Killer Fashion: The Consequence of Style
JULY 21, 2016 – JANUARY 15, 2017
LOCATION: TEXTILE GALLERY
In Summer 2016, The Charleston Museum will present Killer Fashion: The Consequence of Style in its Historic Textiles Gallery. The latest offering from its extensive historic textiles collection, the exhibit will look at the often tragic side of fashionable dress as it relates to the natural environment and those who wore these garments. Fashion’s impact throughout history has been far-reaching but it has not been without its victims. Often, achieving the height of fashion meant causing serious environmental impact or harm to the wearer. Whether beaver fur for hats, elephant ivory for fans or whale bone for corsets, animal populations were frequently decimated in the name of fashion. Corsets, if tied too tightly, meanwhile, restricted breathing and could even rearrange organs while hoops skirts could easily brush against candle flames or get caught in carriage wheel spokes; men’s high collars could lead to asphyxia or choking. Through examples from the collections, the exhibit will explore threats to both animals and humans in the name of fashion.
LOCATION: The Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St., Charleston.
-Submitted by Tidelines Editor