Fashion for super heroes

The "Met" celebrates the influence of "superhero" comic about fashion

NEW YORK, May 6, 2008 (AFP) - The metamorphosis of the body by the clothing is a constant ambition creators, and an exhibition retraces from Wednesday, May 7 at the Metropolitan Museum in New York the influence of "super-hero" comic books and movies on contemporary fashion.



Moschino autumn-winter 2007/2008 (compared to Superman)
Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture spring-summer 2003 (compared to Spiderman)
Photos: Chris Moore


The 20th century saw the emergence of generations of designers who, to varying degrees, have been inspired by Superman, Spiderman and Captain America, the ideal of justice to the body and eternal youth, who perform feats when they leave their identities are banal and costumes that make them fly, spin, dive and conquer the enemy.

In the lobby of the museum on 5th Avenue, visitors are greeted by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, three sculptures unpainted stucco, a wink to the "real" marble statues qu'abrîte the establishment .

The showroom, surprising for architecture very austere "Met" is made up of corridors lined with mirrors, a realization of Nathan Crowley, designer of Hollywood who is the particular design of "Batman begins" and "The Dark Knight" which leaves next summer.

On wax mannequins, some sixty models created by the fashion stars like Thierry Mugler and Pierre Cardin in 80 years, John Galliano, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hussein Chalayan and Alexander McQueen later, show how the Inspiration has come often urban American hero.

Some clothes are well-known as corset-moto by Thierry Mugler for its collection spring-summer 1992, equipped with mirrors and handlebar, or combinations sports hood of Jean-Paul Gaultier's collection for autumn-winter 1995-1996. Others were seen in movies like Superman costume worn by Christopher Reeve in 1978.

"It was much harder to find in my collections of models to explain," exclaimed the Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, sponsor of the exhibition which will last until 1 September.




"Muscle Suit" Eiko Ishioka for the ski speed (compared to Flash)
Thierry Mugler autumn-winter 1996/1997 (compared to Catwoman) - Photo: Patrice Stable


Famous for its tailors trousers businesswoman, its fluid forms and shades of beige or gray, the Italian still has two dresses the "Met", a very broad shoulders but who respects the creator's passion for grey silk, and an evening gown in black muslin surpiquée a spider web.

"They had the courage, Gaultier, Mugler, Galliano (John Galliano, designer at Dior)", said Giorgio Armani, at a press conference with the outgoing director of the Metropolitan, Philippe de Montebello. "But that courage is necessary to the culture of fashion, these innovative feed inspiration," he added, paying tribute "to the designers of cartoons of 30 and 40 years."

"Flash Gordon lived in the same homes that are now built in Shanghai in the Bund area, contemporary Japanese cars came out of these comics," he noted.

The exhibition was organized by Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, which is a department of the Museum established in 1946 and has mounted in recent years retrospectives Poiret (2007), Chanel (2005) or "AngloMania: tradition and transgression in British fashion "(2006).

"This exhibition is a tribute to the triumph of fantasy over reality, the transformation of the body, the duality," he explained before paying tribute to "DC Comics and Marvel", the two major new - York publishing comics.