Elite Traveler May-June 2015

ART OF FASHION top-10 most popular exhibitions boast a celebrated and decidedly varied roster of artwork: Picassos from its permanent collection, rare visits by the Mona Lisa and Museums all around the world are mounting exhibitions exploring the craft and history behind fashion’s most iconic houses. Here are some of the summer’s hottest exhibitions, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art's

each with its own unique take on the magical mix of style and substance

Tutankhamun’s burial mask, and brightly hued Jeff Koons statues sprinkled around the roof garden. But occupying the eighth spot on the list is a collection that might have seemed surprising as little as five years ago. Would anyone have guessed that 661,509 people would turn up to view diaphanous gowns and towering shoes from a contemporary designer’s archives? Then again, not every fashion designer promises a mix of poetry and artistry quite like Alexander McQueen. Debuting in May 2011, 15 months after the London-based designer’s suicide, “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,” produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, balanced the aesthetic and technical brilliance of his work with the poignant, often dark inspirations that drove his creative thinking. While the curiosity factor following McQueen’s death undeniably contributed to the record number of visitors, it is also without question that here was a fashion designer

by Laurie Brookins

A FASHIONABLE CALENDAR Fashion exhibitions that are currently on display or set to open throughout the summer.

For popular exhibitions or weekend excursions, it is advisable to book advance tickets.

Through July 19

Through July 19

Through July 19

Déboutonner la mode (“Unbutton Fashion”) Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France lesartsdecoratifs.fr

Museum of Fashion, Antwerp, Belgium momu.be

Dries Van Noten: Inspirations

High Style: The Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection Legion of Honor, San Francisco, US legionofhonor.famsf.org