Catwalk

The countdown is on to the Bowes Museum’s exclusive summer exhibition, CATWALKING: Fashion Through the Lens of Chris Moore, which opens on 7th July.

Chris Moore was reportedly one of the first photographers to capture live fashion when Parisian salons opened their doors in the late 1960s and has remained at the forefront for over 60 years, still producing images today from major catwalk shows.

Photography and fashion items

Spread across three galleries of the County Durham-based museum, this study of the fashion industry will bring together some 230 of the photographer’s original images, charting the evolution of fashion.

The pictures will be presented alongside 40 original catwalk outfits in a collaboration with some of the world’s leading fashion houses, plus loans from the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.

Spanning more than half a century, the 40 garments will represent ‘era-defining catwalk moments’. From Paco Rabanne’s 1960s chain-link modernism to a Dior gown from Galliano’s extravagant Spring/Summer 1998 show, each piece captures the spirit of the time in which it was created.

Highlights will include a reinterpretation of the Marilyn Monroe Pop Art dress worn by Naomi Campbell in 1991; and seven Alexander McQueen outfits, including a golden feathered frockcoat from his final Angels and Demons Autumn/Winter 2010 Collection.

Groups visiting the exhibition can also see a paper catwalk feature, created by installation artist Steve Messam. The ‘catwalk’ is made from over 5,500 pure white paper tubes, and is designed to work as a functional catwalk.

Joanna Hashagen, the museum’s curator of fashion and textiles, said: “This is the first retrospective of Chris Moore’s work; a tribute to a man whose important contribution to the fashion industry is widely recognised. We are delighted to be able to present this unique fusion of photography and fashion in one significant exhibition.”

CATWALKING: Fashion through the Lens of Chris Moore will open on 7th July and run until 6th January 2019. Group rates are available for pre-booked groups of 12 or more paying visitors.

For further information visit www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk.

Photo credit: Catwalking.