Jewellery (jewelry)

By Marc Karimzadeh NEW YORK ? Superheroes often operate in sinister worlds, but they can be oh-so-much fun to watch.

?Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,? which officially opens its doors at the Metropolitan Museum of Art?s Costume Institute next Wednesday, offers a look at how fashion has interpreted superhero iconography both literally and metaphorically, and an almost comic-worthy show layout peppered with real action figures that could appeal to a democratic range of museum visitors.

Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, who put the exhibit together with the support of curator in charge Harold Koda, said the theme for the exhibit evolved from his initial, more literal approach five years ago. He was inspired to take the different route after reading Michael Chabon?s ?The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,? which gave a metaphorical slant to the theme. Chabon has contributed an essay on Unitard Theory in the show?s accompanying book.

?We began talking about superheroes as a metaphor, and this idea how clothing can transform, or help maintain the same identity,? Bolton told WWD at an exclusive walk-through on Thursday. He added that the main theme of the exhibit is ?how the superhero is the overarching metaphor for fashion, because both share this obsession with the body, identity and transformation.?

While the show is located in the same space as last year?s Poiret exhibit, its layout couldn?t be more different. Set designer Nathan Crowley, whose production credentials include movies like ?Batman Begins? and ?The Dark Knight,? served as a creative consultant on the exhibit. Its resulting design feels much like being inside a comic strip, with a dropped grid lit ceiling, glossy white floors, angular vignettes and large mirrors positioned at such angles that visitors can see the beginning and end of the show at all points. Crowley also designed the backdrops, which feature superhero symbols or panoramic Gotham skylines.

The first piece sets the tone for the entire exhibition: a screen print of Superman from Andy Warhol?s ?Myths? series in 1981. ?It?s the idea of high art co-opting something that is traditionally seen as a low form of artistic expression,? Bolton said.
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