upcoming exhibition

In 1890, designer William Morris quipped that women were "upholstered like arm chairs." Buried under folds, ruching, tassels, and fringe, they were on the verge of becoming fixtures in their own drawing rooms. The confections on view in Swagged and Poufed illustrate the luxury of material and eccentricities of form typical of the late 19th century and reveal their continued influence in contemporary designs by Kenzo Takada, Gianfranco Ferré for Dior, and Maison Martin Margiela.