Exoticism – world of fashion at FIT Museum from Nov 27
16 Nov '07
3 min read
In the second half of the 20th century, Yves Saint Laurent was especially influential in popularizing exoticism in fashion, and a dress from his famous 1967 African collection is on view, along with other examples inspired by China and India. Increasingly, designers from around the world have contributed to the multiculturalism of contemporary fashion. Kenzo (also featured in the exhibition) was a pioneering figure, mixing design elements from his native Japan with elements from other cultures such as India.
Exoticism today implies a cross-cultural exchange of people and ideas. In Paris, designers such as Dries Van Noten are known for their multicultural styles, while New York is full of foreign-born designers, such as Yeohlee, who draws on her Chinese/Malaysian heritage for inspiration.
But designers and manufacturers are emerging everywhere from Johannesburg to New Delhi. This exhibition features African fashions from Xuly Bet (designed by Lamine Koyaté of Mali) and Stoned Cherry (by Nkhensani Manganyi Nkosi of South Africa), Brazilian fashion by Alexander Herschcovitz, and Japanese fashion by Yoshiki Hishinuma.
Exoticism was organized by Tamsen Schwartzman, associate research curator, and Fred Dennis, associate curator of costume, together with Molly Sorkin, assistant curator of costume; Clare Sauro, assistant curator of accessories; Harumi Hotta, design research specialist; and Lynn Weidner, assistant collections manager.
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
