Fashion Exhibitions: don't miss these great shows!

There has been a wave of fashion exhibitions and retrospectives over the past several years. Lucky for us this trend does not appear to be going anywhere any time soon. As 2016 comes to a close, we want to give you a run down of the the great shows currently running as well as the ones coming your way in 2017. Here is a live calendar we will be updating throughout the year - you will never have to miss a great show again!

1. MET Costume Institute - Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion (11/18/16 - 2/5/17):

At The Met you will find 10 years worth of acquisitions by the Costume Institute. Since becoming part of The Met in 1946, the Costume Institute has shifted its focus from collecting western masterpieces to modus operandis from all over the world. Come and see "masterworks of the highest aesthetic and technical quality, including iconic works by designers who have changed fashion history and advanced fashion as an art form." Source.

2. FIT Museum - Proust's Muse (9/23/16 - 1/7/17):

Fun fact! 'Proust's Muse' is "the first of several exhibitions focusing on French fashion to be held at the Museum of FIT." credit The muse, in this case, is Countess Greffulhe. Included in her 28 garments being on display are gorgeous, sophisticated evening dresses designed by Louiseboulanger, Nina Ricci, and Jeanne Lanvinin in the 1930s. Greffulhe was seen as a fashion icon not only because of her stylish wardrobe but also because of the confident way she carried herself in the fashionable clothes she chose to wear. Source.

3. FIT Museum - Black Fashion Designers (12/6/2016 - 5/16/17):

Another exhibit being showcased at FIT, this one is meant to enliven the discussion of past and ongoing diversity issues within the fashion industry. It focuses on the impact that designers and models of African American descent have made on American culture and history. "Contemporary pieces include Lagos-based designer Maki Oh’s spring 2013 dress, which reconceptualizes Nigerian traditions, and pieces from the latest runways of established designers, such as Tracy Reese, and emerging talents, such as Charles Harbison." Source.

4. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco - On the Grid: Textiles and Minimalism (7/23/16 - 2/12/17):

Now, here's an exhibition that speaks to us! 'On the Grid', being shown at the DeYoung, is wholly dedicated to Minimalist art-inspired textile design processes from around the world. There are more than two dozen textiles from their collection. "'On the Grid' examines these processes and further explores both the preeminence of weaving in the textile design vocabulary and its influences on the design of painted and dyed pieces that also conform to Minimalism’s repetition of forms and the grid as patterning devices." Source.

5. Carnegie Museum of Art - Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion (2/4/17 - 5/1/17):

Groundbreaking Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen marries precision and meticulous handcraft, inventive technological solutions, and a striking, futuristic aesthetic. The CMOA exhibit, which is the easternmost US venue, presents 15 of her collections which highlight a bewildering range of materials and techniques. This is a show not to be missed Source.

6. Seattle Art Museum - Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style (10/11/16 - 1/8/17):

With more than 100 items on view, the exhibition offers a rich visual history on the changing styles of legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent. Visitors will also be able to see the steps involved in his design process - from sketch to final production. "Beginning in 1953 with the Paper Doll Couture House that he created when he was a teenager, the exhibition is a journey from his first days at Dior in 1958, through his groundbreaking designs in the 1960s and 70s and the splendor of his final runway collection in 2002." Source.

7. MET Costume Institute - Rei Kawakubo / Comme des Garçons (5/4/17 - 9/4/17):

The Costume Institute's much-anticipated exhibition of the work of Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo will feature approximately 120 examples of the designer's womenswear for Comme des Garçons. Her avant-garde designs sent shock waves through the fashion world beginning with CdG's first Paris runway show in 1981 by challenging conventional notions of beauty, good taste, and fashionability. Source.

Be sure to check out these amazing exhibitions before they end! We have provided you a spreadsheet calendar so that you can keep track of the upcoming fashion exhibitions here.

Have we forgotten any shows? Please leave suggestions for calendar submissions in the comments and we will be sure to add them to our calendar. Be sure to check back with our calendar throughout the year as we will be adding to it to keep you up to date on the best fashion exhibits.