Genderquake: Stefano Tonchi on Fashion's Role in Gender Identity

Stefano Tonchi, former editor of The New York Times Style Magazine, and fashion historian Marta Franceschini have curated the exhibition "Genderquake: Liberation, Appropriation, Rejection" at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia. The show uses 28 garments to explore how fashion has addressed, adapted, and reinvented notions of gender over time, challenging stereotypes and rigid identity definitions. Tonchi emphasizes that fashion is not merely about slogans but can convey complex political and social messages. The exhibition is structured around three thematic moments: Liberation (freeing the body from gender constraints), Appropriation (affirming gender through hyper-masculine or hyper-feminine dress), and Rejection (refusing gender definitions altogether). Highlights include Mariano Fortuny's early 20th-century pleated dress that liberated the female body, Giorgio Armani's deconstructed men's jacket, Mary Quant's miniskirt, and Comme des Garçons' sculptural garments that displace erogenous zones. Tonchi notes the significant but often overlooked contribution of Italian fashion to the gender debate, citing Armani and Versace's revolution in men's wear and Emilio Pucci's practical jersey dresses as examples of Italian design's industrial approach. The exhibition is part of SCAD's 2024 programming; the university recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, and its museum was founded in 2011.