London's Fashion and Textile Museum "Peacocks and Pinstripes"
By Hannah Ross
13 February 2008
Developed in collaboration with the Getty Images Gallery, Peacocks and Pinstripes focuses on the often neglected world of men's fashion. It includes an impressive series of iconic images depicting the styles and trends of the past 70 years, portraying the male image in fashion and photography, and the role of celebrity in fashion - who was wearing what - and where and when.
On writing the Foreword to the exhibition, style writer James Sherwood said, "For the lion's share of the 20th century, the male role in fashion photography was that of an immaculate but unobtrusive accessory. Peacocks & Pinstripes is not a retrospective of the male body reflected in the mirror of fashion magazines. Instead, the exhibition celebrates icons of male elegance captured by the great portrait and artist photographers."
From the tailored 1930s elegance of the Duke of Windsor, to the 1960s impudence of the Rolling Stones, the suave glamour of Roger Moore's James Bond to the casual informality of Richard Gere and David Beckham, many of the sartorial legends of the past century are represented in an eclectic mix of photographs, each capturing the mood of its particular era.
In the contemporary element of the exhibition, the photographs represent a new era of cutting edge work by emerging talent, with many of the photographers just beginning to establish their careers. A number of the images present a modern take on classical portraits and they all contain a knowing yet un-ironic reference to the past.
This journey through the development of male fashion takes us through a period of enormous change in lifestyle and creativity, and includes some previously unseen images, as well as work by internationally renowned photographers such as Terry O'Neill, one of the world's most published photographers during the 60s and 70s.
"Far from confirming the theory that men are walk-on parts in the history of fashion photography," adds Sherwood, "the images chosen for Peacocks & Pinstripes show that, while these men were posing for posterity rather than fashion plates, they froze the fashion of their era for eternity."
The newly redeveloped FTM, now a part of Newham College, also has a much broader remit as an education, exhibition and visitor centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery. The exhibition programme will be supported by a programme of talks, master-classes, seminars and workshops, aimed at attracting highprofile designers and businesses from across the sector, as well as budding fashion entrepreneurs and the general public.
Visitors to Peacocks and Pinstripes will also be able to view a series of changing exhibitions from the permanent FTM collection which includes garments by Zandra Rhodes, along with other influential designers.
The only building in Europe designed by Mexican architect, Ricardo Legoretta, the FTM reflects the vibrant colours and easy style of architecture associated with his homeland. Within the building, other new facilities for visitors will include FTM Café, with WiFi access, and Shop@FTM, a retail area offering exclusive items of textile and jewellery by designers and manufacturers associated with the FTM.
Peacocks and Pinstripes will run from 8th February to 31st May 2008 at the Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street London SE1 3XF.
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