Fashion Forward

On view December 21, 2019 - April 12, 2020

The innovative designs and designers featured in Fashion Forward changed the way the world dressed, finding their way from international fashion houses to Texan closets, from fashion-forward trend to classic wardrobe staple. Each featured designer shaped the world of fashion, earning the Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion – “The Oscar of Fashion.”

Primarily drawing from the Texas Fashion Collection at the University of North Texas, one of the most significant fashion archives in the United States, Fashion Forward positions Dallas and Texas as an unexpected fashion epicenter.

Inside the Exhibition

• Explore the historical and cultural context of garments from some of the fashion world's biggest names
• Take an in-depth look at the elements that make award-winning fashion
• Learn how to speak the language of fashion design while exploring the details featured in the pieces on display
• Create your own looks at a fabric draping station
• Touch sample fabrics and better understand why designers use them
• Strike a pose on the runway
• See photos of award ceremonies and designers' trips to Texas, including Texas-themed parties for the honorees.

Highlights

• Stanley Marcus's western suit, 1936
• Christian Dior “New Look” skirt & jacket, 1947
• Bonnie Cashin cape, blouse, & skirt, 1950
• Yves Saint Laurent for House of Dior cocktail dress, 1958
• Coco Chanel evening suit, 1960
• Anne Klein coat dress, c. 1968
• Geoffrey Beene hostess ensemble, 1969
• Emilio Pucci dress, 1954
• Missoni evening dress, 1970s
• Giorgio Armani shirt & shorts, late 1970s
• Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu mules, 1990s
• Hanae Mori dress, 1972
• Issey Miyake dress, 1980s
• Valentino Garavaldi gown, 2007

Programs and Events

H-E-B Free First Sunday: Stylish
Sunday, January 5, 12 pm - 5 pm
Enjoy free exhibition admission all day and themed family activities from noon to 3 pm! 

Storytime: What We Wear
Thursday, January 23, 10 am - 11 am
Clothes, hats, shoes, and more—what do you choose to wear? Read about kids and the clothes they wear.

Reel Women in Film: Funny Face
Friday, January 24, 7 pm - 9:30 pm
Join the Bullock Museum for a screening and conversation about the film Funny Face and the fashion trailblazer who makes this film stand out.

Reel Women in Film: Selma
Friday, February 7, 7 pm to 9:30 pm
In Selma, Director Ava DuVernay and Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter capture the complexity and nuance behind a historical civil-rights event that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We will look at those within the field of filmmaking that are in the periphery, the costume designers. This evening's program is shown in conjunction with our Sister Suffragists exhibition, celebrating the suffrage centennial, along with our Fashion Forward exhibition, which explores how the fashion innovations of yesterday impact our closets today.

Storytime: Four Seasons
Thursday, February 27, 10 am - 11 am
From cozy coats to strappy sandals, read about changing seasons and changing clothes.

Reel Women in Film: Carmen Jones
Friday, April 10, 7 pm - 9:30 pm
Styled by Mary Ann Nyberg, Dorothy Dandridge stars in Carmen Jones drapped in costumes that are iconic for their risk taking lines and colors.

Organized by the Bullock Museum in collaboration with the Texas Fashion Collection, College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas.

Special exhibitions are generously sponsored by Union Pacific.

Additional support for exhibitions and education programming provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.