Once upon a time, there was a dress. Designed in 1986 by French couture designer Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy, who also founded the House of Givenchy in 1952. The dress is long, made of velvet and silk, with a bow and everything else that comes to mind when you think of the words “dress” and “haute couture” — the dress of all dresses, so to speak. Perhaps it was this that attracted the West Berlin cult couturier and former UdK professor Uli Richter so much so that he reinterpreted the dress himself a few years later. His interpretation from 1989 sets the tone for the exhibition “Past Intelligence: Givenchy, Uli Richter, Students”, which can be seen at the Kunstgewerbemuseum in the Kulturforum until 26.05.2024. The focus of the discussion is: What can young fashion designers learn from the past? Based on the designs of two of couture’s godfathers, young students from Atelier Chardon Savard at Macromedia University Berlin explored this very question. Reconstruction, deconstruction, new construction for cut, material, and role models. The result is an entertaining and approachable exhibition, with samples to try on and an upcoming workshop entitled “I’m sewing my own Givenchy dress”, where you can sew a dress with help and guidance, and reflect on the question of where Givenchy ends and your unique design begins.
Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Franka Dehmel, Lola Schreiner, Noa Lesche
Kunstgewerbemuseum, Matthäikirchplatz, 10785 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Tue–Fri 10–18h, Sat–Sun 11–18h
Past Intelligence: Givenchy, Uli Richter, Students until 26.05.2024.
