“Femmes Fatales”, the latest fashion exhibition of the Dutch Gemeentemuseum, opened november 17th in The Hague. Practically the whole Dutch fashion
scene came by to witness the first exhibition ever of only female fashion designers. There were
approximately a thousand guests in the famous “Tuinzaal” (Garden Gallery,
opened by Barack Obama in 2014). Present among others: Dutch shoe designer Jan
Janssen and his wife Tonny, fashion designer Fong Leng, fashion journalist Milou
van Rossum (wearing a black and white Fong Leng coat), as well as fashion
designer Iris van Herpen.
The title “Femmes Fatales” might give you the wrong idea about the subject of this art exhibition. Because it’s not an exhibition about sexy or dangerous (or dangerously sexy) women. Instead, it’s an exhibition “that focuses on strong women in fashion”. Femmes Fatales brings together couture pieces designed exclusively by female designers. By women, for women.
You’ll find dresses by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, Elsa Schiapparelli, Madeleine Vionnet, Diane von Furstenberg (her famous wrap dress), Fong Leng (several coats), Miuccia Prada, Sonia Rykiel, Vivienne Westwood, but also more current slash younger couturiers like Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior), Phoebe Philo, Mary Katranzou, Isabel Marant and -the incredible- Iris van Herpen.
Dutch designer Sheila de Vries (who has designed for many years for Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands) has her own room, complete with a door bell saying “Sheila de Vries Couture by appointment only”! A very nice touch by the exhibiton designer.
It’s not ‘just’ couture designed by women, there’s definitely a feminist theme present in the exhibition; there a big texts on the walls “We should all be feminists”, “Pink not Pussy”, “Ladies First”, “The future is female” and so on. There are pink beanies or “pussy hats” from the Missoni autumn 2017 collection show. And you can pose for a selfie with protest signs like “Girl Power”, “Love is Love”, etc.
Eighty percent of the exhibition is composed by the museum’s own collection, only twenty percent comes from other museums or private owners who generously lent their precious dresses to the Gemeentemuseum.
Curator Madelief Hohé (in the pink dress) and her team did an incredible job! I will definitely go back to enjoy the exhibition on a more quiet moment and take some better pictures, which was practically impossible with so many people walking around. But you’ll forgive me for that.
For more information, please visit:
Read more about a previous fashion exhibition at Gemeentemuseum here:
https://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-looove-lbd.html
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