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Lifestyle // Beauty // Women's

Nostalgic “Total Look” at MOCA Los Angeles

A new exhibit at The Museum of Contemporary Art takes visitors on a nostalgic, color-soaked romp through the L.A. fashion scene of the 1960s. The Total Look: The Creative Collaboration between Rudi Gernreich, Peggy Moffitt, and William Claxton showcases the prolific and iconic partnership between acclaimed fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, his favorite model and muse Peggy Moffitt and her husband William Claxton, a noted jazz and celebrity photographer who began photographing Gernreich’s work in 1957 and documented every single collection from 1962. Curated by Decades founder Cameron Silver, the exhibit features a vibrant selection of 55 Gernreich designs from Moffitt’s personal collection as well as fashion films and photographs taken by Claxton of Moffitt modeling the body-conscious, “mod” clothes.

The most instantly recognizable Gernreich design featured in Total Look? His infamous topless swimsuit. Introduced in 1964, the scandalous swimsuit became one of the first instances of art and design being transformed into a worldwide media event. Not surprisingly, three years later, L.A.-based Gernreich became one of the first fashion designers to appear on the cover of TIME magazine, which dubbed him “the most way-out, far-ahead designer in the U.S.”

In fact, Gernreich went on to develop many unique styles that have become part of not only fashion history but the social and cultural lexicon. Among his many innovations are the unisex look, the “No Bra” bra and the thong. He was also the first designer to use vinyl, plastic and cutouts in clothes.

But the designer’s biggest accomplishment may be that his designs continue to resonate, looking current and “of the moment” 50 years after they were created. His color-blocked shift dresses could be from a recent Marc by Marc Jacobs collection. His flirty, feminine prints look like current-day Diane von Furstenberg. Almost every look that Moffitt made her own in the ’60s would work equally well on Lady Gaga, today’s most fashion-forward muse.

The MOCA exhibition also celebrates one more Gernreich collaborator and 1960s icon, hair designer Vidal Sassoon. Moffitt met Sassoon at a photo shoot for the “No Bra” bra at Richard Avedon’s studio in 1965 and later introduced him to Gernreich. Sassoon’s modern hair design became a key element in Moffitt’s unique look and Gernreich’s distinctive “total look.”

Total Look runs through May 20 at MOCA Los Angeles.