STORIES FOR GIRLS
A small exhibit at FIT takes on the magnificent subject Fairy Tale Fashion but falls flat. It makes literal, and often unconvincing, connections between clothing described in well-known western fairy tales and runway fashions. So there are, in the basement gallery, rows of mannequins dressed in Little Red Riding Hood capes, Cinderella ballgowns, Wicked Witch dresses, and Snow Queen suits. What could have been a vivid exploration of ages-old cultural archetypes (Witch, Slave, Princess, Mermaid) is simply an excuse to pull, and display, outfits from the Museum’s permanent collection.
The most powerful pieces weave fairy tale figures into fashionable, wearable clothing. There’s a Dolce and Gabbana hooded gold dress, smothered with jewels, that evokes Medieval Princess and Joan of Arc, without being historically pedantic. And there’s a white fur jacket and dress by J Mendel that evokes Sweet Russian Princess and Wicked Witch of the Tundra, simultaneously. Less interesting are pieces so high-concept they end up looking like costumes from an off-Broadway show: an outrageously overscaled red vinyl hood by Commes des Garcons, and a motorcycle jacket worn over a Swan Lake tutu by Undercover.
Two designers straddle the worlds of fairy tale and fashion with exceptional grace: Thierry Mugler and Thom Browne. A shimmering, fitted silver leather fishtail sheath by Mugler feels as if it were crafted for a brassy Jazz-Age Mermaid. And two stunning Thom Browne ensembles subvert their originary fairytale. A womens red wool skirt suite with elaborate floral piecework dresses Little Red Riding Hood with punk splendor. And a mens grey tweed suit with fraying hems is worn with a Big Bad Bear mask, exposing the animal appetites lurking within the perfect gentleman.
The bear suit is the only male clothing on display, which brings up an aspect of fairy tales left unexamined here. Where are all the boys: the Wizards, Wolves and Prince Charmings? Which is to wonder, whom do our fairy tales speak to, and what do they teach, about clothing and everything else? The most intriguing outfits on display here give the women who wear them a sexual and cultural authority that, most often, fairy tales deny.