Breaking the Mode: Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection

This extensive exhibition of contemporary fashion from LACMA’s permanent collection examines designers who have challenged the canons of the body’s fashionable silhouette, revolutionized methods of garment construction, rejected the formulaic use of materials and techniques, and exploited new technology in textile production. Focusing on the dramatic change in the aesthetics of fashionable dress over the past 25 years, the exhibition is divided into four thematic areas: construction, materials, form, and concept. Among the more than 40 international designers whose work will be exhibited are Jean-Paul Gaultier, Rei Kawakubo, Martin Margiela, Issey Miyake, Thierry Mugler, and Yohji Yamamoto, with historical examples by Gilbert Adrian, Christian Dior, and Charles James. The IMA will be the second of four venues to host this touring exhibition.