"Living Fashion", exhibition at the MoMu Antwerp (March-August 2012)

These weeks the news about fashion in the main international cities are full with mentions of catwalks and presentations for A/W collections.  The nowness of these events influence the obvious reflection on the importance of timelessness.  To help understanding the meaning of wearing fashion,  two years ago the MoMu Antwerp developed and exhibition that displayed part of the collection of Mrs. Jacoba de Jonge, which was being research and now is part of the museum's archives.

The exhibit called "Living Fashion, Women's daily wear 1750-1950", curated by Karen Van Godtsenhoven and Wim Mertens, both curators at the Mode Museum, explored the idea of middle class women's garde robe for every day circumstances.  The period the exposition covered  is ample and showed  the transformation of fashion rules and impositions over a long lapse, and reflects that changes in garments and habits of wearing them were somehow product of historical and social changes.

The exhibition was divided into 13 sections each one of them presenting the different aspects of apparels and accessories, establishing a conversation on how and when to wear them and translating the the evolution of textiles and patterns.  The design of the layout followed the idea of juxtaposing home and street wear according to social rules. 

At the entrance of the expo there was a video showing some interesting aspects of working with archives and collections and there was a sing with information about delicate conditions under what the dress, costumes and textiles must be exhibited, therefore the very bleak lighting was used in all the halls that sometimes coloured warmly some of the garments.

View of the exhibit with generals and some close ups of pieces and accessories.

There were some videos and large format prints that offer context to the pieces showed.  Those prints were as interesting to observe as the collection itself.

"Moi, VERONIQUE. BRANQUINHO TOuTe NUe" past exhibit at MoMu

It is interesting to go over the archives museum's websites pages for exhibitions.  Sometimes what you may find is a full report, text and visuals with content of show, more often what there is left in the site is no more than a text from the leaflet or brochure edited for the exhibition, with no added content or enhanced information.  Then, for general public or researches the archival materials are yet to be discovered inside the museum.  In the case of the MoMu, I have been documenting most of the exhibits from 2008 and since this blog started later than that date, I have decided to digg into the photo-archives to retrieve some images from an interesting show "Moi, VERONIQUE. BRANQUINHO TOuTe NUe", by Veronique Branquinho, fashion designer based in Antwerp, Belgium.  The show had a "mise-en-scene" with artistic display, and dramatic scenography, in many tones of blacks, dark rooms and dramatic lighting effects.

Text from the visitor's guide:

In 1995, Veronique Branquinho graduated from the fashion department of the Royal Academy in Antwerp. Only two years later, at 24, she presented her first collection (spring-summer 1998) at the Paris Fashion Week. In 1998, only a year after her debut, she went to New York to receive the prestigious VH1 Fashion Award as ‘The Best Newcomer in Fashion’. In 2003, she added her men’s line and opened her flagship store in Antwerp. To mark the 10th anniversary of her label, the Fashion Museum presents the exhibition Moi, VERONIQUE. BRANQUINHO TOuTe NUe.*

Images:

The designer shut her firm down in 2009, and was appointed artistic director to Delvaux later in that year.

More info on Branquinho's works for the exhibition:
VIsitor's guide to show, MoMu exhibit,
A Magazine,  The Early Days #6: Veronique Branquinho (A Blog Curated by Veronique Branquinho)  

"Stephen Jones: The Accent of Fashion" closed exhibition at MoMu (Antwerp, BE)

This blog is following the exhibits' calendar at MoMu in Antwerp to offer photo-essays of the showa on display.  You can go to Exhbition in MoMu, Antwerp for the show "BLACK: Masters of Black in Fashion and Costume”, to read about previous exhibits in 2010.


But current exhibition, Stephen Jones: The Accent of Fashion was on show since 8th September until last February 13th.  This blog also previewed some news on Exhibition design: working meeting in the exhibit rooms (Antwerp, BE)

Some information from MoMu's web:

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Jone's house, Stephen Jones Millinery, MoMu presents a retrospective exhibition.  The exhibition Stephen Jones: The Accent of Fashion guides you through the unique world of a hatmaker who has worked with many of the greatest names in the international fashion scene for three decades: Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, Comme des Garçons, Claude Montana, John Galliano, Christian Dior, Azzedine Alaïa,Walter Van Beirendonck, Marc Jacobs, and many more. Stephen Jones plays a unique behind-the-scenes role in fashion because of the unparalleled freedom he is given by designers, allowing his work to influence the image of a collection. Just as accents in language lead to the correct reading and rhythm of a text, Jones’s hats add the appropriate punctuation to a designer’s fashion statement.

The space used is the same as in previous exhibits, but every topic is forcing to redefine its architecture and redesing its the use.  In the case of Jones' show the idea is offer an open plan with a divisions of "islands" of content: hats.  In the show everything is about hats, and objects were decided and chosen by Jones in collaboration with the curators Geert Bruloot (also the exb¡hibit designer) and Kaat Debo, as well as the museum team. The main concepts are distributed alog the "islands" where further information about how to and when, and why these hatas were created are accompanied buy historic/biographical stories offered by the same objects and some media devices who project runways, or clips or films about or dedicated to the artist/crafter's ideas and creations.


The photo-visit:

More info:
MoMu exhibitons , MoMu information, MoMu Blog