TITANIC & FASHION - The Last Dance

Fashion as a mirror of change

The exhibition sheds light on a revolutionary period in fashion history: the years 1908 to 1918. During this time, the corset was renounced, the use of colour became bolder and replaced the soft powder tones of the Belle Epoque. These were the years of rebellious innovators such as Paul Poiret, Coco Chanel, or Lucile, who herself survived the Titanic disaster. It was a period full of emancipation, technological progress and the threat of war.

On board the Titanic

TITANIC & FASHION also tells the story of the diverse passengers on board the ‘unsinkable’ ship, which nevertheless sank during its maiden voyage in 1912. From aristocratic first class passengers in Parisian couture to migrants in regional costumes from all over Europe. All in search of a new beginning, all part of an era full of dreams and uncertainty. The photographs taken on Ellis Island of these emigrants show people dressed in Italian or French regional costumes, from Ukraine, but also costumes from Zeeland. All together on a ship that came to symbolize, on the one hand, the belief in modernity and, on the other, the dangers that this entails.

Contemporary designers about Then & Now

The exhibition places historical clothing in dialogue with the work of contemporary designers, whose creations refer to themes such as gender, resilience, flight and identity.

• John Galliano (Maison Margiela)
  Combines corsets, tulle and faded elegance into theatrical silhouettes that balance between memory and imagination.

• Tess van Zalinge
  Exploring the corset as a symbol of both restraint and power, she designs for different body types and explores the tension between seduction and liberation.

• Craig Green
  Creates sculptural designs with elements such as life jackets and support structures, inspired by protection and mobility. His work depicts the modern nomad, always ready to leave or flee.

• Iris van Herpen
  With her underwater filmed collection Carte Blanche she pays a poetic tribute to female resilience. Her transparent and technically refined dresses reinterpret the aesthetics of a time of change.

Public program & catalogue

The Kunstmuseum is organising an extensive public programme around the exhibition, with lectures, activities and a children's art book by Mylo Freeman. A beautiful catalogue will be published in collaboration with Waanders Uitgevers. Matching publications and fashion items can be purchased in the pop-up shop.