RIJKSMUSEUM STRIKES A POSE

Listed among the 10 most visited museums in Europe annually, the Rijksmuseum knows very well how to attract and preserve the attention of the audience. This successful course is reinforced through the new exhibition CATWALK (20 February- 16 May 2016), by putting on the lead of exhibition design Erwin Olaf, one of the most internationally renowned Dutch photographers. Born in 1959 (Hilversum, NL) Olaf has been distinguished as an artist through the years for his ability to deliver highly stylized and at times provoking images documenting overlooked aspects of life, including taboos, social issues and conventions. Olaf’s sharp aesthetic and artistic philosophy finds a fruitful ground within CATWALK where the audience gets the opportunity to explore sociohistorical aspects of the Dutch nation, dating from 1625 to 1960, through the layer of Fashion.

The Ideal of Beauty

First step inside CATWALK and a moving “carousel” installation compromised of mannequins grasps your attention. The main sound that you can hear at this point comes from the shutters of mobile phones or cameras shooting non-stop, combined with the striking light of the flashes of those who always forget that it is not allowed. This section entitled The Ideal of Beauty deals with the equalization of adults clothing with children’s one, a phenomenon starting back in the 1600 and still obvious in our times with great developments and adjustments gladly. I use the word gladly since according to the references of the exhibition, children had a hard time wearing unhealthy corsets, constricting their movements and childish freedom for the sake of ideal beauty.

Out of Respect

Keeping in mind the sacrifices youngsters had to make in order to preserve the royal style of that time, I moved forward to the section Out of Respect. The core title of this section reflects upon the indifference that the general community had showed on preserving clothing for future generations, since only about 10 pieces have survived from the 17th century. These pieces belonged to the Frisian stadholder Ernst Casimir and his son Hendrik Casimir who both met a heroic death on the battlefield, maybe due to their lack of Fashion consciousness. Beige, white and purple were the dominant trends of that time with some interesting buttons and crafting details.

Catwalk

So far so good, but I wasn’t yet thrilled by the exhibition, neither from the spatial design nor by the pieces themselves. However, Olaf’s innovative thinking and sense of style stroke me like lightning when I step my foot into the next section. A real fashion show was taking place right in the middle of Rijksmuseum! A long catwalk was inserted inside this hall, with mannequins moving back and forth and the audience sitting on chairs all around, able to read and comment on each piece while it was passing in front their eyes. The name of this section? CATWALK of course and thus it was really easy to realize that you have reached the heart of this exhibition, followed by the sounds of Vogue by Madonna and the theme song of Next Top Model. The audience was ecstatic, cameras were shooting continuously and in a sense the soulless mannequins wearing exquisite pieces of fashion were getting life through the audience.

Taking Charles Frederick Worth, the first Dutch couturier, as a starting point, this section explored the genesis of the name and profession Fashion Designer, around the second half of the 19th century. Back then, those interested to develop their skills more moved to Paris, the Fashion capital. From then on various international expensive brands opened shops in The Netherlands, bringing a new era of Fashion and style. Among other pieces displayed, I distinguinsed the Cocktailjapon made my Catharina Kruysveldt-de Mare (1952 – 1953), along with a silk taffeta cocktail dress by Cristóbal Balenciaga (1951-1952) and a piece made by Christian Dior. Overall, the pieces displayed in this section were fascinating with great finishing lines, detailed shapes, geometry and crafting, combining fashion elements and trends with historical content and storytelling.

The Road to Mini Dress

To be honest, I pushed myself a lot in order to move further within the exhibition while I was almost sure that nothing was able to fascinate me more. I wasn’t right at all! The next section brought me in front of an amphitheatre with mannequins wearing golden masks, almost as if a Venetian carnival ball was taking place. The stillness of the mannequins combined with the tightness of the corsets mirrored the elitism and stiffness of Fashion during the 18th century. Ladies were meant to avoid animated gestures and only comfort themselves with grace. It was around the 1900 were it became clear (finally) how unhealthy was this type of clothing for their bodies which led to the progressive extinction of the figurative corsets.

The 1960s could be described as a revolutionary date for Fashion and this section was designed the best way possible to communicate that. In front of the royal amphitheatre, a mannequin figure was rotating on the top of a golden podium installation, wearing the historical Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 Mondrian dress. It seemed as if the whole amphitheater was watching with jealousy and amazement this new symbolic figure of Fashion, stylish and comfortable, thinking about the years they spent trying to fit within their tight garments.

Silhouette

Following The Road to Mini Dress, the next section dealt with the evolution of Silhouette. On display, mannequins with different hair styles and silhouettes introduced the audience to the gradual transformation of Fashion which functions as a chameleon, layering our bodies with different shapes and dimensions according to trends and personal preferences.

Unfortunately, it was about time for me to leave and I couldn’t think of a better way that finishing this experience with a PARTY!

Party!

It was then time for the final section, which dealt with the royal dressing choices for special occasions such as court receptions, weddings and balls. This flowery hall with sounds of birds singing, displayed one of the main highlights, well-known for its use for exhibitions promotion purposes. Helena Slicher’s (1737-1776) wedding gown which she supposedly wore at her marriage to Aelbrecht baron van Slingelandt (1732-1801) is considered the widest dress in The Netherlands, spanning more than two meters!

However, except from the uniqueness of the piece itself, with its stunning flowery details and enormous width, on this final section you couldn’t avoid spending some minutes watching the emblematic photography of Ymre Stiekema as Helena Slicher created by Erwin Olaf. Because of the fragility of the piece the model is not wearing the original 18th century dress. However, the image stands there as if she really is Helena. Her blue eyes that mirror her royal blood stare at you as if she is concerned about something, as if she cannot hold the heaviness of her dress or she doesn’t want to get married. A mysterious look, asking for something or ready to reveal the sacrifices she had to make in order to preserve her royal identity.

Ymre Stiekema or the modern version of Helena Slicher says goodbye to you as you step outside the exhibition with a hope. A hope for our global communities to continue developing, beyond taboos and stereotypes, starting from small things like Fashion and moving to more important aspects of our social living. CATWALK may seem only as a Fashion exhibition but if you look underneath the fabrics, the laces and the corsets it can be more than that.