When Vulgar Is Vogue
The first fashion exhibition to explore the subjective yet captivating topic of taste (read bad taste), The Vulgar aims to both compel and repel audiences.
With over 120 pieces from as far back as the Renaissance, ranging from inappropriate fan decoration to the infamous ‘tits’ tee by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, the exhibition was envisioned by seasoned fashion curator Judith Clark alongside psychoanalyst Adam Phillips.
Other contemporary labels known, indeed celebrated, for their sartorial provocations include Walter Van Beirendonck, Yves Saint Laurent, Viktor & Rolf, and Moschino.
The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined, October 13, 2016 – February 5, 2017, Barbican Centre, London
Yves Saint Laurent, Mondrian dress (re-issue), 1980s
Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, fall 2014
Gareth Pugh, spring 2016
Inflatable lip hat, Stephen Jones for John Galliano, spring 2015
Walter Van Beirendonck, hat by Stephen Jones, fall 2010
Viktor & Rolf, couture, spring 2015
Dior by John Galliano, couture, fall 1998
Dior by John Galliano, couture, spring 2005
Schiaparelli, couture, fall 2015
Chloé by Karl Lagerfeld, spring 1984
18th-century mantua
‘A Bevy of Cherubs’ fan, 1860s