Chaos to Couture

Capturing the dynamic ethos of the punk era and its continuing impact on fashion is a momentous task, but the Costume Institute led by Andrew Bolton, pulls it off admirably in its latest exhibit, From Chaos to Couture. Looking to the roots of the punk movement and the ways in which the initial anarchist and anti-fashion statements have been co-opted by high fashion makes for a compelling visual experience, one that is rich in contrast and irony. Studded and distressed, yet ultra-luxe pieces from avant-garde houses like McQueen and Givenchy are displayed alongside rebellious Westwood slogan t-shirts and a garbage bag dresses, while the bathroom of iconic New York club CBGB is re-created with artistic flair. This mix of the gritty and the glamorous, the dramatic and the mundane, speaks to the unique nature of punk and its purveyors. The original streetwise punk kids may have never imagined that their styles would one day sit in a museum alongside Picassos and Monets, but their aesthetic remains influential and essential.

Curator: Andrew Bolton of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute
Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Lauren Santo Domingo, Riccardo Tisci, Rooney Mara, Beyoncé Knowles
Head Treatments: Guido Palau
Exhibition Logo creative direction by Peter Saville
Films and creative consulting by Nick Knight, edited by Ruth Hogben
Music by John Gosling, programmed by Raymond Watts

Photos by Betty Sze for Models.com
Intro by Janelle Okwodu