MoMA's 'Items: Is Fashion Modern?' Explores 111 Iconic Pieces

The Museum of Modern Art in New York presents 'Items: Is Fashion Modern?', its first major fashion exhibition in over 70 years, running until January 28, 2018. Curated by Paola Antonelli and Michelle Millar Fisher, the show features 111 iconic garments and accessories from the 20th and 21st centuries, displayed across 350 items. Highlights include Chanel's little black dress, Christian Dior and Givenchy evening gowns, Italian fashion from Armani, Valentino, and Versace, accessories like the Hermès Birkin bag and Manolo Blahnik sandals, and Neapolitan ties by Marinella. Streetwear is also represented with Levi's 501 jeans, Breton shirts, Lacoste polo shirts, Nike Air Max, Adidas Superstar, Wonderbra, and Casio watches. The exhibition concludes with futuristic prototypes by established and emerging designers. This marks MoMA's second fashion-themed show, following 1944's 'Are Clothes Modern?' curated by Bernard Rudofsky, which took a critical view of fashion as a consumerist obsession. The current exhibition reframes fashion as a powerful form of creative and personal expression and a barometer of social change.