower right).

"Destroy": Garments made from recuperated or second-hand materials to illustrate the ageing process and the passing of time. Waistcoat made from broken dishes and wire from FW89 (top right) and woolen sweater in a coarse knit suggesting holes and wear from FW90 (lower right).

"Classical Wardrobe/The Trench Coat": Margiela's variations on the classic wardrobe shown here on the trench coat, incl. the cool pieces with the elongated collar that can be worn as a hood. These items are an example of Margiela's expert tailoring.

"Tailoring/Production Process": References haute couture and the craftsmanship involved in tailoring clothing. Elements that refer to the construction (pads, zippers, lining etc) are incorporated to the outside of clothing (center, top left). An original 1950s tailor's mannequin adjustable to every body shape (lower left). "Tailoring/Replica" shows reproductions of second-hand garments from different style periods (lower right).

"Artisanal Collection": Margiela's answer to haute couture - a luxury that applies to the hours of labour invested in production, not the actual fabric, which usually stems from recuperated materials. Black tape leather jacket (top left), strips of magazine articles as a jacket (top center), jeans made from leather trench coat belts (top right), vintage button top (lower left), elastic band jacket (lower center) and vest made of vintage gloves (lower right).