The new black in fashion marketing: The Exhibition

by Stacey Grant

Photographer: Kerilyn Grant

“Exhibition: noun a public display of works of art or items of interest, held in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair"- Oxford Dictionaries

Approximately five years ago pop-ups were all the rage in the fashion industry. These created true brand promotion and generated excitement and hype around fashion brands and retailers. During the time of these pop-ups few people had knowledge of fashion exhibitions. Nowadays though, this is not the case. The current trend that most famous fashion designers are following, when it comes to showing the public their work through the years, is that of exhibitions.

The first exhibition took place in 1983 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The exhibit was in honour of and dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent. This was the first of its kind- the first time that the life of a living fashion designer was put on display in a museum. From New York, the exhibition travelled to Peking, Moscow, Sydney and Tokyo, ending in Paris at the Musee des Arts de la Mode in 1986.

In the fantastic field of fashion, this concept of exhibitions has become common amongst well-known fashion designers since 2011 and has definitely proven to be a popular marketing tool. Through this, fashion- lovers can see how the brand has evolved over the years as well as gain a greater understanding of how the brand’s values have been maintained throughout the life span of the brand. This 360 degree view of the brand allows a step by step tour of the fashion house/designer; from the establishment of the designs all the way through to the end result, with garments, films, photographs and written pieces on display. The interaction one has with the brand allows one to connect with the brand on another level and create a long lasting relationship with it. The more one gets to know about and understand a brand, the more likely one is to purchase an item that brand has to offer. Not only do these exhibitions give rise to instant press coverage and an explosion of excitement amongst fashion insiders and social media, they also give a deeper meaning to the brand’s heritage, status and longevity.

Although the trend is that of physical exhibitions, some designers are thinking outside of the box when it comes to exhibitions. In December 2011 Valentino launched a virtual exhibition. This allows the individual a 3D look at all of Valentino’s work as they design their own exclusive route through the galleries and venture through the inside world of Valentino. Another out of the box concept was that of a collaboration which resulted in Prada’s 24-Hour Museum. This event was a fusion of an exhibition and a pop-up event. For those who missed this great temporary show, the museum has been transformed into a digital experience thus allowing all of us to view it.

Many famous fashion designers have exhibitions running at the moment that should not be missed. One designer’s exhibition that has been truly successful is that of Jean-Paul Gaultier; “The Fashion World of Jean-Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk.” Displaying more than one hundred pieces- sketches, photographs, garments, and films for which Gaultier designed set costumes- this exhibition celebrates Gaultier’s 35 years in the fashion industry. Gaultier’s exhibition was opened in June 2011 at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Thereafter, it travelled to Canada and Dallas and is currently at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco until August 19, 2012. Due to the colossal success of this exhibition in Montreal and Dallas, two launch parties were held when it hit San Francisco. The first was hosted by Ken Fulk’s studio and second, hosted by Gaultier himself, within the museum. These two evenings were true to Jean-Paul Gaultier’s style- legendary, energetic, flamboyant- proving that he goes all out in every aspect of his life.

 Photographer: Kerilyn Grant

Photographer: Kerilyn Grant 

Seeing how successful international designers are with using this marketing tool of exhibitions, why is that South African designers are not following this trend? Could it be because generally in the South African culture, it is considered boasting when we tell (or in this case show) others our achievements? Perhaps it is because we are too afraid of what others might think of us, or our creations when we open ourselves up for criticism. Maybe it is because many of us do not feel comfortable talking about ourselves, and lack a certain confidence needed to deliver a message about ourselves to an audience? Perhaps our whole attitude needs to be reviewed…

So, fellow fashion lovers, if you are in the position to do some travelling, head in the right direction and visit an exhibition.