Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography June 23–September 22, 2019
Erik Madigan Heck, James Harden, GQ, 2018, inkjet print, courtesy of Staley-Wise Gallery. © Erik Madigan Heck / Trunk Archive
Kwame Brathwaite, Untitled (Photo Shoot at a School for One of the Many Modeling Groups Who Had Begun to Embrace Natural Hairstyles in the 1960s), c. 1966, archival pigment print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. © Kwame Brathwaite
Langston Hues, Dian, from the series Modest Street Fashion, 2013–17. © Langston Hues, All Rights Reserved
Glen E. Friedman, published by Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, Run-DMC, from the portfolio Selected Works 1, 1985, printed 2014, gelatin silver print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Buddy Taub Foundation, Dennis A. Roach and Jill Roach, Directors. Photograph: Glen E. Friedman © 1985
John Dyer, Selena, 1992, chromogenic print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Texas Monthly and the artist. © 1992 John Dyer All Rights Reserved
Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, W Magazine, Defy, 2017, gelatin silver print, courtesy of Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. © Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Irving Penn, Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York, 1950, platinum-palladium print, the Art Institute of Chicago, gift of Irving Penn. © Condé Nast
“Ebony” Magazine Cover, “Fashions in Orbit,” October 1965, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Richard Avedon, Dovima with Elephants, evening dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris, August 1955, gelatin silver print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Karen Kelsey Duddlesten in honor of Anne Wilkes Tucker on the occasion of her retirement. © The Richard Avedon Foundation
George Hoyningen-Huene, Bathing Suits by Izod, Paris, 1930, gelatin silver print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Geoffrey and Barbara Koslov Family, the Manfred Heiting Collection. © Condé Nast
► Información en español sobre la exposición
Explore the rich and varied history of fashion photography through Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography. More than 200 photographs by famous practitioners and lesser-known, yet influential artists present a broad perspective on fashion photography and its trajectory from niche industry to powerful cultural force. The exhibition surveys the gradual recognition of fashion photography as an art form.
Icons of Style showcases a diverse view of fashion and fashion photography—from elegant portraits made in the early 20th century to the trendsetting fashions of Beyoncé, David Bowie, James Harden, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Jones, Run-DMC, Selena, and Solange; to images that have graced the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Ebony, and Essence.
The exhibition not only chronicles trends in fashion over the past century, it also reflects broader cultural shifts. From aristocrats, to street style, to supermodels and globalism, fashion photography often defines the ways people see themselves. Icons of Style brings together local, national, and international loans, augmented with works from the MFAH collections.
Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography | June 23–September 22, 2019
► Publication
The illustrated exhibition catalogue is available through the MFA Shop (713.639.7360) and the Museum’s Hirsch Library (713.639.7325).
► Audio Guide
The optional audio guide delves deeper into selected works of art, with commentary and insights from MFAH curators, exhibiting artists, and local style icons. Offered in both English and Spanish. Included in the ticket price, based on availability. Audio-guide players are located at the exhibition entrance.
► Exhibition Admission
Tickets, available online and on-site, include Museum general admission.
| TICKETS Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography |
Any Day, Any Time |
| MFAH Member (Join now!) | Free |
| Adult (19+) | $23 |
| Senior (65+ with ID), Military (with ID), College Student (19+ with ID), Youth (13–18) | $18 |
| Child (12 & younger) | Free |
Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography is organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum. This presentation has been adapted by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Generous funding for this exhibition is provided by:
River Oaks District
Luther King Capital Management
Dior