If you thought you were spoilt for fashion-exhibition-choice in 2010, fear not, because there’s plenty more in store for 2011. First on the list, and a natural evolution of the inspiring Future Beauty at the Barbican, is a Yohji Yamamoto retrospective at the V&A. A site-specific installation – including a core gallery and hidden pieces placed around the museum – will offer a new perspective on the designer’s visionary garments, in keeping with Yamamoto’s unique perspective. Designed by long-term collaborator Masao Nihei, the main exhibition space will present over 60 garments from key men’s and womenswear collections, whilst contextualizing Yamamoto’s creative partnerships with Nick Knight, Peter Saville and Pina Baush.
Crossing the Atlantic to LA, the Museum of Contemporary Art presents Rodarte: States of Matter. Fresh from the success of Darren Aronofsky’s cinematic epic, ‘Black Swan’, this is the duo’s first solo exhibition on the West Coast. Installed as a series of conceptual vignettes, the sculptural qualities of the garments are revealed. The exhibition follows a run at New York’s Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, it seems the talented siblings can do no wrong.
And last, but by no means least, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art will pay homage to the genius of Alexander McQueen, with an exhibition entitled Savage Beauty. Examining the impact of McQueen – from CSM graduation to a final, posthumous collection – the show will be arranged around themes including ‘Savage Mind’ and ‘Romantic Gothic’. We predict round the block queues, whilst hoping someone is kind enough to bring the exhibition to London, or sponsor our airfares.
Yohji Yamaomoto will run at the V&A from 12 March – 10 July 2011.
Rodarte: States of Matter will run at the MOCA from 3 April – 6 May 2011.
Savage Beauty will run at the Met from 4 May – 31 July 2011.
Victoria Loomes