newspaper
agenda cultural
American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity is the first Costume Institute exhibition drawn from the newly established Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Met
It explores developing perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940 and how they have affected the way American women are seen today. Focusing on archetypes of American femininity through dress, the exhibition reveals how the American woman initiated style revolutions that mirrored her social, political, and sexual emancipation. "Gibson Girls," "Bohemians," and "Screen Sirens," among others, helped lay the foundation for today's American woman.
A related exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection (May 7–August 1), highlights masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection.
Madame Grès (Alix Barton) (French, 1903–1993). ‘Dress, Evening’, spring/summer 1938. Silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1955 (2009.300.1214)
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978) ‘La Sirène’ Dress, Evening, 1951–1952. Silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Emmet Whitlock, 1983 (2009.300.2951)
