REIGNING MEN: FASHION IN MENSWEAR – COMING TO MAAS

Men’s outfit designed by Craig Green, London
https://collection.maas.museum/object/551241

Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015, coming to the Powerhouse via MAAS Centre for Fashion explores the history of men’s fashionable dress from the 18th century to the present, celebrates a rich history of restraint and resplendence in menswear, and re-examines the all-too-frequent association of “fashion” with “femininity”.

The exhibition, which opens May 2nd, features over 130 garments by renowned menswear designers including Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint LaurentReigning Men makes illuminating connections between history and high fashion. Drawing primarily from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s renowned collection, the exhibition traces cultural influences over the centuries, examines how elements of the uniform have profoundly shaped fashionable dress, and reveals how cinching and padding the body was, and is, not exclusive to women.

Beginning with the 18th century, the male aristocrat wore a three-piece suit conspicuous in make and style, and equally as lavish as the opulent dress of his female counterpart. The 19th-century “dandy” made famous a more refined brand of expensive elegance which became the hallmark of Savile Row, London’s celebrated street of bespoke tailors. The mid-twentieth-century “mod” relished in the colorful and modern styles of Carnaby Street, and the 21st century man – in an ultra-chic “skinny suit” by day and a flowered tuxedo by night – redefines today’s concept of masculinity.

From gentlemen’s attire in the early colonial period to post-World War II outfits and contemporary design, there is also an exhibition entitled: Australian Men’s Style.  This  features some of the milestones in the evolution of Australian menswear. Exploring aspects of men’s clothing and accessories over the past 200 years, this display highlights a selection of objects primarily from the MAAS collection to accompany the exhibition Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015.

Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, was organised by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and presented by the MAAS Centre for Fashion [Facebook] .