“Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and
Architecture”
Museum of Contemporary Art
Nov. 19, 2006 – March 5, 2007
Upon stepping through the doors of the Museum of Contemporary
Art’s “Skin and Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion
and Architecture,” the exhibition’s message is
immediately clear: Contemporary fashion and architecture mirror and
influence one another to a much greater extent than is commonly
recognized.
The exhibit, which runs from Nov. 19, 2006 to March 5, 2007,
showcases over 45 innovative designers and architects. Garments by
world-famous couturiers such as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne
Westwood, as well as models, blueprints and photographs of various
pieces of contemporary architecture provided by celebrated
architects, reveal the similar functions and framework that
today’s worlds of fashion and architecture have in common.
Clothing and buildings each have an exterior facade ““ the
skin ““ and a structural skeleton.
The “Skin and Bones” exhibit is organized
thematically. It includes 10 very impressive sections devoted to
such subjects as creative process, geometry and technique.
Throughout the exhibit and its sections, museumgoers will encounter
everything from breathtaking photographs of modern architectural
masterpieces to information on tectonic strategies used for
garments and architectural projects alike.
Perhaps the most relatable sections of the exhibit, however, are
those that present the concepts of shelter and identity.
Set in front of a runway spectacle projected onto the wall
behind it, Viktor and Rolf’s 1999-2000 “Russian
Doll” collection catches the eye with a plethora of sparkles
created using Swarovski crystals that are embroidered onto silk and
lace dresses. The lifesize mannequins each wear a different dress,
layered one by one onto a single model so that she looks as though
she is going to topple over.
After viewing Viktor and Rolf’s work, the concepts of
shelter and social status become entirely evident; both clothing
and buildings shelter and protect, and as their layers are torn
away, their absence awakens a state of utter vulnerability.
The exhibit’s section on identity displays the ability of
both clothing and buildings to communicate who a person is. Colors,
silhouettes and textures are used as tools for individualization as
people go about their lives choosing what they wear, where they
live and how they want their homes to look.
Hussein Chalayan and Marcus Tomlinson’s small-screen
tableau, inspired by Hussein’s “Afterwords”
collection, offers a distinct message relating to the extent to
which people are reflected in their surroundings. One of the skirts
worn by a model in the video even transforms into a table.
Both fashion and architecture have inherited a newfound sense of
adventure in recent years, borrowing completely unexpected
characteristics and techniques from one another. The MOCA’s
newest exhibition offers a comprehensive and fascinating look at
their complex and growing relationship.