CO DURHAM.- The Bowes Museum’s exclusive summer exhibition, Catwalking: Fashion through the Lens of Chris Moore is on view through 6 January, 2019.
Chris Moore is one of the first photographers to capture live fashion when Parisian salons opened their doors in the late 1960’s. He has remained at the forefront of fashion photography for over 60 years and is still capturing stunning images at every major international catwalk show.
This comprehensive review of the fashion industry brings together 230 original images by Moore, charting the evolution of fashion as captured through his lens. These atmospheric photographs are being presented alongside 40 original catwalk outfits in a unique collaboration with the world’s leading fashion houses. They include unseen 1970’s photographs from Yves Saint Laurent catwalk shows, which complement loans from Musée Yves Saint Laurent, Paris. The exhibition extends across three galleries within the Museum.
Spanning more than half a century, the 40 garments represent era-defining catwalk moments. From Paco Rabanne’s 1960s chain-link modernism to a Dior gown from Galliano’s unforgettably extravagant Spring/Summer 1998 show, each piece captures the spirit of the time in which it was created.
Straight off the catwalk, direct from Versace’s 2018 Tribute Collection – which brought the original supermodels together in homage to the late designer - is a reinterpretation of the Marilyn Monroe Pop Art dress worn by Naomi Campbell in 1991.
Alexander McQueen outfits feature, including the golden feathered frockcoat from his final Angels and Demons Autumn/Winter 2010 Collection, and two previously unseen designs by Sarah Burton, creative director. Moore was the only photographer to capture McQueen’s last intimate show after his death, recalling how “. . . the music alone was enough to make me cry.”
Moore continues to be the most renowned photographer at catwalk shows in London, Paris, Milan and New York. That he is revered and respected by the industry is borne out by the number agreeing to lend their designs to ‘his’ exhibition: Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Chloé, Christopher Kane, Comme des Garçons, Dior, Gareth Pugh, Giles Deacon, Hussein Chalayan, Issey Miyake, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Paco Rabanne, Prada, Shaun Leane, Swarovski, Valentino, Vetements, Versace, Vivienne Westwood and Yves Saint Laurent.
The exhibition features an installation by artist Steve Messam, acclaimed for his weight bearing bridge across a Lake District stream. Messam’s paper catwalk is made from over 5,500 pure white paper tubes - up to 4m in height – which wraps around the pillars down the entire length of the exhibition gallery.
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. He has photographed all the key fashion moments of the last 60 years. He has documented the rise of the supermodel and the changes in the way fashion shows are presented. His shots are not just limited to the catwalk, his candid eye has captured behind the scenes moments too. “I am delighted that leading fashion houses have been so generous with lending clothes to The Bowes Museum. It is a testament to his unrivalled work. We are delighted to present this unique fusion of photography and fashion in this extraordinary exhibition.”
CATWALKING: Fashion through the Lens of Chris Moore pays a fitting tribute to Moore’s long and illustrious career.
