THE Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a long history of presenting cutting-edge exhibitions that offer an exclusive look into the history of fashion while simultaneously prophesying its future.
The newest exhibition announced by the V&A, Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear is no exception. Featuring around 100 looks and 100 artworks, displayed in three parts: Underdressed, Overdressed and Redressed, the exhibition offers an enlightening glimpse of menswear past, present and future.
“Masculine fashion is enjoying a period of unprecedented creativity. It has long been a powerful mechanism for encouraging conformity or expressing individuality”, co-curators of the exhibition Claire Wilcox and Rosalind McKever explain. The exhibition seeks to reveal how masculinity is and has been performed through clothing and accompanying artistic mediums.
Craig Green SS21 deconstructed suit. Photograph: Amy Gwatkin
Portrait of Prince Alessandro Farnese by Sofonisba Anguissola
A deconstructed suit from Craig Green’s ss2021 collection – a metaphor for the deconstruction and reconstruction of masculine conventions – kicks off the exhibition. Looks from other well-known brands such as Gucci (the exhibition sponsor), Wales Bonner, Harris Reed and Raf Simons will follow, demonstrating the ways fashion has embraced and challenged said conventions of masculinity.
The garments will be showcased alongside other artworks from names like Sofonisba Anguissola and Robert Longo, thus creating a more in-depth depiction of gender expression.
Last year, the British Fashion Council decided it was time to adjourn London Men’s Fashion week and make London fashion week gender neutral. Gender performance is an ever-changing and ever-captivating subject, and the Fashioning Masculinities exhibition at the V&A examines and celebrates its intricacies.
by Jamison Kent
The exhibition will be taking place March 19 – November 2022. Tickets are on sale now and avilable here
