To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Diane Von Furstenberg’s 1974 launch of the wrap dress, the “Journey of a Dress” exhibit, featuring everything about that iconic dress in popular culture, was erected on January 11 at LACMA-West (also known to Los Angeles natives as the former Wilshire May Company Building on the intersection of Los Angeles’ Wilshire and Fairfax, and the future venue for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Museum).

Although the exhibition runs through April 1, exhibit admission is free on Tuesdays, so guess who made a homeschool field trip out of this for my preschooler and her friends?

Ad campaigns were recreated to adorn the walls of this gallery space. Movie stills from films where characters wore the wrap dress, along with photos of the designer and other A-listers wearing the dress were in view.

It was the actual wrap dress, or should I say, the near 200 mannequins (custom-created by Ralph Pucci) who wore the dresses, that stole the show. Each of those mannequins showcased the many reiterations of the wrap dress, all arranged and grouped by decades. I couldn’t decide which one was my favorite, so my little one decided for me.

“The black one, Mommy.” Indeed, the not-so-little black dress.

———-

Diane von Furstenberg: Journey of a Dress
Wilshire May Company Building
c/o Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
https://unframed.lacma.org/2014/01/10/diane-von-furstenberg-journey-of-a-dress

© Copyright 2012-2016 by Deborah Kuzma and californianativeblog.wordpress.com. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Deborah Kuzma and californianativeblog.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.