London’s Victoria & Albert Museum is hosting an exhibition focusing on men’s fashion. Under the name ‘Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear’, the exhibition spotlights special moments in menswear and documents how it has changed and reinvented itself over the decades. from fashionable convention to extravagant self-portrayal, illustrated with a multitude of exhibits.
It is the first time the London museum has presented an exhibition entirely dedicated to the power, craftsmanship and diversity of menswear. In four years of preparation, 100 outfits and 100 works of art were selected, showing how designers, tailors and wearers represent different images of masculinity and redefine them by living out their fashion preferences.
An exhibition with many facets
“Male fashion is experiencing a period of unprecedented creativity. It has long been a powerful mechanism to encourage conformity or express individuality,” said co-curators Claire Wilcox and Rosalind McKever. The selected items of clothing do not follow a linear timeline or a predictable narrative thread, but instead allow visitors to immerse themselves in moments of men’s fashion that not only blur lines, but break down boundaries.
In addition to the textile exhibits, the exhibition is complemented by other exhibits – photographs, portrait series, and advertising shots, short films, sculptures and art performances are part of the exhibition together with paintings by various artists. “The exhibition will combine historical and contemporary looks with art that shows how masculinity was staged. It will be a celebration of the male wardrobe,” said Wilcox and McKever.
This includes Haider Ackermann’s sequin-covered suit worn by actor Timothée Chalamet at the 2020 Venice premiere of ‘Dune’, as well as a flower-embroidered suit with a floor-length cape that has a bright pink lining – designed by Randi Cream worn by Billy Porter at the 2019 Golden Globes. Sam Smith’s, David Bowie’s and Marlene Dietrich’s gender-atypical clothing choices are also featured in the exhibit. Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Raf Simons, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen, Donatella Versace, Hedi Slimane for Dior and Kim Jones for Fendi are just a few of the designers and brands whose work will be scrutinized.
The exhibition is divided into three halls – Undressed, Overdressed and Redressed. The first deals with the male body and form-fitting fashion, while the second room shows designs that use bright colors and sumptuous fabrics. The third room houses design creations that are gender-questioning interpretations of the classic men’s suit.
The highlight of the exhibition are three robes worn by actor Billy Porter, musician Harry Styles and drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash, which are on display along with a film by Quentin Jones and the production company Cadence Films. Porter’s prom dress turned heads at the 2019 Oscars: the top featured a classic black velvet tuxedo jacket, while the bottom ended in a puffy skirt. Harry Styles became the first man to appear on the cover of US Vogue without a female model in 2021, wearing a ruffled dress and black blazer by Gucci designer Alessandro Michele. Bimini Bon Boulash wore an Ella Lynch wedding dress in the Season 2 finale of Ru Paul’s Drag Race – all moments that redefined menswear and crowned the exhibition.
The exhibition is accessible until November 6, 2022.