Streetstyle: From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow

This exhibition is the first to chart the development of international street clothing, from the sharp zoot suits of 1940s Harlem to the colourful, layered and recycled look of the 1990s New Age Traveller. Bikers, Surfers, Rockabillies and Hipsters rub shoulders with Goths, Rockers, Rastas and Punks in this explosion of street culture. Alongside original clothing – Teddy Boy suits, leather Biker jackets, Two Tone suits, Goosedown jackets, jeans, kaftans, DMs, baseball hats, cowboy boots, Psychedelic shirts – music, photographs, video and accessories all help to unravel the complex factors influencing the development of streetstyle. Placing the clothes in their cultural context, the exhibitions provides a comprehensive overview of post-war youth culture, offering new interpretations of the dynamics of dress.

For the first time, innovative street designers such as Jimmy Jumble, Sarah Ratty, Oz, Clare Tranter and Craig Morrison are presented alongside the famous names of high fashion: Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Donna Karan, Yves-Saint Laurent, Joe Casely-Hayford, Vivienne Westwood, Helen Storey, Calvin Klein and Gianni Versace who have all acknowledged the street as a potent source of inspiration.

Image © Victoria and Albert Museum, London