Thierry Mugler: Couturissime
The Brooklyn Museum opted to showcase the work of the renowned French fashion designer, Thierry Mugler’s work under the name Couturissme, an invented superlative meaning “beyond couture”. Following Mugler’s recent death in 2022, the legacy of one of the most esteemed designers of the 20th century sets a high bar for representing the “couturissme” of his work. To accomplish this, the Museum utilized alluring interior, light, and sound design to envelope visitors in a world that mirrored and enhanced some of the most influential garments in recent fashion history. Likewise, the garments’ placement in the center of the room allowed one to view the couture works from all angles. The use of dynamically posed mannequins made the garments feel as though they were worn by actual models rather than plastic.
Visitors of Couturissme are first presented with a holographic video set in a church-like setting. A model dances as her garment transforms into a couture Mugler while the table setting behind her becomes a similarly unexpected gown. This entrance references Mugler’s past runway shows while setting the mood of the exhibit as a modern retrospective. Following this theatrical beginning, the exhibit continues chronologically with the clearly articulated phases of Mugler’s evolution. Couturissime not only represents, but constructs, a metamorphous experience while showcasing Thierry Mugler’s most iconic works.
I really like how you focused on the curation of the show itself and how the review functions more as an analysis of what tools were used to show the work. I think that more description could be given on what Mugler's work was about aside from its icon status, and how the curatorial methods showed that. This could be easily done by getting into mentioning some specific collections or pieces whihc were displayed particularly effective. I understand that its a quite large exhibition so its a lot of ground to cover.
ReplyDeleteI think you were successful in describing the installation of this exhibition and how important the theatrics of it were and how it aligns with Mugler’s vision. Maybe you could discuss an overall theme that connects all of his works since there is such a wide range of narratives in his clothing, however I'm sure there is something everything has in common.
ReplyDeleteThe way you describe the experience of entering and walking through is very visual and a really effective aspect of this review! I particularly like the structure of describing the exhibit first as a whole and addressing it historically and then "zooming in" to the viewer's perspective. It could be also be interesting to hear some of your thoughts on the content itself and the curation of that, especially as it relates to the role of photography in this show.
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