Introduction
The
twentieth century was one in which an incredible panorama
of events unfurled to shape the generations that lived through
it. Dress provides us with a window on this amazing period,
documenting the evolution of society and its values through
corresponding changes in concepts of individual style.
The visual language of art and fashion shares common threads,
though not always concurrently.
In this exhibition art and fashion were placed in juxtaposition,
sometimes offering complimentary visions, sometimes in unsettling
contrast. We usually view artworks in the neutral environment
of the gallery without considering the aesthetic context
in which new artistic ideas first emerged. In this exhibition
the contrasts and connections between art and fashion illuminated
the issues and events that shaped this amazing century.
