Vivienne Westwood 1980's - Exhibit at FIT

She claims she never intended to go into fashion…What a thought.  One of the most original characters of the punk 70’s, flamboyant 80’s and the decadent 90’s got involved in clothing design to “help out her boyfriend”. 

Of course, the designer is Vivienne Westwood, and that boyfriend was Malcolm Maclaren, manager of the Sex Pistols.  The Museum at FIT is launching a small exhibit next Tuesday showcasing her iconic looks from the decade of the 1980’s.  That’s when dressing like a Pirate was considered chic and English tweed could actually be made edgy.

Exhibit runs from March 8, 2011 – April 2, 2011.

Museum at FIT

Photo via WWD archives

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Brooklyn Fashion: American High Style Hands On

In Brooklyn, style and culture is a hands-on event. The Brooklyn Museum has a fantastic exhibit of American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection. It features the works of prominent American designers in our history as well as International designers that had an influence on how Americans dressed.
Etsy, online champion of artists everywhere, is collaborating with the museum Saturday for a full day of fashion design events. The events start with a community crochet project, leading to a gallery tour of the exhibit. A panel discussion with fashion editors in the afternoon will elaborate on how Brooklyn design reflects the cultural, ethnic an international trends of the community. The third floor will house a showcase of Brooklyn designers and top graduates of the Pratt Fashion program. Complete event details here.

Dress and photo by naKIMuli. Dress by Adrian, photo from Brooklyn Museum

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