It's Oscars night and many of us will be watching the event, rooting for our favorite films, directors, actors and costume designers, among other categories. Fashion enthusiasts, in particular, eagerly await the red carpet to scrutinize the best and worst dressed celebrities, and spot the original vintage gowns, the remixed versions of iconic designs or the latest looks seen at the Haute Couture shows.
While we can only speculate about the fashion moments that will unfold, there's a pair of shoes that encapsulates the spirit of the Academy Awards – Carel's Spring 1984 ankle boots, featuring a tuxedo illusion. Crafted in red patent leather, they integrate a white leather inset resembling a man's wingtip collar and a black patent leather bowtie.
These boots embody the essence of the Oscars – formal attire, a playful nod to the red carpet and a surreal twist. If you like them, you can actually admire them at the "Untying the Bow" exhibition at The Museum at FIT (MFIT) in New York.
The history of bows is extremely long and if you had to write a book about bows and ribbons you would have to tie in (pun intended) fashion with art, history, and literature.
From Sumerian gold hair ribbons in 2600-2500 BC (from the Metropolitan Museum of Art collections) to the 18th-century French trend accidentally sparked by Marie Angélique de Scorailles, Duchess of Fontanges and mistress of Louis XIV (after losing her hat while riding a horse, she tied her locks with a ribbon from her dress), bows have left an indelible mark in (the) history (of fashion).
In literature, bows and hair bows hold precious significance in novels such as Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and Lucy Maud Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables."
On screen, Judy Garland's blue hair bows in "The Wizard of Oz" and Cecil Beaton's Ascot Dress for Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady" (just to mention a couple of iconic bow-related fashion moments in film…), showcase the enduring charm of bows and ribbons. Pop cultural figures like Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Hello Kitty or Ms. Pac-Man also contribute to the whimsical legacy of the bow.
Elsa Schiaparelli's 1927 knitwear collection introduced a trompe l'oeil bow, but it was during the '70s and the '80s that the bow, and in particular the pussy bow, became a symbol of women's empowerment especially in the workplace.
Today, no fashion season is complete without bows gracing the runway: Simone Rocha's collections often include bows pointing at romantic and dreamy moods – her A/W 23 collection featured models with appliqued bows on their cheeks, imitating surreal tears (View this photo); her S/S 24 collection featured off-the-shoulder bow dresses (View this photo). Prada's A/W 2024 women's wear show opened instead with a knee-length shift dress festooned with black bows (View this photo). Therefore, the "Untying the Bow" exhibition aptly captures the essence of an enduring trend.
"Untying the Bow" is a delightful treat for bow enthusiasts, with three engaging sections guiding visitors through the captivating history and design of bows.
The first section, "Form and Functions," looks at utilitarian bows, exploring their presence in stays and corsets that shaped women's torsos during the 18th and 19th centuries.
This section showcases also elegant accessories such as a turban with a bow from the '30s by Lilly Daché, inspired by the functional headgear secured with a simple knot favored by factory workers à la Rosie the Riveter to keep their hair back.
The exhibition then challenges traditional notions in "Status and Gender," highlighting the tension between bows as a feminine fashion element and their prevalence in menswear on neckties and hats. The section includes a halter dress and jacket from 1937 that combines feminine and masculine elements by borrowing from men's white tie dress code. In this section bows are also shown to reinforce and subvert expectations, defying conventional placements on the body. As seen at the beginning of this post, Carel women's ankle boots humorously reinterpret the formality of a tuxedo and bow-tie ensemble, bringing these design elements to the feet.
In the third section, "Abstraction," the exhibition explores the symbolic power of bows, using abstract forms and patterns. Experiments with scale and technique, allowing bows to transcend their original form and become captivating motifs, are included in this section.
In between hats and bonnets, shoes, handbags and clutches, there is a lot to take in, from a 1957 off-white linen sailor suit by Traina-Norell (Norman Norell) with a large red necktie forming a bow to a stunning 1934 linen dress with printed red bows and three-dimensional applique bows decorating the neckline (the logo of the exhibition is inspired by the bows on this dress).
Sophistication is displayed in a 1987 Victor Edelstein long black velvet strapless evening gown (gifted to the museum by Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief at Vogue), featuring a large pink satin bow at the back, while irony characterizes Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada's 2014 strapless dress piece with a huge maximalist bow on the front, and a touch of punkish subversion can be detected in the pink Comme des Garçons dress from 2007 integrating a pair of padded bows into its front bodice and right hip.
Beyond the bows, what makes this exhibition exceptional is its organization by graduate students from the college's Fashion and Textiles Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program. Their effort in curating the event underscores the educational value of hands-on experience in organizing major exhibitions.
This model could be emulated in other institutions and in other disciplines as it would offer educational benefits and also help curators getting a younger perspective on the subject matter of an event. A bow to this approach!
The exhibition ends on March 24th (sadly it's only on for less than a month), but there are additional treats in store for fashion and costumes fans: you can indeed listen to the graduate students offering additional insights into their favorite bow objects from the MFIT digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and on the MFIT Audio Feature page.
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