MoMu in Antwerp presents an exhibition about fashion and interiors.
In nineteenth-century domestic ideology, women played an important role as ‘beautifiers’ of themselves and their homes. With an eye on comfort, the lady of the house would decorate the interior with soft cushions and textures, drapes, handiwork and all manner of knickknacks. Her body, too, was weighed down with layers of fabric and passementerie with the result that she merged with her interior, almost to the point of disappearing altogether.
This visual mergence was given substance by a number of discerning male creatives, including Henry van de Velde, who started designing women’s clothes. In their pursuit of harmony, they unified architecture, furniture, decor, clothing and accessories to create a total work of art.
Modernist (interior)architects like Adolf Loos, Lilly Reich and Le Corbusier also had their opinions about fashion, which were consistent with their vision of design. They strove for functionality and were opposed to unnecessary ornament.
Contemporary creations by (among others) Maison Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons and Hussein Chalayan on display in the exhibition, serve as a cue to reflect on the historical correlation between interior and fashion.
| Hours | Monday ClosedTuesday to Sunday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Last entry 5:30 PM |
| Venue | MoMu |
| Type | Exhibition |
| Duration | 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| City | Antwerp |
About
MoMu
MoMu houses the largest collection of contemporary Belgian fashion in the world and stands out with its immersive fashion exhibitions. In 2002 MoMu presented its first exhibition in the historical ModeNatie building on the Nationalestraat. Since then, MoMu has presented two temporary exhibitions every year. Smaller exhibitions and installations are presented in the gallery on the ground floor. MoMu exhibitions are characterized by their immersive scenography. As a visitor, you not only see the exhibits, you also are immersed in the world of the designer or the theme. The exhibition space is completely transformed for every exhibition, making each visit a unique experience. The collection consists of clothing, accessories, and textiles, as well as more unexpected pieces such as tools, machines for textile production, patterns, and fashion show invitations. MoMu's collection policy focuses on the work of Belgian designers and alumni of the Fashion Department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Prominent names from the contemporary international fashion world are also represented in the collection. The collection grows every year through acquisitions, loans, and numerous donations, and now consists of over 38,000 pieces. This makes the MoMu Collection the largest and most important collection of contemporary Belgian fashion in the world. The museum continually receives international loan requests for pieces from its designer collection. MoMu's historical collection of Western European costume and textile is a continuation of the collection of the former Costume and Textile Museum Vrieselhof. In 2011, the historical collection was enlarged with an important acquisition. Over 2,000 objects from the 18th, 19th, and first half of the 20th century were acquired from the private collection of Ms. Jacoba de Jonge, complementing the existing MoMu Collection. In addition to the fashion and costume collection, the museum also houses a vast library collection. The MoMu Library is an academic library for historical and contemporary fashion, textiles, and ethnic costume. With over 15,000 books, an archive full of valuable reference works, hundreds of contemporary and historical magazines, and a fast-growing digital database of images, the MoMu Library is one of the top in its field worldwide.
