From dandies to modern gentlemen at LACMA in April

Sharon Takeda, curator of “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015” opening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on April 10, says, “After five years of researching and finding pieces to put in the show, we have quite an interesting group of things that are quite colorful. In the end, it’s turned out to be quite enlightening in the sense that the material is just as rich to mine as in womenswear.”

Man's tailcoat (1790-1795), man's breeches (1790-1795), lorgnette (1795-1800) and man's walking stick (1790-1795); Johnson Hartig (Libertine), Man's suit ensemble, Fall-Winter 2009, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Photo (C) Museum Associates/LACMA)

About 200 ensembles will be on display, comprising clothes, shoes and accessories. Half of them are historic examples; the other half contemporary.

Takeda also notes the presence of a subsection on color and florals that “people may be surprised to see.” Because Europeans were fascinated by horticulture from the 16th to the 18th centuries, floral motifs abounded in everything from furniture to fashion. Flowers have returned as a symbol of the elegant male, and can be seen in a Gucci suit by Frida Giannini, or a pair of trousers by Helmut Lang. This section, titled “The Splendid Man,” is also where one can view examples of 18th century court dress for noble men in all their embroidered and sequined opulence.

Source: blouinartinfo.com