Fashion in Bloom

April 4, 2009-January 31, 2010

Fashion in Bloom, Paul Fashion Arts Gallery

This exhibition, drawn entirely from the IMA’s extensive Fashion Arts collection, brought together 25 examples of fashion that feature flower motifs. For centuries, their delicate forms and rich colors captivated artists and designers. Using roses, poppies, petunias, peonies, chrysanthemums and wildflowers, artists gave life to the simplest silhouettes. The floral patterns on these garments were executed in a range of techniques including printing, embroidery, beading and brocading. Among the designers whose work was exhibited are Norman Norell, Bill Blass, Givenchy, Galanos, Trigère and Callot Soeurs. Fashion in Bloom offered an in-depth look at the major styles of Western fashion, providing a framework for significant shifts in silhouettes of feminine attire from the late 1700s to 1970s. The exhibition featured three 18^th century ensembles, including a rare man’s suit from 1775, along with 19^th century gowns and 20^th century garments.