Women Dressing Women
Claire McCardell wearing her “Future dress,” 1945. Photo by Erwin Blumenfeld. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo © The Estate of Erwin Blumenfeld. 2023
Written by Madeline Lerner
Photo Edited by Joe Cuccio
The Costume Institute’s fall 2023 collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City highlights the influences of women designers on the fashion industry and society as a whole. Women Dressing Women features approximately 80 works from 70 artists and producers, commemorating the legacy of women fashion designers from the last century. The exhibition marvelously delves into the profound impact of overlooked and famous female designers alike, highlighting their significance not just in the realm of fashion but also in driving social and economic change for women in broader society. Alongside the physical exhibit, the Met released a catalog with the same name, featuring photographs of the installations and essays by various contributors.
The exhibit doesn't just focus on renowned designers like Dior and Prada; it shines a light on the often-overlooked impact of creators such as Bonnie Cashin, Ann Lowe, and Marcelle Chapsal. Chapsal, French designer and founder of the Marcelle Chaumont fashion house, crafted elegant formal attire for women from the 1930s to the 1950s. Among the images in the catalog is an image from a 1948 Vogue publication showcasing her work on a model in Paris. One of her stunning dresses, an exquisite golden “Evening Ensemble,” is on view at the Met. The exhibit also recognizes Anne Lowe, the American designer who created Jackie Kennedy’s famous wedding dress, whose fashion legacy has been grossly ignored for decades. Bonnie Cashin, an American who designed womenswear in the 40s-60s, revolutionized women's high fashion and sportswear, and most people don’t even know her name. In the catalog, a coat she designed in 1958 displays a new kind of unconventional silhouette.
Evening ensemble, Marcelle Chapsal (French,1891–1990) for Marcelle Chaumont (French,1940–1953), fall/winter 1948–49; Gift of Mrs. Byron C. Foy, 1953 (C.I.53.40.4a–c). Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Credit is given, of course, to those who have long been upheld as luminaries of women’s fashion throughout history. Rei Kawakubo for Comme Des Garçons, Miuccia Prada, Elsa Schiaparelli, etc.— designers who demonstrated how women could be hugely successful, creative, and powerful.
Rei Kawakubo with models wearing Comme des Garçons, published in People, December 26, 1983. Photo by Takeyoshi Tanuma Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Moving through the fashion timeline, the exhibit is organized into segments, spotlighting phases like the appropriation of menswear and the trailblazing designers who championed bodily empowerment through their works. Also showcased are pieces that underscore the significance of fashion within women-led political and social movements. In Katharine Hamnett’s T-shirt “Stay Alive in 85,” the English designer uses fashion to support protests for anti-nuclear action in the United Kingdom.
“Stay Alive in 85” T-shirt, Katharine Hamnett (British, born 1947), for Katharine Hamnett (British, founded 1979), 1985; Promised Gift of Sandy Schreier (L.2019.43.16).Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The exhibit and its accompanying catalog offer a significant exploration into the strength and innovation embodied by women, shedding light on those who have been previously unnoticed and underappreciated.
Gallery View, Absence/Omission. Far left: “Celine-Yves Klein” dress, Phoebe Philo (British, born 1973) for Celine (French, founded 1945), spring/summer 2017; Gift of Celine, 2023 (2023.371a, b). Far right: Evening Dress, Ann Lowe (American, 1898–1981), A.F. Chantilly, Inc. (American, 1965–before 1972), ca. 1968; Gift of Florence I. Cowell, 1980 (1980.433.3).
