SWFL Sees Fashion's Finest, from Beach to Disco

The Baker Museum brings us back to a momentous decade in fashion with a new exhibit.

The Baker Museum brings us on a journey through a fashion decade that was like no other. Just like the snowbirds, its latest exhibition has traveled to Southwest Florida for winter. Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the ’70s debuted at The Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York on Feb. 6, 2015, and almost all of the original ensembles were included here. Eighty-four pieces are strategically placed throughout the second floor to represent three overall themes: menswear, exoticism and historicism.

The exhibition displays a never before seen side-by-side examination of the careers and work of the biggest names in 20th century fashion, Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008) and Roy Halston Frowick (1932-1990). Many works are so similar in silhouette that it can become difficult to tell who made which garment. However, upon closer look you can see the ease and minimalism Halston was famous for against the rigid structure Saint Laurent adopted from his training with Christian Dior.

As you navigate through the rooms, be sure to begin with the visual timeline, which was meticulously researched and created by Emma McClendon, assistant curator of The Museum of FIT. The timeline delineates the careers of the decade’s most influential and celebrated designers beginning in the 1950s and ending in 1984, which marks the year Halston lost the rights to design under his name.

With shirtwaist dresses, ultrasuede, ruffles, cutouts and leisuresuits, the exhibit is sure not to disappoint. Test your fashion knowledge by trying to guess who made what—you will definitely be surprised. The exhibition runs through March 6, which gives you plenty of time to experience this time capsule of fashion. You may even find some new inspiration for your next party look!

Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the ’70s is curated by Patricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Emma McClendon, assistant curator of The Museum at FIT, New York. It is on exhibit at The Baker Museum through March 6, 2016. For more information, visit artisnaples.org/baker-museum.