The season spotlight at the Boca Raton Museum of Art is an ode to the
illustrious designs created by members of the Council of Fashion Designers of
America (CFDA).
IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA is the first museum
exhibition to celebrate the quintessentially American artistry of the leading
fashion trade organization in the United States. Spearheaded by Council
president, Diane von Furstenberg, the exhibition includes garments and
accessories by the most impactful creators of the last fifty years, on view from
January 29 through April 21, 2013.
Featured in the exhibition are
interactive touchscreen displays that illustrate a timeline of American fashion
and recognize the nearly 600 designers who have been members of the CFDA over
the last five decades. Each living designer selected to participate in the
exhibition has chosen a single object or ensemble that best represents his or
her impact on the fashion world. Work by historical CFDA members have been
selected by exhibition curators, Patricia Mears, deputy director of The Museum
at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, and Fred Dennis, the
FIT museum’s senior curator.
“American designers have always had impact
on how people dress,” said CFDA president, Diane von Furstenberg. “In honor of
that creativity and in celebration of the CFDA’s 50th anniversary, we are proud
to present, in partnership with the Boca Raton Museum of Art, an exhibit that
represents the tremendous work of our members for the last five decades.
‘Impact’ was the one word that came to mind immediately – it is so strong and
defining of our individual and collective influence that we knew right away that
our exhibit would be called Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA.”
Among the
designers included in the exhibition are Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Carolina
Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Zac Posen, Alexander Wang, Norma Kamali, Diane von
Furstenberg, Vera Wang and Thom Browne.
IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA
at the Boca Raton Museum of Art is sponsored in part by Neiman Marcus and Van
Cleef & Arpels.
IMPACT: The Art of Fashion Gala
To coincide with
the IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA exhibition, the Boca Raton Museum of Art will
host a black-tie gala on January 26, 2013. Art and fashion devotees will
experience an elegant cocktail of food, fashion, and entertainment. Visit
www.bocamuseum.org/gala for details.
Boca Raton Museum of
Art
The Boca Raton Museum of Art is one of the leading cultural institutions
in South Florida, achieving international recognition as a world-class visual
arts institution for its dynamic, changing exhibitions from acclaimed artists
and distinguished permanent collection. The Museum’s many public programs
include artist presentations, family activities, art films, the Annual Art
Festival, and more than 100 classes per week at its studio Art School. Museum
Auxiliaries include The Artists’ Guild, Friends Auxiliary, and Collectors’
Forum. For more information call 561.392.2500 or visit
www.bocamuseum.org.
CFDA
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc, (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1962 that leads
industry-wide initiatives and whose membership consists of more than 420 of
America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessory designers. In
addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, which recognize the top
creative talent in the industry, the organization offers programs which support
professional development and scholarships, including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion
Fund, the Geoffrey Beene Design Scholar Award, the Liz Claiborne Scholarship
Award, the CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship, and the Gilt All Star Scholarship.
Member support is provided through the Business Services Network, a high-profile
group of companies offering designers strategic opportunities. The CFDA
Foundation, Inc. is a separate, not-for-profit organized to mobilize the
membership to raise funds for charitable causes. Through the Foundation, the
CFDA created and manages Fashion Targets Breast Cancer; raises funds for
HIV/AIDS organizations with 7th on Sale; addresses the issue of model health
with The CFDA Health Initiative; and is a key participant in other programs such
as the annual Fashion’s Night Out. For more information, please visit
www.CFDA.com, facebook.com/cfda, twitter.com/cfda, cfda.tumblr.com, and
youtube.com/cfdatv.
Photo credit: VERA WANG, Courtesy of Vera Wang, Photograph by Carter Smith