From January 31 to April 27 the Gibbes Museum of Art is showcasing the intertwined stitching between fashion and art. In collaboration with Barrett Barrera Projects fashion collection, including works by Alexander McQueen and Comme Des Garçons, The Gibbes Museum of Art is presenting an comprehensive exhibition which explores connections between fine art and fashion from the 1770s to present years. This unforgettable exhibition is centered at Charleston's annual arts festival, Art Charleston. The exhibition is co-curated by Sara Arnold (Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Gibbes Museum of Art), and Kelly Peck (Chief Curator/Vice President of Barrett Barrera Projects). The gallery settings and staging for these one-of-a-kind pairings were designed by Nic Cherry (Director/Barrett Barrera Projects).

In this exhibition each design is paired with an art piece, clearly presenting the ways in which fashion is influenced by fine arts through shape, texture, materials, and culture. Fashion is its own unique medium, combining three-dimensional shapes, movement, functionality, and visual aesthetics. The medium is complex and demanding, but the pairing of these paintings with the designs draws on a different understanding of life and art. The exhibition creates a visual understanding of the ways that fashion becomes an expression of self and life, rather than simply an execution of beauty. The art includes abstract paintings, sculpture, oils, woodblock prints, and more, further presenting a versatility in medium alongside the designs. 

One of the most notable presentations in the exhibition is a red dress from Comme des Garçons Spring/Summer 2015 collection, next to Donté K. Hayes’ stoneware sculpture Sanctuary. Essential to Rei Kawakubo's designs in the subversion of shape and size. Notorious for avant-garde construction and hailed as a visionary within women's fashion for having a stark understanding of the complexities of women's bodies, Kawakubo has an otherworldly understanding of garment construction within relation to bodies. The artful, subversive fashion house is known for pushing the boundaries of fashion beyond beauty.

Pairing Kawakubo's design with the stoneware sculpture reminds viewers of the exhibition to contemplate expectations of design, seeing unconventional shapes on bodies. The three-dimensionality of these pieces together makes for a critical reflection of each piece concerning each other and the consumer. Another notable pairing is Pam Hogg’s “Black Dress #4” from the Spring/Summer 2013 Collection with the 1919 painting Mrs. Asher D. Cohen by Martha Simkins, portraying dark feminine themes in relation to London’s punk era. As well as floral designs by Molly Goddard next to an abstract painting by Joan Mitchell, creating a whimsical feeling for viewers. 

This exhibition comes at a time when it’s important to be reminded of where contemporary art comes from. The Gibbes Museum of Art presents it to us on a silver platter. During a time when media is at an influx, force-feeding users over-saturated trends and aesthetics with little reflection of what we truly see in our everyday lives, it's important to be reminded that art truly imitates life. Seeing reflections of fashion and art looking at each other like a mirror, even years apart, helps connect the dots which have been spread apart and severed by doom scrolls, aesthetic wars, and overconsumption. Overall this exhibition is an important collision between the contemporary and historical vision of art and design.