Our guide to this year’s best fashion exhibits.

Did you miss the magical Savage Beauty exhibit at the MET last year?  Take comfort by buying the book – a showstopper in itself – and vow not to miss another this year. Curatorial staff are realizing the particular appeal of fashion exhibits and the increased ticket sales potential. If an article in WWD on how museums are “getting fashionable” is any indication, they’ve cottoned on. “There’s a loyal following — besides the fact that fashion is fashionable,” Pamela Golbin, chief curator at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris was quoted, “There’s something very intimate about clothes.” More and more new fashion exhibits are popping up here in the United States all over the world. Several exciting ones are due to debut this year.

Here are our top 10 don’t-miss fashion exhibits of 2012.

1.  Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion, opens May 10 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Featuring over 80 designs by Schiaparelli and an installation that will give the effect of the two designers being in conversation with one another on subjects such as art, politics and the role of women now and then. With director Baz Luhrman serving as the exhibition’s creative consultant this show promises to follow up on the success of last year’s groundbreaking Alexander McQueen exhibit.

2. FIT NY and the CFDA collaborate to celebrate Impact: Fifty Years of the CFDA at the FIT museum from the 10th of February through until the 17th of April. The leading trade organization of fashion designers presents a tribute to the creativity of American talent and will showcase designs from Halston, Norman Norell, Pauline Trigère, Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, Rudi Gernreich, Bob Mackie, James Galanos, Diane von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Isabel Toledo, Rodarte, and Proenza Schouler.

3. Chanel: Designs for the Modern Woman at the Mint Museum Randolph in Charlotte, North Carolina continues thru February 26. Pioneering clothing that was comfortable, casual and enduring in its construction and style, Coco Chanel (1883-1971) remains a pivotal figure responsible for much of what is still considered modern in women’s fashion in the 21st century.

4. A retrospective of designer Christian Louboutin at London’s Design Museum opens March 28 – July 1 and promises to be as red-hot as his signature soles. The exhibition coincides with the publication of a coffee table book documenting Lobuoutin’s work. Mulholland Drive director David Lynch photographed some of the designer’s most fantastical creations and John Malkovich wrote the foreword.

5. If you are in London, you must check out Fifty Years of James Bond Style at the Barbican, opening in April. In addition to Mr. Bond’s Savile Row tailoring, expect to see  lavish Bond-girl finery by Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Roberto Cavalli, Thierry Mugler, Miuccia Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Emanuel Ungaro and Donatella Versace.

6. Also opening in the 2012 Olympic Games host city is the sure-to-impress Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum 
running May 19, thru January 26, 2013. Featuring evening wear from the V&A’s vast collection of British designers, the exhibit will show a selection of royal ballgowns including a Norman Hartnell gown designed for Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Diana’s “Elvis Dress” designed by Catherine Walker and gowns worn by today’s young royals.

7. Paying tribute to the legendary French designer Yves Saint Laurent — The Retrospective opens March 25 at the Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colarado. Organized thematically, the presentation showcases over 200 pieces that explore the full arc of Saint Laurent’s developing style and turbulent inner life.

8. If you didn’t catch The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk at the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas (runs thru February 12) head to San Francisco’s Deyoung Museum where it will run from March 24  – August 19. Dubbed fashion’s enfant terrible, his often provocative messages are enhanced by the sublime construction of his clothing.

9. Set to open on the last night of Paris Fashion Week, March 9, and run until September 16 at the famous Museé des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, the Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs exhibit weighs the careers of both designers. The show aims to compare their bodies of work and offers a potential explanation as to why Jacobs and his ready-to-wear approach could never replace Galliano at Dior.

10. Azzedine Alaïa in the 21st Century currently at the Groninger Museum in Holland and running thru May 6, celebrates the body-con creations of the great Tunisian-born couturier. Now in his 70’s, the designer recently became an outspoken proponent of slow fashion, saying “Four collections for women, four collections for men, another four collections to sell, and everything needs do be done within four, five months—it’s a one-way course towards emptiness. It’s inhuman.”

Top Image: Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty

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Pencil skirts – How can a fashion essential, every wardrobe’s tall drink of water, be a new trend, you ask? Did you see Sarah Jessica Parker in this month’s “Age” issue of Vogue? Looking divine (and disturbingly airbrushed for an issue on “Age…”), she was photographed by Mario Testino in various domestic settings with Matthew Broderick and her kids wearing Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Proenza Schouler’s mid-calf length pencil skirts. While the mid-calf lengths were a trend for Spring 2011, seeing them in a more streamlined silhouette is new. Last time we saw a long, tight garment with a narrow enough hem to impede the wearer’s stride we called it a “hobble” skirt. So while it remains anathema to modern-day practicalities for most of us—anyone other than SJP evidently—damn straight if they’re not the sexiest cocktail party entrance you’ll make this year.

Peplums—Practically an addendum to the pencil skirt trend, peplums—the short ruffle attached at the waistline of a jacket, dress or skirt—are big news right now. Seemingly running counterintuitive to one of women’s greatest figure fears (i.e adding additional width at the hip), their ability to minimize a thick trunk is almost as magical as Harry Potter’s ultimately loyal Elder Wand. If your tastes run to the more casual, pick up a skirt with pronounced hip pockets for the same waist-whistling effect.

Cropped Pants—Pedal pushers, Clam Diggers, Culottes, call them what you like, but brightly colored, cropped, flared (or tapered), high waisted pants have re-emerged for the coming seasons. I know what you’re thinking: Anything that cuts the leg in half can’t look good and ordinarily I’d agree. Yet, the evolving feeling for ’70s romanticism, which is so compelling this coming winter, makes them worth a second look. Forget the exaggerated styles that everyone thinks of from that decade, instead reframe in jewel-colored silky, crepe de chine for a look that is a genuine tribute to the heady, avant-garde, Roxy Music-saturated sensuality of that time. I’ll be wearing mine – when I find the perfect vintage pair – with the highest heels and sheer black tights.

Facial Hair— Suddenly, it’s everywhere. On men, I mean. Looking around as I write this, there is not one clean-shaven man in the café where all the cool art directors grab their triple shot macchiatos in San Francisco’s multi-media gulch. Sprouting from the hipster/Amish unkempt beard look and the greased mustaches on bartenders that are now as de rigueur as the small batch American whiskies served by the coolest bars in town, its a trend that’s experiencing a sudden growth spurt. A recent issue of Marie Claire magazine reported, “Women rate men with full facial hair as more courageous, dominant, trustworthy and confident than clean-shaven men.” With male-dominated politics going the way it currently is, I say, bring on the hairy.

Feet Gloves— Have you seen people wearing them yet? Brace yourself, because chances are you will soon. Designed to provide minimal support for barefoot runners, these skeletor-looking shoes are going mainstream and being worn to the office, the supermarket and even the red carpet. Vibram’s FiveFingers brand of feet-glove shoes are churning out one creepy looking design after another, including a green renewable merino wool choice, and Fila’s versions are not even promoted as running shoes, supporting the notion that more consumers would like to go “barefoot” in their everyday lives.

So which trends do you think represent either the good, bad or downright ugly? It really is up to you. After witnessing a couple of stylish looking ladies this week pulling off some seemingly crazy looks—one wearing polka dot pedal pushers, the other a pleated skirt, straw hat and the dreaded feet glove shoe, I kid you not—and looking absolutely fabulous, I’ve had a fashion epiphany. One thing is for certain, anyone, with their head up high, shoulders back and a twinkle in their eye can look stylish flaunting as far-out a trend as they desire. But let’s leave the facial hair for the guys, okay?

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As we all sat in our homes filled with factory made goods admiring the Oscar fashion show this past week, it was inspiring to think those glorious gowns were in fact one of the last examples of a custom, handmade product being made by some of the most talented craftsmen still working in America.

Fashioned from the finest silks, satins and tulle and worn on bodies honed by private Pilates classes, green juices and spa treatments, we might assume that’s what only big money can do for you. But it’s the fact that these dresses are literally built around the Hollywood elite that makes the difference. Details matter: Like the hand-sewn hidden stitch that helps to keep a seam clean and invisible, or tailoring to flatter a long neck or shade a thick waist.

In these days of mass market fashion designed to fit a wide variety of shapes and sizes in just a small, medium and large, the art of tailoring the perfect fit is very much a lost one. And yet I’m prepared to bet your favorite items in your wardrobe, the ones you reach for most often, are the ones that fit you best.

Beyond taking in a side seam and properly fitting an armhole, learning simple tailoring techniques such as chopping off a hem or cutting the arms off an old trench can breathe new life into your wardrobe and help you to get on trend with just a rip of a seam. Not to mention that with all our efforts to turn the industry toward using sustainability, recycling your old clothes is probably your best bet if you truly want to green your wardrobe and look great.

Take a page out of Kate Middleton’s book. The princess-to-be appeared at her first royal walk-about last week in a recycled herringbone coat that had been shortened to show off her legs, proving there is nothing downmarket about a little fashion reconstruction.

Many people say vintage and thrift shopping is not for them and understandably squirm at the idea of taking out the scissors and creating something new from their old clothes.

I’m a dab hand with a needle and thread and yet I wouldn’t go near transforming the neckline of a bias cut dress from the 1930’s made from delicate wool crepe by myself. Trying to change necklines and armholes is best left to a professional until you gain more proficiency, or maybe just some courage. For that I turned to talented tailor-in-residence Holly Samuelsen from Gravel and Gold in San Francisco. Samuelsen is a “reconstructive therapist” for vintage lovers and bike messengers in the Mission district of San Francisco.

Going to a good tailor to have your clothes pinned and have the lines smoothed out to fit the body? You can expect to pay about $45 an hour. According to Samuelsen, the key to do-it-yourself-tailoring is “Don’t be afraid.” Simple things like taking in side seams and hems to gain a better personal fit are things you can attempt yourself. Adding ribbons and appliqués are fun projects and would cost a lot to have a professional do, so try some of these alterations yourself.

Once you gain an understanding of what you can do and what your tailor is able to do, your thrift exploration is widened. As Samuelsen says, “When I’m in a thrift store, I’m shopping for material.” Next time you see that eye-catching jacket from the 80’s with a bang-on, trendy tribal print that looks just like the ones you just saw on Proenza Schouler’s recent runway, realize that for $5, a little slimming of the width by taking in the side seams and a visit to your tailor to reshape those crazy wide shoulders – you’ll have a fresh jacket just like that.

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Tie dye conjures up snap shots of music festivals in mud from a period past, but with a modern spin this trend is back in! In fact, it has a sister trend to support it – the dip dye. With both, the key is to not have the dye look too calculated or crazy. It’s an interesting balance, but one that adds a bit of texture to your outfit in a fresh new way.

Jaws dropped in utter lust at the Proenza Shouler S/S 2010 runway show, and celebs quickly caught the tie dye trend, pairing it with solid casual pieces to make it effortless and cool. We are loving the eco labels who are on top of this spring trend: Jonano, Frei and SUST.

From bold colors to more of the subtle tonal fades – this is a look that is ripe for spring weather with a little attitude! Keep your accessories neutral and let the tie or dip dye piece make the statement. The best part about this trend is that it is a true day to night converter. So ‘fess up: you are loving this trippy trend as much as we are!

This is the first installment in new fashion writer Greta Eagan’s column, Trending, on seasonal fashion trends and how to green them up. Say hi to Greta!

Graphics: Greta Eagan

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