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Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour

Exhibition
$12 (Free for members, other discounts available.)
This event has passed

Cowboy boots. Bathing suits. Sneakers. Hollywood gowns. Denim jeans. Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour is Crystal Bridges’ first exhibition dedicated to fashion and the first to present American fashion as a powerful emblem of global visual culture, amplified by movies, television, red carpets, and social media. From dresses worn by first ladies to art-inspired garments to iconic fashion moments that defined a generation, Fashioning America conveys uniquely American expressions of innovation, highlights the compelling stories of both designers and wearers that center on opportunity and self-invention, and amplifies the voices of those who are often left out of dominant fashion narratives.

Adults: $12

Members, SNAP participants, Veterans, and Youth 18 and Under: FREE

SNAP participants, please call (479) 657-2335 to enroll for free entry to temporary exhibitions.

Not a member? Join today!

Pat and Priscilla Emery in Levi Strauss jeans and Western shirts at the All American Fashion Show in Paris, 1947. Levi Strauss & Co. Archives
Pat and Priscilla Emery in Levi Strauss jeans and Western shirts at the All American Fashion Show in Paris, 1947. Levi Strauss & Co. Archives.

To underscore the influence of media, Fashioning America offers a dynamic interaction between video, imagery, and over 100 garments and accessories selected from across two centuries of fashion. The exhibition emphasizes the work of designers who immigrated to America, Native American and Black designers, as well as iconic fashion brands and their impact on visual culture in every decade. This sweeping presentation conveys how American fashion and its contributions reflect the American spirit of ingenuity on the national and world stages.

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Crystal Bridges publications are sponsored by Acquavella Galleries.

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Fashioning America is organized by Crystal Bridges and curated by guest curator Michelle Tolini Finamore, PhD, a leading fashion curator and historian.

Fashioning America Sponsors