The luxury of fashion
The "Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered" exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MoT) is a small but admirable attempt to illustrate how luxury has been defined through clothing from the 17th century to today. On show are grandiose pieces with 3-meter-long gold-embroidered trains, silver-gauze-trimmed bustle skirts and a pair of dresses decorated with the wings of 1,000 Jewel Beetles, but there also is a section titled "Less is More," which looks at how comfort, quality fabrics, and calculated simplicity also have been considered as luxury.
Of course, as interesting as they are, these casual items are not the reason to visit the MoT. That would be the numerous couture and couturelike pieces one can see up close, such as an intricate weblike lace gown by Chanel couture, the embroidery of Christian Dior, or the ridiculous exaggerated silhouettes of Viktor and Rolf. Also of interest is a large display of one-offs from the Martin Margiela "artisanal" line where it appears one man's trash becomes another man's luxury — a vest is made of broken dishes and wire, and a bolero is made from the hair sections cut from latex masks. The exhibition ends on the idea of uniqueness being a luxury with a selection of pieces from the Comme des Garcons archive. Most of the works on show come from the amazing Kyoto Costume Museum collection and, depending on your tolerance for decorative excess, they will either stab you through the heart with a pang of envy or simply set it a-flutter. (M.J.)