MANIFESTO

#61

ART NOW

FASHIONING MASCULINITIES

2022.04.04

By MUSE Team

Fashioning Masculinities is the new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, supported by Gucci, that celebrates the multiple sartorial expressions of masculinity.

 

The project aims at tracing the evolution of menswear through the centuries, focusing on the way designers and tailors have constructed masculinity, seam by seam. Celebrating the power, the art and the diversity of men’s clothing and aesthetic, the exhibition traces through 100 looks and 100 works of art, the way menswear has been created and reinvented throughout the centuries. Divided into various sections, the itinerary begins with Undressed where the male body and underwear are highlighted, Overdressed
takes visitors into the wardrobe of the male elite, where oversized silhouettes, bright colors and luxurious materials appear and the last section, Redressed, exploring the construction and dissolution of the male suit.

Modernity and tradition meet: classical sculptures, Renaissance paintings, and iconic photographs are mixed with contemporary looks created by famous designers and emerging talents like: Harris Reed, Gucci, Grace Wales Bonner and Raf Simons; alongside iconic looks created for talented artists such as Harry Styles, Billy Porter and David Bowie. An immersive opportunity to go beyond the “toxic stereotypes” that surround male gender identity, and celebration of sartorial expressions of masculinity.

Harris Reed Fluid Romanticism. Courtesy Harris Reed. Photo: Giovanni Corabi

“There have been moments of bravery in men’s clothing, and moments of caution. We’re very fortunate this exhibition coincides with a moment of renaissance.”

-CLAIRE WILCOX, CO-CURATOR

Omar Victor Diop, Jean-Baptiste Belley, 2014.
Alessandro Michele for Gucci, A/W15, Look 7.
Craig Green SS21, photography by Amy Gwatkin.
Sam Smith photographed by Alasdair McLellan. June 16, 2020.
Wales Bonner SS2015 Afrique. Photo: Dexter Lander.

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