Gothic: Dark Glamour at The Museum at FIT
NEW YORK—I’ve never been one to fear fashion, until I visited The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) to view Gothic: Dark Glamour, the first exhibition devoted to the Gothic style in fashion.
As I entered the dark basement of the museum, I found myself in the first gallery, which traces the development of Gothic style from its Victorian mourning origins to its contemporary manifestations in art, fashion and film.
On display are actual mourning dresses, crepe veils, and memento mori jewelry from the Victorian period, which were enough to usher in a feeling of gloom.
Eiko Ishioka’s costumes for the film Bram Stoker’s Dracula included a text beside it that deftly pointed out that Dracula only started wearing a cape when he became a movie character. Gothic accessories such as antique crucifix necklaces and even the death mask of a poet completed the collection.
The main gallery was set up to resemble a labyrinth with spooky-sounding sections like “The Ruined Castle,” “The Haunted Palace,” and “The Graveyard.”
Seeing the Gothic-inspired designs of Alexander McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester, Boudicca, Comme des Garçons, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Haute Couture, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hussein Chalayan, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, Christian Lacroix, Derek Lam, Gareth Pugh, Kei Kagami, Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Rick Owens, Rodarte, Anna Sui, Olivier Theyskens, Jun Takahashi of Undercover, and Yohji Yamamoto “in the flesh” was eerie, but in a good way.
I never realized how strongly “Goth” has influenced high fashion.
Another highlight that I found amusing features a range of sub-cultural styles that would certainly pique the interest of any Goth enthusiast—from “old-school Goth” to industrial, steam punk, and cyber-Goth, featuring the works of designers like Kambriel, Morphius and Plastik Wrap, as well as the Elegant Gothic Lolitas by Japanese labels Moi-Même-Moité and h.Naoto Blood.
It was an interesting and cost-efficient way to spend an afternoon. It doesn’t cost a penny to get into the museum! And while I’m still prejudiced towards the happy, sparkly, glamorous side of fashion, it left me with a newfound appreciation and fascination for its dark side. Not that I am crossing over anytime soon.
The “Goths” may have stayed away from the light all these years, but there’s no denying how surprisingly, refreshingly they are, right now, on the radar.
Exhibit runs at The Museum at FIT from Sept. 5 through February 21, 2009. All photos used with permission from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
