The Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Kyoto Costume Institute, hosts a special exhibition from April 16 to June 22, showcasing 75 historical and contemporary garments that explore themes of love, beauty, identity, and freedom through fashion across five thematic chapters.

The Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery is set to host a special exhibition titled “LOVE Fashion – When I Dress Up,” organized by the Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation in collaboration with the Kyoto Costume Institute (KCI). The exhibit will be open to the public from April 16 through June 22.

This comprehensive exhibition features approximately 75 garments spanning from the 18th century to the present day, all curated from the Kyoto Costume Institute’s renowned collection. It also includes around 40 new art pieces specially created for the event. The exhibition is designed to explore diverse expressions of “LOVE” as interpreted through fashion across different eras and styles.

The layout of the exhibit is divided into five thematic chapters, each highlighting unique aspects of the relationship between fashion and various desires linked to love.

Chapter 1, titled “Wanting to Return to Nature,” focuses on clothing that incorporates materials sourced directly from the natural world, such as fur and bird feathers—elements that represent humanity’s earliest forms of dress. This section includes pieces like an 18th-century men’s waistcoat, early 20th-century hats adorned with feathers and taxidermy, as well as contemporary art made from wood. It underscores the continuing fascination and reverence for nature amid modern civilization.

The second chapter, “Wanting to Be Beautiful,” examines the historical pursuit of bodily beauty through fashion. Highlighted are 19th-century corsets alongside exquisite fabric artworks by distinguished designers like Cristóbal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, and Yohji Yamamoto. Additionally, this segment showcases Rei Kawakubo’s avant-garde “COMME des GARÇONS,” featuring the iconic “Cob Dress,” which famously challenged conventional ideals of beauty in 20th-century fashion.

Shifting focus in Chapter 3, titled “Wanting to Just Be Oneself,” the exhibition explores minimalist fashion movements that emerged prominently in the 1990s. With an emphasis on brands such as PRADA and Helmut Lang, this chapter presents what it terms “the ultimate minimal,” including understated underwear styles reflecting individuality and simplicity.

Chapter 4, “Wanting to Be Free,” draws inspiration from the novel “Orlando,” which chronicles themes of identity transformation. On display are pieces from the Spring/Summer 2020 collections of COMME des GARÇONS and COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS, complemented by videos from the Vienna State Opera’s production of “Orlando,” designed by Rei Kawakubo. This chapter highlights fashion’s role in expressing fluidity and freedom of identity.

Concluding the exhibition, Chapter 5 titled “Wanting to Forget Oneself” delves into the joy and excitement inherent in the act of dressing up. This section emphasizes the emotional delight and anticipation associated with specific garments and the transformative power they hold. Featured works include those by artists and designers such as Hiroshi Ninomiya, Junya Watanabe, Tomoko Izumi, and the duo VIKTOR & ROLF.

The “LOVE Fashion – When I Dress Up” exhibition offers visitors an immersive journey through centuries of fashion, emphasizing how clothing reflects and shapes complex human desires connected to love, beauty, identity, and freedom. It serves as a platform to appreciate both historical craftsmanship and contemporary artistic innovation.

Source: Noah Wire Services