‘Daphne Guinness' at the Museum at FIT: On Exhibit (PHOTOS)
For anyone who’s ever dreamed of stepping inside Daphne Guinness’s couture-filled closet, an upcoming exhibit at the Museum at FIT may be the next best thing. “Daphne Guinness,” opening September 16, will feature a heady array of pieces from designers such as Chanel, Alaia, Givenchy, Gareth Pugh and of course, the style icon’s close personal friend, the late Alexander McQueen.
While the museum more often devotes exhibits to chronicling designers’ careers or exploring broader sartorial subjects, its director Valerie Steele says that spotlighting Guinness’ singular style was a relevant pursuit. “In today’s world when so many people are dressed by stylists and just borrow clothes miscellaneously for parties, I think it’s inspiring to realize there’s someone who has such a clear, distinct knowledge of what she likes and what looks best on her.”
The show is arranged according to various aspects of Guinness’ style. For example, one area features “dandy” looks, while another focuses on “armor.” “She’s someone who is well-known for loving armor,” says Steele, who co-curated the exhibit with Guinness. “Although we’re not putting much metal in there, we have a number of fantastic dresses which are silver in color, or armored in appearance -- a fantastic dress and cape by Gareth Pugh, an amazing dress by McQueen.” Another section highlights classic daywear (think crisp, formfitting Alaia dresses). Photographs of Guinness by the likes of David LaChapelle are coupled with the series. So are a few of her films, such as “The Phenomenology of the Body” (which examines the politics of clothing) and “Tribute to Alexander McQueen.”
Steele was particularly excited to display a dragon-embroidered kimono McQueen designed for Givenchy that bears special significance. “Daphne was walking along the street wearing it and McQueen came up to her and said ‘Oh, you’re wearing my dress,’ so that’s how they met,” says Steele. “Isabella Blow had been trying to get them to meet and both were rather shy, but on this occasion he was so pleased to see that she had purchased this look of his.” Other McQueen creations that made the cut include his Renaissance-style chopines, a feathered evening dress and a metallic flared minidress.
Steele’s curatorial collaboration with Guinness lasted almost two years and involved multiple visits to Guinness’s London and New York homes to scour her collection, which unsurprisingly, Steele describes as “great fun.” The pair also spent time discussing Guinness’ formative years.”I’m convinced that personal style develops out of one’s entire lifetime, so we talked about her childhood,” says Steele. “I’d read that her mother was friends with Salvador Dali in Spain when she was growing up, but I got a new sense about the strangeness of those surrealist circles,” she continues. “I think that contributed to her sense of herself as a kind of gypsy, and her ability to wear highly individual clothes.”
And that sense is precisely what Steele hopes will resonate with visitors. “Fashion is not just something that’s created by designers, brilliant as they are,” she says. “It’s also individuals of great personal style who create fashion, make it come alive and take it off the runway and into the world. We may not have the bodies and the bank accounts of Daphne Guinness, but everyone wants to have a personal style.”
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