ExhibitionsLuxury in Fashion Reconsidered

Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered

Maison Martin Margiela (Martin Margiela)
Vest, Spring/Summer 2006
©Maison Martin Margiela
Photo by Marina Faust, Paris Luxury: Why has fashion always been attracted to and so closely associated with it? Examining fashion from the standpoint of luxury, this exhibition considers the relaitonship between luxury and fashion in different socieites and eras, from the 17th century to the present, and explores new directions for the future.
The growth of the industrial economy has brought a welath of material blessings into our lives, but has also confronted us with some challenging global issues. Under these circumstances, people do not necessarily share the same view of luxury, which is one of the manifestations of this affluence. Views range from the perception of luxury in terms of visually luxurious and lavish expressions to a take on luxury that is more individualistic, more of an intellectual pleasure. For this exhibition, we use the concept of ‘luxury’ as a vantage point from which to take a new look at fashion—the most sensitive indicator of our values and social trends.
Following Japonism in Fashion (1994), Visions of the Body (1999), and Fashion in Colors (2004), Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered is a cutting-edge fashion exhibition, addressing the theme of luxury from a variety of perspectives by presenting 17th-century to present-day fashion items carefully selected from the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute (KCI).

Related events

New acquisition: Kyoichi Tsuzuki—Happy Victims
April 1 (Wed.)–May 24 (Sun.), 2009
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
4F Collection Gallery
Artist talk (in Japanese only) & autograph session on April 12 (Sun.)

Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered: Lecture series
Lecture I: “Ikebana—A World of Eco-Luxury”
April 18 (Sat.) 2:00PM–3:30PM
Lecturer: IKENOBŌ Yuki (headmaster designate, Ikenobo)
in Japanese only
Lecture II: “Fragrance and Luxury—Exploring the Culture of Fragrance”
April 19 (Sun.) 2:00PM–3:30PM
Lecturer: HATA Masataka (president, Shoyeido Incense Co.)
in Japanese only
Lecture III: “Haute Couture ou le monde des artisans” (tentative title)
April 25 (Sat.) 2:00PM–3:30PM
Lecturer: Olivier Saillard (curator, Musée de la Mode et du Textile)
in French with Japanese translation
lecture on April 25 (Sat.) cancelled
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
1F Lecture hall (maximum capacity 100), free admission
Reservation required (via KCI, TEL 075-321-9221)

Related links

Exhibition page on the KCI website

http://www.kci.or.jp/exhibitions/luxury/index_e.html

Exhibition dates

Saturday, April 11 – Sunday, May 24, 2009

Closed on Mondays

Exception: Open on May 4 (Mon./holiday)

Hours

Regular hours

9:30AM–5:00PM (admission until 4:30PM)

Evening hours (every Friday)

9:30AM–8:00PM (admission until 7:30PM)

List of brands/artists to be exhibited

Worth	Christian Dior	Issey Miyake
Paul Poiret	Balenciaga	Comme des Garçons
Beer	Yves Saint Laurent	Viktor & Rolf
Madeleine Vionnet	Pierre Cardin	Lanvin
Chanel	Courrèges	Louis Vuitton
Schiparelli	Roy Lichtenstein	Maison Martin Margiela
Grès	Thierry Mugler

Organizers