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i'm andrew bolton curator in charge of the costume institute and i'm taking you on a tour of our most recent exhibition in america an anthology of fashion which explores defining moments in 19th and 20th century american fashion the show centers around the complex and delayed histories of the mets american wing period rooms which provide curated windows into over 300 years of domestic life for the exhibition we've transformed the period rooms into a series of focused narratives that reflect larger developments such as the emergence of an identifiable american style and the rise of the name designer as an individual recognized for their distinct creative vision in this way anthology also provides a historical grounding the companion exhibition in america a lexicon of fashion currently on view in the anna wintour costume center which offers an expansive reflection on defining qualities of fashion in the united states these period room installations take the form of cinematic vignettes that enliven the stories and highlight the intimate and immersive aspects of the rooms these fictional tableau were created by nine film directors roda blanc janix bravo sophia coppola julie dash tom ford regina king martin scorsese orton de wilde and chloe jowl in addition to the vignettes we've also included seven case studies offering in-depth forensic analyses of individual costumes that function as connecting threads together they comprise an anthology that challenges and complicates received histories offering a more nuanced and less monolithic reading of american fashion and of american culture more broadly the first major theme we examine is the emergence of a distinct american style brought to life by the film director autumn de wilde in both the baltimore dining room and the bencar room which had both crafted in the neoclassical style popular in early 19th century america by the early 19th century baltimore was an artistically and commercially vibrant city as in other urban centres in the us the latest styles in paris and london influence local trends in france a revived interest in classical antiquity resulted in the popularization of dresses with narrow silhouettes and high waistlines most fashion conscious american women modified parisian styles for greater simplicity or modesty french style continued to provide inspiration in the us throughout the 19th century moving over to the richmond room we explore the theme of the emergence of a name designer with director regina king here we feature three designs by fanny chris payne a leading designer in the virginia capital at the turn of the 20th century the dresses reveal the designer's precise technical skill and refined artistic sensibility including her expert tailoring careful composition of embellishments and use of delicate materials with fine pintucks and lace insects born in about 1867 to formally enslaved parents chris belonged to a generation of black virginians who built their livelihoods following the abolition of slavery in the u.s she established herself as one of richmond's premier fashion professionals in the face of segregation laws that barred members of the black community from entrepreneurship dressmaking was one of the few occupations accessible to women in this period that offered opportunities for economic independence and social advancement it was also increasingly recognized as a creative endeavor and thus signing one's work with a label became a common practice regina king seen reimagines the context of chris's career presenting her wearing one of her designs as her own muse and a muse for her clients the exploration of this theme continues with vignettes in the haverhill room by director radha blank featuring a wedding dress by l p hollander as well as in the mckim mead and white stair hall and the washing rockefeller dressing room by director sophia koppler with designs by lucy monae and others we also explore the emergence of a named designer in one of our case studies featuring this striking dress by new orleans dressmaker olympus which is made with two bodices one for afternoon which you see in the display and an alternative one per evening with short sleeves and a low cut neckline in the 1860s it was rare for american dressmakers to label their designs by doing so a limp followed the example of french couturier charles frederick worth who saw labeling as a promotional tool and a mark akin to an artist's signature a large part of the exhibition centers on the theme of the birth of american sportswear we see this theme explored through minimalism in the designs by clay mccardle in a scene in the shaker room by director chloe zhao and the emergence of an individual spirit in elizabeth hall's designs in the gothic revival library staged by director ginix bravo as well as in charles james's elegant gowns in the frank lloyd wright room in a scene created by martin scorsese another aspect of this theme is historicism explored here in the rococo revival parlor with a party scene by director jenix bravo the opulent historicism of the bricoka revival parlor is paralleled in this lavish 1960s evening dress by marguerite balhagan which echoes the emphatic silhouette of mid 19th century fashion volhagen who was largely based in the washington dc area specialized in custom garments and was known for sculptural designs made from exquisite fabrics austin hearst wife of newspaper mogul william randolph hearst junior wore this design to john f kennedy's inaugural ball in 1961.
the creative synergy between the two women resulted in some of the designer's most distinctive work other examples of historicism in american fashion are featured in the renaissance revival room with designs by anne lowe and in the greek revival room with evening dresses by madame etta hence both vignettes created by director julie dash another pivotal moment for american fashion is exemplified in the vandaling panorama with director and designer tom ford's imaginative and dynamic staging of a major fashion event known as the battle of versailles american fashion took its rightful place on the world stage on november the 28th 1973 at the transatlantic fashion show great entertainment at versailles conceived by fashion publicist eleanor lambert and palace curator gerald van der kemp as a fundraiser for the host palace then in significant disrepair the battle of versailles pitched five couturios from france mark bowen for christian duo pierre cardan givenchy yves saint laurent and emmanuel angaro against five ready to wear designers from the us bill blass stephen burroughs holston ancline oscar de la renze while the french stage an elaborate presentation the americans captivated the audience with the modernity of their clothes and the vitality of their choreography the american models many of whom are women of color stole the show the event shifted the dynamics between the reigning capital of couture and the emergent epicenter of sportswear the ensembles displayed here against john vanderlin's panoramic view of versailles were shown either at the original event or in the participating designers concurrent seasonal runway presentations together lexicon and anthology present a dialogue spanning the evolution of american fashion how it began and where it is today in all of its nuances diverse aesthetics and inspirations we hope you come to view this immersive experience for yourselves and grow your own relationship to american fashion you
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