It’s no secret that queers have had a huge influence on the world of fashion—from early icons such as Oscar Wilde and Marlene Dietrich, to the androgynous look of butch lesbians. But it turns out that gay fashion influence goes back even farther than we thought: From Sep 13 through Jan 14, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology will showcase an astonishing 300 years of gay style in A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk. The exhibit—the first in history to take such an expansive view—highlights gay men’s looks of the 18th century; designers from the 1930s; gay style before and after Stonewall; and LGBT wedding looks. It should be a fascinating experience even if you don’t consider yourself a fashion plate.
The Brooklyn Museum touts queer fashion as well with a look at the career of designer Jean Paul Gaultier. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk begins Oct 25 and runs through Feb 23. According to Women’s Wear Daily, over 500,000 visitors have already viewed this traveling exhibit since it began in 2011, and the Brooklyn Museum version promises to include special pieces not seen before. Overall there will be more than 140 outfits on display, including many worn by Madonna, and those Gaultier created for the movies.
Meanwhile, film buffs will be astounded by The American Museum of the Moving Image’s Persol Magnificent Obsessions: 30 Stories of Craftsmanship in Film. The exhibit reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of such critically-acclaimed features as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Requiem for a Dream and The Thomas Crown Affair. The exhibit will be on until Nov 10.
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