"Dress, Dreams & Desire: Fashion & Psycholanalysis" at The Museum at FIT

"Dress, Dreams & Desire: Fashion & Psychoanalysis" was quite an introduction to the Museum at FIT  (Fashion Institute of Technology). I had absolutely no idea what to expect from the exhibit, which is apparently the first ever to "interpret fashion through the lens of key psychoanalytic ideas about the body, sexuality and the unconscious." It was my favorite art experience during my recent visit to New York.  

Let's start with the black coat at the center of this image. Could any garment more clearly send the message "Stay away from me"? The ensemble was part of the Viktor & Rolf Couture Fall Collection in 2020 which, as I'm sure you recall, was when we were in the depths of Covid. When describing this coat, Viktor & Rolf said, "There's a lot to feel angry about and this garment will communicate exactly that." Indeed it does. To see more of that collection, click here. 

Then there's the spiky dress in the back that was part of Kei Ninomiya's "Metal Couture" collection. In case you're wondering, those are stainless steel wires protuding from the dress. The fashion house referred to the dress as "fierce punk assemblage... that threatened injection." Not exactly conducive to a night on the town, especially if your plans include dancing. But it certainly makes its point (groan). For more from this collection, click here. 

Next up is Anouk Wipprecht's Spider Dress. The dress is robotic, and its "legs" extend from the wearer's shoulder when someone gets in her personal space. But how does the dress know when that happens? Technology that gauges the stress levels in the wearer's body is embedded in the design. If a creepy guy starts to make a move, the dress takes care of him for you. To see the spider in action, click here.  

Interesting fashion for sure, but you might be wondering how the psychoanalytic focus of the exhibit was explored. Each section of the exhibit focused on a different psychoanalytic concept. The designs above were in the portion dealing with Ugly Feelings: Anxiety, Anger, Envy. The interpretive text notes that "People often deal with uncomfortable, 'ugly' feelings by weaponizing them, projecting them onto others..." If you wear one of these designs, you don't have to use words to express how you're feeling. Your outfit says it all. Now let's move on. 

These leg shoes (referred to as "trompe l'eoil boots" by designer Jeanne Lanvin) struck me as, well, odd. They are on display in the section of the exhibit on Sexual Symbolism and Fetishism. The term "fetish" was first used in the 18th century to refer to the irrational worship of objects believed to possess magical powers. It wasn't until 1887 that French psychiatrist Alfred Binet characterized someone with a fetish as having a sexual perversion. The concept was primarily associated with men due to their fascination with women's bodies and clothing. I'm just reporting here. 

At the turn of the 20th century, Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" was published. In his writings, Freud theorized that long and/or hard objects -- such as neckties or high heels -- symbolize a phallus. That explains the inclusion of these boots in the exhibit, although it doesn't explain the faux legs. Nearby you could see a selection of top hats that are also associated with a man's sexual organ due to the way the crown sticks up when he wears it. Hmm. For some other examples of trompe l'oeuil footware, click here and here. 

Although many of the designs in the exhibit were pretty out there, there were some timeless styles on display as well. Case in point: these dresses by Callot Soeurs and Augusta Bernard circa 1924 and 1933, respectively. 

Psychologically speaking, these dresses straddled the border between exhibitionism and modesty. Today, of course, showing some leg or a significant swath of your back doesn't shock those around you. But in the day, these designs would have been somewhat scandalous. Women's clothing had become more conservative in this era, in part because of the adoption of the Hays Code in 1930 by Hollywood studios. 

The Hays Code set out a standard of conduct shown in movies to ensure the moral standards of those who saw the film would not be lowered. The clothing the actors wore was of course a major focus of these reviews. If a movie didn't comply with the Code, it wouldn't receive the Production Code Administration seal of approval. This was apparently a pretty big deal for decades. For more on this slice of film history, click here. The relevant fact here is that consumers were influenced by what they saw on the big screen. As Hollywood went, so did fashion trends. 

I'll leave you with this unusual dress from Noir Kei Ninomiya made of white synthetic hair extensions attached to stainless steel rods. The design was included in the Bodies to Wear section of the exhibit. This area included gender-fluid clothing that might be worn by someone dressing in accordance with their personal identity rather than social norms. 

The wall card for this dress explained that it "could be interpreted as a metaphor for body and self in a state of transformation. Reviewers described it as 'fairy-dandelion explosion' and an image of an 'extra-dimensional being soaring upward.'" Thoughts, anyone? 

My biggest questions about this dress are how you could see where you're going and how you would get into the car to take you there. But practical issues don't seem to be a concern to Kei Ninomiya. To see more of his designs, click here.  

"Dress, Dreams & Desire: Fashion & Psychoanalysis" continues at the Museum at FIT through January 4th. Get there if you can. For more images (and a fuller explanation) of the exhibit, click here.