Lifestyle // Women's
Daphne Guinness Exhibit at The Museum at FIT
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Daphne Guinness on opening night. Photo by Patrick McMullan. -
Photograph by René Habermacher -
Dress by Chanel. From the collection of Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
"Daphne Guinness in Water" Los Angeles, CA 2008. Photograph by David LaChapelle. -
Daphne Guinness book cover. Photograph by Kevin Davies @ Z Photographic Ltd. -
Shirt and jacket by Daphne Guinness; pants from a London punk shop. From the collection of Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Red suede shoes by Nina Ricci. From the collection of Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Boots by Alexander McQueen. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Boots by Alexander McQueen. From the collection of Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Shoe by Alexander McQueen. From the collection of Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT -
Ensemble by Gareth Pugh. From the collection of Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Alexander McQueen. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Chanel. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Givenchy, (front view). From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Givenchy, (back view). From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Jacket by Chanel. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Gareth Pugh. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Coat by Chanel. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Coat by Valentino. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Balmain. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Gareth Pugh. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Christian Lacroix, jacket by Alexander McQueen. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Ensembles from the SPARKLE section of the exhibition Daphne Guinness at The Museum at FIT. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Azzedine Alaïa. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Alexander McQueen for Givenchy. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress and hooded coat by Gareth Pugh. From the collection of Daphne Guinness, to be featured in the exhibition Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy The Museum at FIT. -
Dress by Daphne Guinness. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Alexander McQueen ensemble. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Dresses and shoes from the ARMOR section of the exhibition. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Ensembles from the DANDYISM section of the exhibition. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Ensembles from the SPARKLE section of the exhibition. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT. -
Ensembles from the EXOTICISM section of the exhibition. Photograph courtesy of The Museum at FIT.
Blogs like The Coveteur have made peeking inside the closets of fashion insiders de rigueur. But the Daphne Guinness exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Museum at FIT in New York feels different. The exhibit isn’t just a voyeuristic glimpse into the exquisitely eccentric wardrobe of a fashion darling. It elevates the woman behind the clothes to the status of artist’s muse, art collector and co-creator.
First, a little background on the sylph-like woman behind the striped chignon and never sensible, always vertiginous shoes. Daphne Guinness is the daughter of brewery heir Jonathan Guinness. As the granddaughter of Diana Mitford, one of the infamous and stylish Mitford sisters, Guinness has fashion in her blood. In fact, over the last decade, she has made a name for herself as a serious couture connoisseur, keeping her extensive fashion collection catalogued in a computer database. Guinness has been called a muse by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and the late, great Alexander McQueen.
The minute you walk into the exhibit, it’s clear why fashion designers find Guinness so inspiring. Her taste is impeccable. And completely her own.
The exhibit features 100 garments and accessories created between 1995 and 2011 by a who’s who of designers including Azzedine Alaia, Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Rick Owens, Valentino, and Gareth Pugh, plus a heavy dose of Chanel and McQueen. The looks are separated into six sections that represent Guinness’ signature style personas: Chic, Exoticism, Armor, Dandyism, Evening Chic, and Sparkle.
Guinness says she is inspired by all the cross-dressing in Shakespeare and the pieces that make up “Dandyism” are gorgeous proof. This collection of looks features gender-bending masculine styles including impeccably tailored jackets , crisp white shirts, broaches and top hats. The colors black and white dominate.
“Armor” features pieces Guinness calls “protective,” and includes nail-embedded suit and a metallic ribbon dress. “Chic” and “Evening Chic” showcase a treasure trove of timeless LBDs perfect for cocktail hour in Paris and elegant evening gowns ideal for the Met Ball, respectively.
One is struck by the illusion of simplicity of the pieces in all four of these sections. Upon closer inspection, however, one notices the precise cut of a waist or the sculptural fold of pleat. One realizes the power of a masterful designer to transform mere fabric into wearable art.
McQueen looms large in the anything but subtle “Exoticism” and “Sparkle” sections of the exhibit. Sequins, feathers and fur abound. Guinness floats in a hologram and stars in a haunting video she produced in tribute to McQueen. This section feels like a small, delicious slice of the achingly beautiful McQueen exhibit at the Met earlier this year. That alone makes the exhibit worth a visit.
After initially resisting the idea of the exhibit, Guinness was finally convinced to participate by the idea of inspiring fashion students. She says, it’s “intended for [them], to see the inside of seams, how the construction was done. There’s a new generation that might not have been able to see [these techniques] yet.”
Guinness clearly respects fashion as a craft. She collects it as an art form. That’s why she has become a “style icon” that inspires designers, bringing their clothes from the runway to real life.
But more than anything, Guinness is fiercely committed to self expression. She sees fashion as a way of expressing her individualism. And that’s one trait that never goes out of style.
“Daphne Guinness” is at the Museum at FIT through Jan. 7, 2012.
