“Shape Up: Case Studies in Fashion Making” is an exhibition that
turns garments inside out to show their structure.
Showcasing clothing from Africa, Asia and Central America as well
as western garments from the UC Davis Jo Ann C. Stabb Design
Collection, this exhibition reveals the hidden structures,
patterns and shaping methods that underlie fashion creation.
The exhibition’s three sections — “Tailored Silhouettes,”
“Untrimmed Contours” and “New Dimensions” — acknowledge the
long history of artisanship behind how clothing was shaped and
its influential role in design practice.
Curated by Adele Zhang, Department of Design lecturer and design
collection curator, the exhibition runs through Dec. 8.
“Traditional clothes from different cultures share a similar
approach for building garments by employing the full dimension of
materials,” said Zhang. “From a giant
African boubou formed by nine pieces of off-loom strips
to an elaborate Japanese kimono with a center back seam
and an opening in the front, the pattern diagram examples
displayed in this section stress simplicity and flexibility, a
no-cut design concept, and form of artistic practice that has
stood the test of time.”
Here is an overview at the unique and diverse garments and
concepts found in “Shape Up: Case Studies in Fashion Making.”
Curated by Adele Zhang, the exhibition runs through Dec. 8 at the
UC Davis Design Museum. All photos by Justin Han, copyright
UC Regents.
