"Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered" - A Fabulous Exhibition at the Kyoto Museum of Modern Art

As a visitor to Japan for the past three months, I have been to many museums and art galleries and am greatly impressed by the buildings and gardens,and the variety and size of their permanent collections and the special exhibitions. Yesterday I went to the Kyoto Museum of Modern Art to see its current exhibition: Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered - April 11th to May 24, 2009. This is a fantastic display of 17th century to modern day fashions from the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. Fifteen of these were complemented even more by Sony Playstations which enabled viewers to see every detail in the designs and materials. Additionally, the displays were expertly organized so that each piece was individual but not lost within the totality of the collection.

Our concept of luxury is always changing and has evolved immensely since the 17th century. The luxurious collection was divided into four sections: Ostentation, Less is More, Clothing Are Free and Uniqueness. From the first, the ornate 'costume clothing' of the French and English dresses, one can see how women were objectified as items of luxury, to be displayed and collected. The heavy jewelry, bead work, accessories and 'structuring' of the clothes would hardly be easy to wear, especially for every day. No photos were allowed for this exhibit but I bought postcards and will share my favorites. #1 English Dress, c. 1760. Photo by Taishi Hirokawa.

Click here to visit the website for this exhibit.

In Less is More, the concept of luxury changes from a display of the obvious riches as symbols of wealth and power to the richness within a simple structure. The coats and dresses were simply but expensively cut and shaped to enhance the body rather than restrict it. Chiffon and more delicate materials were used. I liked a collection of shoe heels - not high, not thin, wearable but exquisitely designed and patterned. #2 French Heels 1925. Photo by Taishi Hirokawa.

A 1986 black, silk satin smoking jacket with a creme coloured collar and lining was the ultimate understated label of luxury by Yves Saint Laurent. Chanel is to be found here, too.

In Section 3 - Clothes are Free Spirited, the collection is that of Designer, Rei Kawakubo and shows dresses that are made of comfortable, stretchy material that elegantly hugs the body and can be worn on any occasion. This concept, that of the free spirit, is very much expanded by the photography of Naoya Hatakeyama, which makes the dresses seem alive and to move and dance.

Uniqueness, the final section, really typifies every item yet this included modern fashions made from recycled and 'found' materials. There were jackets and dresses made from bottle caps and phonograph records and handpainted canvases. This was by Designer Maison Martin Margiela, and how he can create a fabulous outfit in as little time as 33 hours? is beyond me. I am sure that the thinking and planning alone, would take me 33 years. To me, this kind of luxury involves both the time to locate unusual materials and to use them creatively, as well as the luxury of having the choice to buy and wear something very different, very individual and as an opportunity to express how fashion fits me. The last two photos I have are more favourites: #3 Schiaparelli, Evening Cape, 1938 and Roy Lichtenstein (Textile Design) and Lee Rudd Simpson (Dress Design) Dress, 1965 - both photos by Takashi Hatakeyama.

The National Museum of Modern Art and The Costume Institute of Kyoto collaborated on this exhibition and have produced an excellent text resource: Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered, 2008. Other resources are Colours, 2004, Japonism in Fashion, 1994 and Visions of the Body: Fashion or Invisible Corset, 1999.