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| Comme des Garçons, A/W 2012-13, Photo: Mark Segal, Model: Monika Sawicka |
ModeMuseum, the fashion museum in Antwerp, had an exhibition last year “Game Changers: Reinventing the 20th Century Silhouette.” It's a fascinating study of fashion design that was new and different from anything before. In the 1950's and 1960's, Cristóbal Balenciaga took the emphasis away from the waist, creating architectural shapes that were flattering and elegant. In the 1980's, young Japanese designers, Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake, were a shocking sensation in Paris with their loose fitting, oversized layers. They in turn influenced the young Belgium designers, Antwerp Six +1. The concepts of these designers are influencing designers today.
With our eyes accustomed to a daily onslaught of the same jeans and t-shirts on every woman, man and child on the street, even the mildest style difference can be shocking. The images below are from the "Game Changers" exhibit and they are extreme. But it's fun to suspend judgement for the moment and enjoy the colors and the shapes.
But I hear you ask, “What does this have to do with me getting dressed for the day?” Think of this like a aperitif, but instead of waking up your tastebuds, it stimulates your eyes and you might see your old closet contents in a new way.
Webster’s defines silhouette as “the outline of a body viewed as circumscribing a mass.” It’s the shape and overall volume of clothing on the body. It’s the difference of having a defined waist or no waist. It’s wearing wide-legged pants or wearing skinny jeans. We all present a silhouette whether we choose to be aware of it or not. Studying this exhibit has heightened my awareness of the silhouette. I usually go no farther than asking myself (or hubby Matt) whether something makes me look heavier or thinner. But for conscious dressing, I'm discovering that there’s more to it than that.
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| Comme des Garçons, A/W 2012-13, Photo: Mark Segal, Model: Monika Sawicka |
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| Iris Van Herpen, ‘Micro’, haute couture S/S 2012, Photo: Ronald Stoops |
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| Cristobal Balenciaga, A/W 1958, Photo: Tom Kublin, Courtsey: Balenciaga Archives |
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| Cristobal Balenciaga, A/W 1967, Photo: Balenciaga Archives |
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| Cristobal Balenciaga, A/W 1958, Photo: Tom Kublin, Courtesy: Balenciaga Archives |
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| Maison Martin Margiela, A/W 2000-01, Photo: Marina Faust |
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| Comme des Garçons, ‘Body meets Dress, Dress meets Body’, S/S 1997, Photo: Yannis Vlamos |
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| Comme des Garçons, A/W 2012-13, Photo: Sophie Delaporte |
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| Dries Van Noten, S/S 2012, Photo: Patrice Stable |
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| Issey Miyake, 1990-2015, Photo: Francis Giacobetti |
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| Issey Miyake, 1990-2015, Photo: Francis Giacobetti |
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| Ann Demeulemeester, S/S 2009, Photo: Dan & Corinne Lecca |
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| Maison Martin Margiela, S/S 1989, Photo: Tatsuya Kitayama |
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| Georgina Godley, Sport Couture, A/W 1990, Photo: Georgina Godley |
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| Game Changers: Reinventing the 20th Century Silhouette, MOMU Fashion Museum, Antwerp |
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| Game Changers: Reinventing the 20th Century Silhouette, MOMU Fashion Museum, Antwerp |
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| Game Changers: Reinventing the 20th Century Silhouette, MOMU Fashion Museum, Antwerp |