The humble back has been a part of some of the most iconic moments in fashion and pop culture history (see: Mireille Darc in Guy Laroche and Beyoncé’s ‘Freakum Dress’).
Yet, with not one catwalk image showing the back-side of any of the 3,524 silhouettes from Paris’ SS19 fashion shows, it is undeniable that our posteriors remain an under-appreciated part of the human body. That is of course, until the ‘Dos á la Mode’ exhibit came to Musée Bourdelle. Aptly named ‘Back Side’ in English, the exhibit in Paris’ Montparnasse district is a celebration of the communicative power of our backs.
Curated by director of haute couture and contemporary fashion at the Palais Galliera Alexandre Samson, the show exclusively displays the backs of some of the most famous garments in fashion history.
“Our vision of fashion has become so instantaneous we no longer take the time for a closer look. It’s counterproductive,” Samson explains. “We’re doing a major disservice to fashion, we’re consuming it badly.”
The show explores the powerlessness and vulnerability associated with our backs, as they are “the only part of ourselves that we don’t see.” Exhibit designer Jean-Julien Simonot presents the garments alongside colossal stone sculptures of nudes, many of which were produced in the nineteenth century by the museum’s namesake, Antoine Bourdelle. Not only does Simonot reimagine the work of Bourdelle, he toys with the concept of fragility and helplessness.
From Balenciaga to Gaultier, Mugler to Rei Kawakubo, the show includes the works of some of fashion’s biggest names. Inside the exhibition, we see the ethereal, sculptural, romantic and unorthodox possibilities for our rear-ends. The show features Mugler’s otherworldly winged-back creations; Balenciaga and Gaultier’s dreamy evening gowns with flowing silk trains; the structural works of Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons; the origami folds of Yohji Yamamoto; and the kinkier bondage back, illustrated by Gaultier’s laced and Schiaparelli’s ruched corsets. The show also includes Jeanloup Sieff’s black and white ‘Back is Beautiful’ photo series, as well as images from this season’s Paris Fashion Week runway shows.
However, the exhibit’s most controversial piece comes from none other than fast-fashion giant, Zara. The $39 jacket which dons the words “I really don’t care, do u?” gained notoriety when First Lady Melania Trump wore it while boarding an Air Force plane to visit migrant children at the Texas-Mexico border.
Although deeply insensitive given the occasion, the jacket is the quintessence of the expressive potential of the backs of our clothes. ‘Dos à la Mode’ implores exhibit-goers to ponder what all angles of our clothing says about us.
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