The huge success of these shows should also be of note to those concerned about the current luxury goods recession. Overcoming suspicions of a growing apathy towards luxury fashion, the rise in engagement with luxury fashion, despite the backdrop of soaring prices that limit access to luxury goods to an increasingly small number of people, It is a testament to the strength of our collective aspirations. When executed well, trade shows provide important physical and emotional touchpoints for potential brand consumers, new and existing. “This is a curatorial model and exhibition culture full of excitement, sex, fantasy, desire and magic,” points out Yugelwig. “It feels more accessible and it’s not that difficult to sell.”
The shifting sands of culture
The fact that fashion-related exhibitions are profitable doesn’t just happen out of thin air. It is the result of changing perspectives across cultures. On the other hand, there is a growing desire for a more interdisciplinary approach to creative practice, characterized by more multifaceted definitions of art, fashion, architecture, design, etc.
It’s an ethos that underlines London’s National Portrait Gallery’s approach to the recent upsurge in fashion programming, including ‘Vogue 100: A Century of Style’ and the upcoming ‘Face Magazine: Culture Shift’. “Fashion and portraiture go hand in hand and the success of past exhibitions shows that exhibitions that explore themes of fashion, photography and cultural influence really captivate audiences.” Rosie Wilson, director of programs, partnerships and the gallery, says: collection.
The same applies to Tate Modern. Tate Modern will launch a monograph on boundary-pushing artist and style icon Leigh Bowery on 27 February. “We wanted to do Leigh Bowery’s show because we felt his approach to self-styling and performance was very accessible to a younger generation of born-digital artists and creators,” said Tate Modern. says Kathryn Wood, program director. “Bowley’s approach to art-making truly transcended categories. He used his body, skin, and gestures as living painting and sculptural forms, and he moved costumes beyond ‘fashion’ to be truly experimental. , often pushed into the outlandish.”
But beyond this interdisciplinary shift in how culture is perceived and consumed, there is also the simple fact that fashion is rapidly becoming a veritable pop culture giant. “The fashion industry and fashion system was once a relatively small, internal business with limited pop culture appeal, but since the rise of media culture in the 70s, it has become something that many people can relate to. ” says Ugelwig. “Fashion is pop culture, whether it’s the relationship between fashion and celebrity or the relationship with music. And in that sense, it has replaced the role of fine art. Looking back at things like pop art and the proximity between media and fine art that feels very organic. Today, for many people, contemporary art feels very niche, specialized, and a bit obscure as a cultural form. Fashion has completely eclipsed art as a form of popular culture and entertainment.
What are the opportunities for brands?
While the benefits for museums of hosting fashion exhibitions are already clear, questions remain about what opportunities such exhibitions present for brands. For companies that can directly sponsor major institutional exhibitions showcasing their archives, as is the case with the current Dolce & Gabbana exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris or the upcoming Cartier showcase at the V&A; The benefits are obvious. It is an opportunity to present that story in a time-honoured context, one in which by its very nature the exhibited works are alchemically transformed into cultural artifacts and works of art.
