This landmark exhibition paid a long-overdue tribute to the creative vitality of Chicago's fashion industry. It showcased the superb talent which is so abundant in Chicago, not only to salute the creative artists whose work is represented in this show but also to pay homage to all who contribute to Chicago's dynamic design industries. The exhibition was held in the Fourth Floor Exhibit Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center from October 20 to December 22, 1990.
An excerpt from the Exhibition Guide:
"Chicago Designs: Fashion, Photography, Architecture" was organized by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Apparel Industry Board, Inc., and The Chicago Athenaeum: The Center for Architecture, Art, and Urban Studies.
Through the creative vision of the city's leading photographers, Chicago fashion is captured in the dramatic setting of Chicago's distinguished architecture. Sites were selected to complement the image and energy of the fashions illustrated, while photography served to focus the dynamics of architecture and fashion in a single moment frozen in time and space. The juxtaposition of architecture and fashion expressed in a photographic image is a significant yet refreshing way to examine and analyze the scope of Chicago's design community.
The diverse and distinctive fashions of the fotry-six Chicago designers of apparel and accessories in this exhibition exemplify fashion realism, individuality, and a fresh new spirit in the fashion world. The photographers and models and all others who so generously devoted their time and talent to this exhibition contribute to the synergy that will surely boost Chicago fashion to the world-class status of its architecture.
The exhibition, which was designed by Markus Dohner of the Chicago Public Library, is highlighted by three-dimensional settings conceptualized by architect Ioannis Karalias of the Chicago Atheneum to architecturally define the space. The photography and videowall articulate and expound the exhibition story. Fashion, the ultimate in kinetic three dimensions, adds texture, color, and vibrancy.
Movement and music lend energy and spirit through the work of video artist Miroslaw Rogala, whose 16-monitor, computer-generated videowall composition captures the collaborative process that created this brilliant mixed media event. The vision of Rogala interweaves the varying elements of the exhibition into a uniquely imaginative work, while imprinting the whole with his own inimitable video artistry.
"Chicago Designs: Fashion, Photography, Architecture" represents an exhibition milestone for the Department of Cultural Affairs, for it recognizes the contribution to Chicago's cultural life that is being made by Chicago designers. Through its commitment to this exhibition, the City of Chicago demonstrates its support of the fashion industry, with cosponsorship by the Chicago Department of Economic Development, the Economic Development Commission of Chicago, the Mayor's Office of Special Events, and the Chicago Office of Tourism.
See the full guide below: