Fashion For The Free Mind

Early February of 2016 I went to the SCADFASH Museum of Fashion and Film in Midtown to see the latest exhibition, Daniel Lismore - Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Taken. I was not familiar with the designs of Lismore and I was not sure what to expect. The exhibition turned out to be a great and worthwhile suprise.

The exhibition was a spectacle of the outrageous and a marvel of exuberant style. Initially I thought of Boy George and Leigh Bowery while walking among the mannequins all done up in these marvelous outfits. While there might be some influence, Lismore has his own unique style; the work was original and meticulous down to the tiniest details. After the initial viewing of an outfit I would have to go back and study it again to see what was missed, as there were plenty of surprises to be found in these elaborate garments.

Here are a few highlights from the exhibition:

Visually there is so much for the eye take in. You have think about what is on display and admire the creativity and craftsmanship. The Coke logo adjacent to the skull is a nice touch of humor.

This might have been my favorite. I loved the magazine cover around the mannequin's head and the painting over the eyelids. This might be speaking to the commodification of the self with the barcode and the marketing slogan.

A brilliant piece of art. I cannot imagine how much it weighs.

Nods to Andy Warhol with the large Marilyn Monroe print and the Campbell's Tomato Soup can atop the head.

I thought this design was quite beautiful. It reminded me of a more extravagant vision of a bridal outfit that Madonna might have worn in the 1980s.

Another one of my favorites.

I spy Boy George. The textures on these fabrics are incredible.

"I'm not trying to seduce you. Would you like me to seduce you?" That entered my mind as I stood before this. The line is from the film The Graduate and was sampled in the 1992 George Michael song Too Funky. My answer was, "yes."

Daniel Lismore is creative director for Sorapol, a London-based atelier. He was raised in England and studied photography and fashion design. His clothes have been worn by numerous celebrities and he's had his work featured by H&M.

During the Atlanta show, Vogue Magazine reviewed the exhibit which consisted of over three thousand pieces. After it left Atlanta it appeared in Miami in late 2016 as part of a SCAD event there.

Out of all the exhibitions I went to see in 2016 this was my favorite. I left there eyes wide open and couldn't stop thinking and talking about it.


*All photos taken by me in February 2016.