Many people are under the assumption that art exhibitions must contain paintings, sculptures, drawings, or other traditional forms of art. The artist must use paint, clay, or pencil to capture a feeling, a message, or an appeal, putting it on display for the audience. It is unclear why, but it seems that the audience cannot render a message fit for consumption unless it uses the typical artistic methods. The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology acknowledges there are other art forms. FIT displays all types of artistic fashion as an exhibition to man’s triumphs and failures through time. Two recent exhibitions displayed at the Fashion Institute of Technology were entitled Dance and Fashion and Exposed: A History of Lingerie. They showed how fashion can be an extension of movement and performance, as well as a device to compliment the human body.
FIT’s exhibition, Dance and Fashion, gave fashionable art a voice, but it also showed that dance is also an art form worthy of display. Not only that, but the exhibition appeared to engrain the two art forms, showing how they can complement and amplify one another. One particular piece showing this was Olivier Theyskins’ costume for a woman worn in Spectral Evidence. The costume, lent by the New York City ballet, is a white gown featuring a single fluid strip in a deep red and mauve color along the flank and back of the arm. Each swaying movement of the dancer would have been amplified by the costume, giving the performance a futuristic appeal. I enjoyed this piece primarily because it was unexpected. There was a subtle flare to the fashion to accentuate the performance, but it did not look like it would overshadow the movements. Primarily the strip looked like it would only draw the viewer’s eye to the dancer, making me believe this costume may be worn for synchronized performances, or even solo performances.
Another example of the combination between fashion and dance is shown in McCartney’s tattooed man costume. The costume was worn in Ocean’s Kingdom and lent to the FIT by the New York City Ballet. It features a light-skin colored undertone with black overtones in markings that form what appears to be a full-body tattoo. The dancer wearing this costume would be noticed based on movements alone but it is probable the fashion statement made by McCartney added a primal element to the performance. It is also probable that the dance was carnal in nature, meaning the fashion statement made by McCartney’s costume further accentuated the dancer’s movements, much like Theyskins’ idea. The costume may have also been used for group, synchronized performances, or solo performances, wherein which the viewer would be able to take in the tribal nature of the dance as well as the fashion.
While Theyskins’ fashion gave the dancer an element of fluidity and McCartney added a carnal sense to the dancer’s movements, other fashion statements would have added other moods to the dancer’s movements. Valentino’s elegant red gown, featured in Sophisticated Lady would add a touch of civility to any dancer’s movements . The gown is essentially modern and tasteful while avoiding the painfully mundane. It can stand alongside the previously mentioned, almost futuristic costumes of Theyskins’ and McCartney. Moreover, it does this all while ensuring the dancer is taken seriously in high society. However, I assume because of the overall gaudy statement of the garment that it might overshadow many of the dancer’s movements, claiming propriety based on appearance alone. The fashion itself may have been an art form, but in theory, it may have worked poorly in complementing the art of dance.
Exposed: A History of Lingerie held much appeal for art. The garments themselves are art, but they are also designed to accentuate the human body as an art form. Fewer great tasks have been taken on in the art world. The story of lingerie, and the human body, being seen as art began in the 1920’s with designers unveiling frocks that accentuated natural curves rather than the busty and voluptuous models of today. An example can be taken from Saks Fifth Avenue’s Camknickers of 1924 . Originally released in France, the camknickers were designed to look like a loose fitting slipped, hugging a woman’s natural curves and accentuating what she already had. They were made from lightweight fabric that created a sleek silhouette and fit easily under dresses. Though these first pieces were not initially pleasing to look at, they were the first that concealed the body while also making it look enticing. Therefore, they were the first to begin making the body a walking work of art apart from its already sexual nature. In contrast to the camknickers were the bras and briefs of 1935 . Undergarments were beginning to take more efficient and more defining shape. Bras featured to distinct cups to shape the breasts into what was preferable at the time. Women’s briefs also began becoming shapelier during the 1930’s. As camknickers began to fade, these new defining models began to take the human body and, rather than show it for the art that it was, show it for the art the world wanted it to be.
As the world, art, and sexuality continued to evolve, lingerie continued to become bolder and more brazen. By 1972, the cups of bras were more defined than they had ever been. Sometimes they were even sheer, with material so thin the outline of a woman’s nipple was clearly visible. Briefs, in turn, had also be replaced with bikini bottoms, often made of a similar material. Much like the Shelly Easy Rider Bra and Panties featured in the exhibition, the bras and panties of the 1970’s showed more of a woman’s bare breasts, bare legs, and bare waist than had been seen in previous years. The modesty of the 1920’s and 1930’s was entirely lost on the 1970’s population. However, the immodesty of the bras and panties appeared to allow for the original art of the human body to return, which is what I believe was originally intended. This immodesty in lingerie only continued through later years, finding garments of the 2000’s to be similar. Chantall Thomas, having designed lingerie since 1975, managed to maintain many of the old qualities garments had for that decade, bringing them forth to 2013 . Her combinations are usually combine sheer material with lace, and offer a taste of the 1970’s with a modern twist. While some of her styles are fashionable, and modest by today’s standards, they are not for outerwear, as described in the exhibition, unless one is in a brothel.
In sum, the exhibition showed many forms of art outside the realm of “typical” mediums. The dancer’s costumes and women’s lingerie could not have been forged by paint, canvas, or pencil; it took more creative minds to bring the creations included in FIT’s exhibition to life. Fashion and dance were represented in many aspects throughout the exhibition. Some of the garments looked as though they would flow with any dancer’s movements, while others looked like they would speak for themselves. Many pieces of lingerie were created to accentuate the female form, showing it as a work of art. Later, as the lingerie developed, and the sex industry increased in size, the lingerie became the art. I ask my fellow classmates whether fashion accentuates dance, as well as whether they believe the original point of lingerie was lost because of the sex industry? Regardless of the answers, it is important that we appreciate art in its many forms, as it evolves over time.
References
Avenue, Saks Fifth. Camknickers. 1924. Lingerie.
Bantivoglio, Leigh and Renee Gladstein. Bra and Briefs. USA.
Bestform, Inc. Shelly Easy Rider Bra and Panties. Vogue. 1972.
McCartney. Ocean's Kingdom. New York City Ballet. The Museum at FIT. Ne York City, 2011. Costume.
Theyskens, Olivier. Spectral Evidence. New York City Ballet. The Museum at FIT. New York City, 2013. Costume.
Thomass, Chantal. over/under bra and panties.
Valentino. Sophisticated Lady. New York City Ballet. The Museum at FIT. New York City, 2012. Costume.
