A global-exclusive fashion exhibition is strutting its way into NGV this summer. Chart the careers of two influential fashion designers – Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme de Garçons. Marvel at over 140 designs, including pieces from the NGV collection and loans from international museums and private collections. The Westwood | Kawakubo exhibition will open at NGV International on Sunday December 7, and run until Sunday April 19.
Westwood | Kawakubo at NGV International
Gaze at five decades of magnificent and thought-provoking designs from these self-taught designers. Both Westwood and Kawakubo subverted the status quo and transformed the world of fashion. Their work challenged taste, gender and beauty, as well as the function and form of clothing.
“This exhibition celebrates two leading female fashion designers from different cultural backgrounds, who both had strong creative spirits and pushed boundaries,” said NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM.
Throughout the exhibition, you’re encouraged to reflect on their legacies, and think about the ways that fashion can be used for self-expression. Themes include Punk and Provocation, Rupture, Reinvention and The Body and The Power of Clothes. Each theme will feature different ways in which Westwood and Kawakubo and questioned fashion convention. Alongside the garments, you’ll also see archival materials, photography, film and runway footage.
See punk ensembles from the late 1970s, popularised by London bands such as The Sex Pistols and Siousie Sioux, a tartan gown famously worn by Kate Moss on the runway, and the original version of a corset wedding dress, worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and The City: The Movie.
You’ll also see nearly 40 works from a recent donation from Comme des Garçons to the NGV, including a runway version of Rihanna’s 2017 Met Gala red carpet dress.
Young fans of fashion will also have plenty of fun with Let’s Party: NGV Fashion for Kids. This free and interactive exhibition for families will feature garments from NGV’s Fashion and Textile Collection, allowing children to make party outfit designs and have a fashion photoshoot. It will open on November 28.
Tickets for Westwood | Kawakubo are on sale now.