Interspersed with video installations, the Special Exhibition Galleries will display about 80 designs – Schiaparelli’s from the late ’20s to the early ’50s and Prada’s from the late ’80s to the present.
“You know we saw so many Alexander McQueen references begin to bubble up from other designers consciously and subconsciously from the exhibit that took place last year,” Downing pointed out in anticipation.
“So as we go into the entire cycle of ‘Impossible Conversations,’ we’re going to see a lot of, not only Prada inspirations – and Miuccia is really what I feel, one of the three most inspirational designers in the world – and if people consciously pay attention or if it’s just out there, she’s always pushing the boundaries so we’ll see a lot of that influence. And we’re going to see a lot of Schiaparelli influences as well…. What I think makes designers really brilliant is when they can quietly reference the past and take something that’s really amazing from the moment but not recreate it like a costume….
“And it’s coming at a really good time. Be it movies, be it art, be it a fashion exhibit, people are always looking for ideas and it’s interesting putting the two of them together since they were both very influential in their time.”
“Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” runs from May 10 to Aug. 19 in the Special Exhibition Galleries, first floor of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more information, visit metmuseum.org.
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