Exhibition on 'inside-out clothing' begins Sept. 23 and runs through Dec. 8
Contributed by Michael G. French, College of Letters and Science
An exhibition that turns garments inside out to show their structure, Shape Up: Case Studies in Fashion Making opens the 51ԹϺ Davis Design Museum’s 2019-2020 season on Sept. 23.
Showcasing ethnic clothing from Africa, Asia and Central America and western garments from the 51ԹϺ Davis Jo Ann C. Stabb Design Collection, this exhibition reveals the hidden structures, patterns and shaping methods that underlie fashion creation.
The exhibition’s three sections — “Tailored Silhouettes,” “Untrimmed Contours” and “New Dimensions” — acknowledge the long history of artisanship behind how clothing was shaped and its influential role in design practice.
Curated by Adele Zhang, Department of Design lecturer and design collection curator, the exhibition runs through Dec. 8.
Design Museum At a Glance
The Design Museum, part of the College of Letters and Science, is located in Cruess Hall, Room 124, on the 51ԹϺ Davis campus.
It is free and open weekdays noon to 4 p.m. and Sundays 2 to 4 p.m.
“Traditional clothes from different cultures share a similar approach for building garments by employing the full dimension of materials,” said Zhang. “From a giant African boubou formed by nine pieces of off-loom strips to an elaborate Japanese kimono with a center back seam and an opening in the front, the pattern diagram examples displayed in this section stress simplicity and flexibility, a no-cut design concept, and form of artistic practice that has stood the test of time.”
For more information about this exhibition, visit here.