Contemporary Muslin Fashion Exhibition

Following its successful run at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, the Contemporary Muslim Fashions exhibition will make its way to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. On view from February 28th to August 23rd, the exhibit will specifically focus on the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other communities within the United States and Europe.

This ground-breaking show is the first to investigate the modest fashion industry, as well as Muslim women as arbiters of style within and beyond their communities. It will take into consideration how Muslim women not only define themselves, but how they are defined by their dress.

In addition to shedding light on the ever-growing modest fashion category, those who attend the exhibit will grasp how Muslim women's attire is overall shaped by their religious traditions and cultural customs. Social media will also play a large role in the show by relaying Muslim women's representation in conventional media.

The exhibition will showcase about 80 up-and-coming and established designer garments, and 40 photographs to contextualize the fashion through streetwear, sportswear, and couture. Susan Brown, the associate curator of textiles at Cooper Hewitt stated, “Focusing on the work of young professional Muslim designers and artists, the exhibition celebrates the vibrant global community that has arisen around modest fashion and uses contemporary art, street photography, social media and music videos to bring diverse voices into the gallery.”

Contemporary Muslim Fashion will be on view at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum from February 28th, 2020 to August 23rd, 2020.