The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined in Hasselt’s Modemuseum
Defining a word through fashion
It seems that fashion nowadays is part of everyday life and more than ever, it helps to express ones thoughts and self. THE VULGAR is an exhibition in the Modemuseum in Hasselt (Belgium), discussing the definition of the word ‘vulgar’ through various fashion designs.
We started the tour in a great hall where our guide started explaining the connection between Hasselt and Fashion. THE VULGAR is ‘more or less philosophical’, she explained, as the exhibition tries to find out what the word ‘vulgar’ means. Judith Clark, the curater of THE VULGAR took a risk with this topic, as it might not be that easy to understand. However, the exhibition was displayed in London and Vienna before it moved to Hasselt, and celebrated successes in both cities.
Raising questions: what is vulgar?
The search for a definition of ‘vulgar’ runs throughout the exhibition, as the different rooms of the museum discuss various topics, all rising questions like ‘how can vulgar be defined?’ or simply ‘what counts as vulgar?’.
The first room which showed imitations or copies on silhouettes.
The only male silhouette displayed in this exhibition is ‘Bodysuit and trousers’ by Walter van Beirendonck, one of the Antwerp Six. The exhibition in general does not care about gender or body types, but it only focusses on the fashion pieces. Therefore, the fact that there is only one male silhouette throughout the exhibition is a coincidence, which doesn’t matter in this case, the guide assured us.
The silhouette is a representation of the ‘perfect’ male body, discussing ‘the function of clothing to conceal the body’.
Another example is the dress of a Greek goddess. Our guide raised the following question: “If you wore a dress from a Greek goddess, would that make you a goddess?” You are what you wear — aren’t you? Is that a vulgar quote? Is it vulgar to feel better only because you wear something expensive?
Fashion classics new interpreted
One of the fashion classics is — no, I’m not talking about the little black dress, but — the pencil skirt.
I dare to say that we all know it and that most of the women reading this own one. However, the pencil skirt displayed here is literally a pencil skirt, meaning it’s a skirt made out of pencils. The designer Mary Katrantzou ‘used a surrealist strategy: a play on the pencil skirt’. Is it vulgar to do something like this? Would it be vulgar to actually wear it?
The common understanding of ‘vulgar’
Towards the end of the exhibition was a room which showed revealing pieces, implicating sexiness. Often, the word ‘vulgar’ is connected to showing off too much skin, something indecent or rude. With this section, the exhibition touched the common understanding of the word, showing some black, white and nude-coloured pieces.
The colours and cuts can be discussed, for example: if someone wears a nude bodysuit, why even wear one? Is it a vulgar colour, because it’s similar to some people’s skincolour? Black tends to be a sexy colour, wicked even, however it’s also an elegant, classy one. Is it vulgar to connect it with something sexual?
Huge variety by well-known designers
Visiting a fashion exhibition I didn’t expect to be particularly moved and I have to admit, I wasn’t. What I’d expected was to feel inspired by the fashion pieces and this, I was.
The pieces shown weren’t only from different times, they were also designed by a variety of well-known designers. Pieces by Vivienne Westwood, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld or notable Belgian designers such as Walter Van Beirendonck were included, to name only a few.
Therefore, the variety of fashion pieces THE VULGAR offered was rather impressive. And, even though it wasn’t a lifechanging experience, it’s a thought-provoking exhibition.
Practical Information
The exhibition ‘THE VULGAR — Fashion Redefined’ takes place in the Fashion Museum in Hasselt. This exhibition continues until the 14th of January. Afterwards, the museum will be closed for a month to prepare the next exhibition, as the museum shows two different ones per year.
