From retrospectives of reclusive couturiers and honoring the memory of a whimsical magazine editor to mannequins that talk and sing, this year’s fashion and jewelry exhibitions have captured imaginations, inspired discourse, and even caused confusion: Who could forget, for instance, the amusing smorgasbord of punk-inspired outfits on the red carpet of the Met’s "Punk: Chaos to Couture" gala?
Here are Blouin ARTINFO’s picks for the top 10 fashion and jewelry exhibitions around the world in 2013.
"The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk"set a new bar for multimedia exhibitions, using animated and talking mannequins to show off the French designer’s greatest hits for both men and women.
October 25, 2013 to February 23, 2014 at the Brooklyn Museum, New York
“Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!” is a breathtaking inside look into the life of woman who, although marked by extreme melancholy, emerged as one of the most important patrons of British fashion.
November 20, 2013 to March 2, 2014 at Somerset House, London
“Virgule, etc…in the Footsteps of Roger Vivier”with about 140 shoes traced the artistic legacy of French accessories house Roger Vivier with an installation inspired by classic art museums.
October 2 to November 18, 2013 at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris
“Jewels by JAR” was the Met’s first-ever exhibition devoted to a contemporary jeweler, shedding light on a particularly press-shy design genius.
November 20, 2013 to March 9, 2014 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
"Alaïa" gathered 74 creations from the personal archives of the Tunisia-born, Paris-based, fiercely private, diminutive couturier, Azzedine Alaïa, whose body-con designs defined Eighties fashion.
September 28, 2013 to January 26, 2014 at the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris
"The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond, 1950-1990"focuses on showing how the storied Italian jeweler has elevated fine jewelry into objets d’art with 150 pieces, some from the personal collection of screen siren Elizabeth Taylor.
September 21, 2013 to February 17, 2014 at the de Young Museum in San Francisco
"Punk: Chaos to Couture" was the Met's Costume Institute’s attempt to trace the metastasis of the punk spirit across contemporary fashion collections.
May 9 to August 14, 2013 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
"Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced" explored the meteoric rise to fame of the first African-American designer to gain international stature, with vibrant colors, metallic fabrics, and slinky silhouettes that clung to the body.
March 22 to July 28, 2013 at the Museum of the City of New York
“Appearances Can Be Deceiving: The Dresses of Frida Kahlo” explored how the Mexican artist used fashion — particularly her taste for traditional Tehuana garments — as an extension of her socialist and feminist convictions.
November 24, 2012 to January 31, 2014 at the Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City
“Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity” was the first exhibition to document the formative influence of contemporary fashion on the advanced art in the period between 1862 and 1887.
Feburary 26 to May 27, 2013 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New Yor
Click on the slideshow to see the 10 best fashion exhibitions of 2013.
