If you struggle to persuade your children that a day at an art museum can actually be fun then you are in luck. If your kids are fans of Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman you won’t have any problem getting them excited to visit New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Iron Man, Spider-Man, and a slew of other popular comic book legends are being honored at the Met’s current “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” exhibit. The brawny super clan has been chosen by the Costume Institute to illustrate the worlds of fantasy and reality. Fashion designers who create outfits for mega-stars such as George Clooney and Julia Roberts took a stab at creating winning looks inspired by the mega-popular comic book characters.
In “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” Superman is presented to museum goers as both Clark Kent (donning a 1950s Brooks Brothers suit) and as the Man of Steel decked out in the original 1978 film costume worn by Christopher Reeve. The exhibit also includes the slim and sexy black catsuit Michelle Pfeiffer wore in 1992’s “Batman Returns, which is displayed next to modern day examples of dominatrix-style outfits by high end designers Dolce & Gabbana.
There’s even a section devoted to anti-heroes of the 1970s and 1980s, such as the Punisher and Ghost Rider. Their costumes are juxtaposed with real-world creations from top designers including Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Thierry Mugler.
Museum officials say the exhibit marries superheroes and style and shows the world that fantasy can easily be translated to reality. Highlights of the exhibit include stunning couture pieces inspired by the X-Men such as a rainbow-colored Mugler gown that morphs from a birdlike top to an amphibian’s corset, and then a mermaid hem. In addition, in the Superman section there is a Moschino M-logo gown with complementary red cape. And in the area dedicated to Spider-Man there are several spider-web dress silhouettes by Mugler, Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Julien Macdonald and Giorgio Armani.
The “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” exhibit runs through September 1st.
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