Fashion Flashback: 'Future Beauty' at SAM

You may have noticed that I adore all things fashion and history, so when I got to check out the Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, how could I pass that up?! The Future Beauty Exhibit is open now through September 8, 2013, and features more than 100 garments highlighting Japanese fashion designers whose collections have revolutionized the way we think of fashion today.

Full credit: Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons, washed denim dress and pants, Spring/Summer 2002, Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. Photo by Takashi Hatakeyama.

The Future Beauty exhibit is filled with pieces that range from traditional black ball gowns to over the top. Walking through each grouping shows a snippet in time of Japanese culture, many pieces are inspired by traditional Japanese garments such as kimonos and many are inspired by street fashion.
I’ve honestly never been one for art museums – I’ve never felt as if I truly understand what’s going on – but looking at fashion as a piece of artwork is something I can easily relate too. While all of the groupings within the exhibit were beautiful, one in particular stood out to me. At the beginning of the exhibit there is a grouping of four black garments, one of which is a black taffeta ball gown with a polka dot underskirt. One of the more traditional pieces in the exhibit, the dress is still incredibly unique and speaks to a time when Japanese designers were gaining influence in the fashion world.
To learn more about the Future Beauty Exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum click here, and to enter SAM’s contest to win a Future Beauty prize package visit their Facebook page!

Full credit: Jun Takahashi for Undercover, polyester and organdy dress, Spring/Summer 2007, Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. Photo by Kazuo Fukunaga.

Full credit: Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons, stretch nylon and polyurethane plain-weave top and skirt with down pads, Spring/Summer 1997, Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. Photo by Yasushi Ichikawa.