Ladies & gentlemen how convenient with an exhibition exploring the changing perceptions of “masculine” and “feminine” clothing from the mid-18th century to the present. The exhibition His & Hers at the Fashion Institute of Technology will highlight the differences and similarities between men’s and women’s clothing.
In the 18th-century the fashion of upper-class men and women were similar in many aspects. “The man’s suit, in ornately embroidered velvet, underscores that while lavish materials and adornments usually appear “feminine” to the modern eye, they were considered “aristocratic” in the 18th century.
One of this decades most influential designers Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent played an important role as a proponent of trousers for women, exemplified by a navy blue woman’s pantsuit from 1967. This garment shown alongside a man’s suit in dark blue velvet, also by Saint Laurent. But also the 1980s woman’s “power suit” by Yves Saint Laurent, corresponds to the growing presence of women in the workplace. A development we still experience as many contemporary designers continue to subvert gender codes in various ways even though most collections still are very clearly divided as menswear or women’s wear. Will the exhibition His & Hers give a quote on how the designers in the future will continue to build a bridge on the male/female division in a new unique way?
Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992
His and Hers
Fashion & Textile History Gallery
November 30, 2010 through May 10, 2011
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