The Discipline of Fashion between the Museum and Curating

by Francesca Granata

I am incredibly excited to having been invited to participate to the symposium "The Discipline of Fashion between the Museum and Curating," which will take in place in Venice on March 10, and promises to be one of the most interesting and wide-ranging symposium to have ever been organized on the topic

The symposium coincides with the opening of the exhibition "Diana Vreeland After Diana Vreeland" curated by Judith Clark and Maria Luisa Frisa at Palazzo Fortuny, which will be on view from March 10 to June 25, 2012.

"Organized by the Università Iuav di Venezia and the London College of Fashion (University of the Arts London) in collaboration with the Centre for Fashion Studies (Stockholm University), the symposium aims to discuss the evolving discipline of fashion curating, and brings together prominent voices from the field. The conference will use Diana Vreeland's exhibitions and experience as Special Consultant to The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (1972-1989) as a starting point from which articulate reflections on the relationships between fashion, exhibitions and museums.

Specialist panel sessions will focus on Diana Vreeland’s legacy and the principal themes brought forth by her work at the Costume Institute including: the display of fashion in museums; the definition of fashion exhibition and the relation between fashion curating and exhibition making; the relationship between the roles of fashion curator and fashion editor; the role of fashion curating in academia."

Among the many notable speakers are Harold Koda, Akiko Fukai, Alexandra Palmer, Kaat Debo, Mario Lupano and Stefano Tonchi. My contribution will be to a panel titled "Fashion Curation & Academia: New Insights," which is chaired by Louise Wallenberg, Director of the Centre for Fashion Studies, Stockholm University and Marco Pecorari also from the Centre for Fashion Studies.

For a full programme please visit their site

Below are some installation photos at Palazzo Fortuny. More to come...

Miniabito con dischi e frange in plastica gialla, Paco Rabanne, seconda metà anni sessanta; Soprabito in seta ricamata, Chanel, etichetta “Cannes-31 Rue Cambon-Paris-Biarritz”, n. 5046, anni venti (appartenuto a Eleonora Duse). Estate of Simone Valsecchi ARCHI-V-E

Abito ottomano in velluto blu con ricami oro, fine XIX secolo; Cappa da sera in taffetà di seta rossa, Biki, fine anni sessanta-primi anni settanta (appartenuta a Maria Callas); Semi-formal robe femminile in satin verde acqua con farfalle e fiori applicati, Cina, prima metà XIX secolo; Redingote in velluto nero foderata in taffetà nero, Balenciaga, haute couture, n. 33191, circa 1948. Collezione Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

Fotografie Francesco de Luca
Styling Francesco Casarotto
Manichini La Rosa Mannequins