Modamorfosis, exhibition at Museo del Traje Madrid

Exhibition review

MODAMORFOSIS - Museo del Traje, Madrid. Dates: 3 March - 29 May 2016

The idea and concept behind this exhibition recently closed at Museo del Traje Madrid is construct, deconstruct and reconstruct.  And from there the curators, Lucina Llorente and Juan Gutierrez have laid out, or better said, displayed their thesis about the evolution and re-volution of the ever lasting process of dressing the body.

By choosing some pieces from the Museum's collection, they present their statement about the ideal of a three de-codification stages concept in the making of fashion history.

The exhibition shows an eight sections, path that starts with some pieces from the XVIIIth century following some milestones of the Western fashion history, to draw a map of encounters, crossovers, validation or invalidations of patterns, silhouettes, colors, shapes, ornaments.

The well organized distribution, with panels-labels and the audacious display of garments arranged as an outright paragraph to explain the initial concept, is exceeded by the unusual presentation of the eight pieces that draw the backbone of the exhibition.  They are suspended in the air as their own ground and providing with their intense presence the connections between the sections of the exhibit as a nexus of the references and creating the frame for the central space, that of the space of confluence, where the new construction marks the new shape re-invented from the parts of the pasts ones.

The circular lay out of the display of the pieces grouped by sections with explanatory panels, enhances the initial sensation of constraint and confinement produced by the low light in the room and the binding round path and helps reading the display as a circular walk for the concept that is countersigned by the central display on the ground of the pieces of patterns of the garment designed by Comme des Garçons (1983) that is hanging almost dismantled just above the space, becoming the focal point for the exhibit.

The right decision of showing the pieces without a glass protection, permits not only enjoy with  respectful proximity the dresses, but also better understand how they are crafted.  There is a great pleasure in surrounding yourself with clothes and from a little distance feel what it would be wearing them!

There is also another advantage derived from this display, and that is of learning from observing how the body silhouettes were/are created: the specific tailoring with all the inventions in patterns, applied ornaments, and adds to produce shapes, volumes, etc.,

The titles in panels are part of the statement of the exhibition and they work as nexus for the sections:

Dress without artifice.  The body defined. Freedom of movement. Marking distances. Construct, deconstruct, reconstruct. Keep on looking at me. The function and form. Variations on three pieces.

Sections conceived as a conversation about the idea and concept of form, shaping the body with fashion creations.

View of the exhibition.

Bujosa Textiles, reviving traditional handmade textiles from Majorca

 There is nothing more appealing to a textiles researcher than be surrounded by fabrics
and those who can tell you about the history of the making. Some time ago I was invited
to visit a textiles shop/workshop, Bujosa Textiles. in Santa Maria del Camí, Majorca.

The surprise was to find out about the history of the place: a family run business

that is more than 60 years old, and now is revived by the youngest generation who

felt impelled to commit to the handmade traditional Majorcan textile manufacturing.

They are proud manufacturers of not only traditional fabric called "telas de llenguas",
 but other fabrics using cotton, linen and silks of finest quality.  

One of the most interesting thing is to be able to visit the "telares" or mills that

are many years old and are still working perfectly, they show us how the fabrics 

were produced and the real meaning of using any of the fabrics for clothing, 

upholstery, curtains or home ware.

 The noise produced by the mills, the dust in the tools, and the many colored thread
coils waiting to be used talk about time and perseverance, and waiting for the
right moment to flourish again in the middle of mass production industry turbulences.  

The quality is the important key in the business and they look for the right texture, 

the impressive colors and the long last quality, a fabric that should accompany

 you for many years and generations.  An ode to sustainability!

The origins of these fabrics may be found in the oriental world, 

as there are examples of similar fabrication like the ikats.

The most used color is the blue sourced from the natural indigo,

 but nowadays thanks to chemistry there are other ways to dye threads.

Dying is handmade which gives the artisanal and exclusive quality 

to fabrics and, so being more appreciated.

"Living Fashion" exhibition, MoMu Antwerp (Mar-Aug 2012)

We are again in the weeks where the news about fashion in the main international cities 
are  full with mentions to catwalks and presentations for A/W collections.  The nowness 
of these events influence the obvious reflection on the importance of timelessness.

  To help understanding the meaning of wearing fashion, the MoMu Antwerp produced in 
2012 an exhibition that displayed part of the collection of Mrs. Jacoba de Jonge, which at
 that time was being researched, and now is part of the museum's archives.

The exhibit called "Living Fashion, Women's daily wear 1750-1950", curated by 

Karen Van Godtsenhoven and Wim Mertens, both curators at the Mode Museum, 

explored the idea of middle class women's garde robe for every day circumstances.

The period the exposition covered is ample, and showed the transformations and 

impositions of fashion rules over a long lapse, and reflects how changes in garments

 and habits of wearing them were somehow a product of historical and social changes.

The exhibition was divided into 13 sections each one of them presenting the different

 aspects of apparels and accessories, establishing a conversation on how and when to

wear them and translating the the evolution of textiles and patterns.  The design of the

layout followed the idea of juxtaposing home and street wear according to social rules. 

At the entrance of the expo there was a video showing some interesting aspects
 of working with archives and collections and there was a sing with information 
about delicate conditions under what the dress, costumes and textiles must be 
exhibited, therefore the very bleak lighting was used in all the halls that 
sometimes colored warmly some garments.

These are images for some of the pieces shown and the general views of the exhibit.