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“Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture”

Museum of Contemporary Art

Nov. 19, 2006 - March 5, 2007

Upon stepping through the doors of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s “Skin and Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture,” the exhibition’s message is immediately clear: Contemporary fashion and architecture mirror and influence one another to a much greater extent than is commonly recognized.

The exhibit, which runs from Nov. 19, 2006 to March 5, 2007, showcases over 45 innovative designers and architects. Garments by world-famous couturiers such as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, as well as models, blueprints and photographs of various pieces of contemporary architecture provided by celebrated architects, reveal the similar functions and framework that today’s worlds of fashion and architecture have in common. Clothing and buildings each have an exterior facade – the skin – and a structural skeleton.

The “Skin and Bones” exhibit is organized thematically. It includes 10 very impressive sections devoted to such subjects as creative process, geometry and technique. Throughout the exhibit and its sections, museumgoers will encounter everything from breathtaking photographs of modern architectural masterpieces to information on tectonic strategies used for garments and architectural projects alike.

Perhaps the most relatable sections of the exhibit, however, are those that present the concepts of shelter and identity.

Set in front of a runway spectacle projected onto the wall behind it, Viktor and Rolf’s 1999-2000 “Russian Doll” collection catches the eye with a plethora of sparkles created using Swarovski crystals that are embroidered onto silk and lace dresses. The lifesize mannequins each wear a different dress, layered one by one onto a single model so that she looks as though she is going to topple over.

After viewing Viktor and Rolf’s work, the concepts of shelter and social status become entirely evident; both clothing and buildings shelter and protect, and as their layers are torn away, their absence awakens a state of utter vulnerability.

The exhibit’s section on identity displays the ability of both clothing and buildings to communicate who a person is. Colors, silhouettes and textures are used as tools for individualization as people go about their lives choosing what they wear, where they live and how they want their homes to look.

Hussein Chalayan and Marcus Tomlinson’s small-screen tableau, inspired by Hussein’s “Afterwords” collection, offers a distinct message relating to the extent to which people are reflected in their surroundings. One of the skirts worn by a model in the video even transforms into a table.

Both fashion and architecture have inherited a newfound sense of adventure in recent years, borrowing completely unexpected characteristics and techniques from one another. The MOCA’s newest exhibition offers a comprehensive and fascinating look at their complex and growing relationship.