A fashion showcase has made its way to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) this summer and fall, starting July 21 and ending November 26.
Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour will be displaying two centuries of American fashion to recognize the strides in the fashion industry and praise all of those who catalyzed it. The exhibit focuses on designers who were never given all of their flowers and underrepresented groups and movements throughout time who created looks that went on to innovate the industry.
The showcase takes a wide view of the fashion industry and the diversity of America's fashion history. It will include over 100 designers and brands with accessories from centuries past.
This exhibit will not just be about clothes from basic outfits but range from one of the oldest American-labeled garments to bathing suits to celebrity collaborations, including Rihanna's Savage X Fenty lingerie and artworks that reflect on fashion, including paintings and photographs.
Fashion is a way to express oneself and identity, which we all do every day whether we realize it or not. It is a part of your first appearance and gives a taste of who you may be, even to a stranger walking past.
At this fashion expo, the directors and creators from NOMA have also made it clear that it is being showcased to learn about fashion and where clothes and ideas come from.
The focus will include the work of Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and women creators.
This was done on purpose to learn about who created the pieces and trends we love so much and why and how it affected their lives and ours now, even decades later, because when you understand something, you tend to appreciate the value of it a little more.
Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour spotlights specific designers who have made big contributions to the industry and are rarely thanked, such as Kiowa designer Teri Greeves and Ginew, the first Native American-owned premium denim collection to show how they blended traditional and contemporary to create indigenous designs.
In addition, brands like Garments by Olivia Anthony and Virgil Abloh show the crucial role that hip-hop and Black designers have played in American fashion.
With that being said, this is not just a fashion exhibit. It is a showcase of labor mixed with the creativity of our ancestors shown through fabric.
Museum admission with access to Fashioning America is $25 for adults and free for NOMA members. On Wednesdays, Louisiana residents receive free general admission to the museum, courtesy of The Helis Foundation, and on those days, tickets to this special exhibition are $10 for Louisiana residents.
For more information, visit https://noma.org/.
