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

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