|
Düsseldorf
(Germany) – In recent
years, the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf has hosted both an opulent Vivienne
Westwood retrospective and a sparse, minimalist Alexander McQueen
catwalk exhibition. Now it is turning its attention to the most
theatrical fashion shows held by the world’s top designers in the past
30 years.
The "Catwalks" exhibition - open until Nov 1, 2009 -
features a dozen of the most talked-about top designer catwalk shows of
the last three decades. Spectacular shows reminiscent of vintage Dior;
Galliano-style circus performances; dramatic productions of the kind put
on by Alexander McQueen; conceptional performances like those by Hussein Chalayan; catwalks in the form of tables set for spectacular dinners
such as the ones used by Dries van Noten… will be brought to life and
transformed into 3D spectacles in video projections and multimedia
installations, where visitors will themselves become catwalk models.
In the beginning, the theatre was the temple of fashion. During the
reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, whatever was being worn at
court was shown at the theatre, both on and off the stage. The queen’s
dressmaker, Rose Bertin, dressed half-sized wooden mannequins in
miniature versions of her latest creations and accessories and had them
driven to the various courts of Europe in magnificent coaches. And so
the catwalk was born. To this day, great fashion is still theatre and
spectacle rolled into one. It is a form of theatrical self-portrayal and
a highly charged form of self-dramatization.
|
 |
|
San
Francisco
(USA) – This month
clothing retailer Gap is introducing original designs
from 12 artists for its fall (PRODUCT) RED Artist Edition T-Shirt
collection.
The featured artists range from the established to the up-and-coming and
include illustrators James Jean and Deanne
Cheuk, contemporary Anglo-Scandinavian graphic design team
Non-Format (Kjell Ekhorn and Jon Forss), and New
York-based graphic designer David Hollier, among
others.
To spotlight the new collection, Gap is opening the doors to a pop-up
art gallery featuring original works of art by ten of the artists in its
rotating concept venue adjacent to its 5th Ave. flagship store. In
addition to unique paintings, sculptures and sketches, the gallery also
features the exclusive t-shirt designs for men and women.
"With our heritage in redefining classics, we love how this
collaboration with original artists to rework our iconic t-shirt
provides consumers with unique, meaningful pieces that serve a very
important purpose,” said Ivy Ross, executive vice president, Gap
Marketing.
In partnership with (PRODUCT) RED, 50 percent of profits from the sale
of these T-shirts will benefit the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in
Africa.
|
|
