The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/764868
The early and late 20th century designs are focused on designers who changed the history of fashion, contributing pieces that are less general of the times and more individual of the design house. In the early era, World War I led to simpler designs for women, while haute couture designers made developments into fashion by looking to the past and finding new ways to recreate old styles. Influences from the youth, striking patterns, and ready-to- wear clothing made for more cultural shifts in design. Designers such as Cristobal Balenciaga and Vivienne Westwood soared in the latter part of the era, creating modern silhouettes and paving the way for the evolution of fashion today. In the current contemporary era, designers like Hussein Chalayan and Alexander McQueen have challenged the idea of fashion by expanding wearability and using clothing as a personal expression of cultural identity. An example of this is a dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, constructed entirely of hand-painted orange and black Monarch butterfly shapes. Deconstruction of design also comes into play, as well as experimentation with the relationship between materials, silhouettes and the body, as shown by designers like Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. In the last room of the exhibit sits the Carl and Iris Barrel Apfel Gallery and the Harold Koda Gift Collection, dedicated to Harold Koda, who retired as the Curator-in-Charge of The Costume Institute in early 2016. Dedicated and passionate about the collections, Koda changed and shaped The Costume Institute to what it is today, and many designers paid their respects with pieces from their fashion houses. Bolton and Met Trustee Anna Wintour approached 30 designers to feature works from their archives to honor Koda. From wedding dresses to tailored suits and flower head pieces, all by renowned designers, both the Harold Koda and the Masterworks collections are what Curator-in-Charge Andrew Bolton called "a love letter" to Koda, resonating in the overall collection and exhibit. V U E N J . C O M 59 VUE ON THE ARTS