GENDER BENDING FASHION

Contemporary designers who have helped move the conversation on fashion and gender are currently the subject of an exhibition at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. ‘Gender Bending Fashion’ features the work of Rad Hourani, Christian Siriano, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Jeremy Scott for Adidas, Palomo and Rei Kawakubo among others. They are contextualized historically by the accompanying display of photographs, paintings, videos and garment examples dating back 100 years, from the Scottish kilt to a 1990s Donna Karan suit dress. All objects speak to moments of sartorial disruption, when binary definitions of dress have been questioned, many of them by actors and musicians, including Marlene Dietrich, David Bowie and Young Thug. They bring up topics as varied as gender identity, race, pop culture, activism, and societal shifts like increasing LGBTQIA visibility, which viewers ponder while immersed in an evocative soundtrack.

March 21 – August 25, 2019 Museum of Fine Arts Boston, USA