Supported and sponsored by Condé Nast and Marc Jacobs, The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion is a tribute to iconic models who have worked at the forefront of the industry in the 20th century. This exhibition started months ago from May 6th- August 9th, 2009, concurrently with the famous Costume Institute Gala at the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) in May 2009. Alas, not until its final week that I finally managed to pay a visit!
When I walked into this exhibition, I expected only to find compilation photos of models and supermodels throughout the years taken from high profile magazines and catalogs. Oh dear, I was wrong, this exhibition had a lot more to offer than that. Organized by historical period spanning 30 years from 1947 to 1997, this exhibition featured haute couture and ready-to-wear masterworks accompanied by fashion photography and video footage of models who became muses and icons to their generations. As I was complentating the photos, videos and installations, I also discovered and learnt the timeline of models when they first became a crucial part in defining designers’ collections, the birth of modeling agencies, the evolution of body type standard through the years, reminiscing the early start of the supermodel era, and so many more, which I wish I would be able to share them ALL here. (Believe me, it would be as thick as a thesis book! LOL). To cut it short, below is what I have managed to compile from various sources.
