`Labor of Luxury’ exhibition showcases work of clothing designers, artisans

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 - 08:21

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DENTON (UNT), Texas - "Labor of Luxury: Embroidery from India to the World," an exhibition of high-fashion designer garments that celebrates the intricate craftsmanship of skilled artisans from India, is open through Feb. 1, 2025, at CVAD Gallery.

Curated from the nationally recognized Texas Fashion Collection, an archive of nearly 20,000 garments and accessories housed at the UNT College of Visual Arts and Design, the exhibition showcases over 30 pieces of custom high fashion by legendary fashion designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Todd Oldham and Vera Wang, among others.

Awash in sparkling sequins, meticulous beadwork, glittering crystals and exquisite hand-stitched embroidery, the garments are a testament to the dramatic impact and stunning effects of the expert-level work that has been produced for generations by Indian artisans.

"Many stories about luxury fashion are based in places like New York, Paris, London and Milan. We often forget that India is part of that story, too," said Annette Becker, TFC director and curator.

Modern consumers are bombarded with images of luxury lifestyles, particularly when it comes to fashion, Becker said. While the work of designers whose names grace the clothing labels is vital, "They're not the artisans in India who sit down with a needle and thread and stitch every seam and add every sequin to the pieces that are in this exhibition," she said.

On display are several garments by India-born, London-based designer Ashish Gupta, best known by the singular name ASHISH. Renowned as the "King of Sequins," his pieces have been worn by such celebrities as Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Madonna.

The designer will appear at "A Conversation with ASHISH," a program organized by the CVAD Art Galleries with support from UNT Mary Jo and V. Lane Rawlins Fine Arts Series and the Greater Denton Arts Council at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, 400 E. Hickory St., Denton.

ASHISH, who recently donated dozens of garments from his private archive of runway samples to the TFC, will also attend an opening reception for "Labor of Luxury," from 5-7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the CVAD Gallery in the UNT Art Building Room 160. As part of his campus visit, the designer will interact with students in fashion design, interdisciplinary art and design studies and art education classes.

[Link] A dress created by Ashish Gupta

"Having a successful designer such as ASHISH working with our students will provide them with examples of what creativity, research and professionalism look like," Becker said. "Because UNT focuses on career readiness, this opportunity has clear educational implications for our students."

Two pieces by UNT Fashion Design program alum Michael Faircloth, who most notably designed gowns for former First Lady Laura Bush, are also featured in the exhibition. A conversation Becker had with Faircloth first inspired the idea three years ago to stage the "Labor of Luxury" exhibition.

"He basically said that one of the fashion design industry's best-kept secrets is that nearly all of the embroidery and beading being done today comes from India," Becker said. This prompted her to research designs in the collection connected to the continent. "It turned out that we had a lot of them."

Indian American designer Naeem Khan was involved in crafting and designing a trio of cocktail dresses featured in the exhibition, including a simple turquoise-beaded frock by famed designer Halston, with whom Khan worked early in his career before establishing his own label. "Naeem Khan is a gateway figure among Indian designers empowering themselves in the global fashion industry," Becker said.

An A-line, light-reflecting velour gown by Indian designer Manish Arora from his 2017 "Cosmic Love" collection exemplifies the complexity of the design and artistry demonstrated throughout the exhibition.

"To create something like this, you must have dozens of materials in different colors and then determine how to make a really elegant composition. Appreciating those details and decisions is the type of approach you take to analyzing art," Becker says.

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About the Texas Fashion Collection

Texas Fashion Collection in the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas preserves and documents historically significant fashion as an educational resource for students, researchers, and the public, building on a legacy of institutions and individuals passionate about fashion history and design.

TFC operates two facilities: a storage and administrative space at Welch Street Complex 1, and a smaller study collection, the Gloria and Bruzzy Westheimer Student Research Gallery, located in the UNT Art Building. Both spaces are accessible by appointment only.

Over 10,000 items have been photographed and cataloged in the UNT Digital Library. The ongoing project to fully document the TFC's collection continues through strategic partnerships, funding, and staffing.

The TFC collaborates with cultural institutions to showcase its collection in exhibitions. Recent partners include NorthPark Center, the Tyler Museum of Art, the McNay Art Museum, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Bullock Texas State History Museum, and the UNT College of Visual Arts & Design Galleries. TFC artifacts have also appeared in exhibitions at major venues like the Kimbell Art Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the de Young Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

About the CVAD Galleries at UNT

The CVAD Art Galleries at UNT support the university's educational mission, enrich the aesthetic environment, and serve as a cultural resource for the public. They comprise three gallery spaces: the CVAD Gallery, Cora Stafford Gallery, and the Paul Voertman Gallery. Each gallery inspires and empowers student and community audiences through the viewing experience, fosters students' confidence in the public display of their artworks and designs, and presents and promotes the artist's and designer's voices.

About the College of Visual Arts and Design

The College of Visual Arts and Design will celebrate 130 years of teaching art and 30 years as a separate art school on Oct. 28, 2023. UNT's College of Visual Arts and Design is one of the nation's most comprehensive visual arts schools at a public university, offering 29 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and concentrations in areas ranging from art history to communication design to new media art. The college includes several institutes and centers, including the renowned Texas Fashion Collection, and three art galleries to showcase student and professional work. Considered one of the best art schools in the South and Southwest, the College of Visual Arts and Design offers the first and only Ph.D. program in art education in Texas and the top-ranked program in Communication Design for Graphic Design. Learn more atcvad.unt.edu. Follow our CVAD News and Views site atnews.cvad.unt.edu.