Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities

Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities was an inventive exhibition that provided the first in-depth exploration of the fascinating connections between cabinets of curiosities and fashion. Also known as wunderkammern in German, cabinets of curiosities can be traced back to the early sixteenth century. They were precursors to the modern museum, and many included examples of clothing. The exhibition featured nearly two hundred garments and accessories, almost exclusively selected from MFIT’s permanent collection, which were inspired by the breadth of objects collected within the cabinets. The objects on view, many of which were shown for the first time, were meant to pique curiosity through their rarity, beauty, or originality.

An introductory gallery examined the history of cabinets of curiosities, explaining their significance to the Age of Exploration (fifteenth to seventeenth centuries), their ties to colonialism, and the need for contemporary museums to be more inclusive and informed about the objects they acquire. It also highlighted the interconnections between curiosity, creativity, and collecting. A dress by Mary Katrantzou dates to her tenth anniversary collection in 2019, in which she expressed the urge “to amass like objects of a particular kind, to record, to study and identify, to protect and cherish.” Its intricate patterning included butterflies and seashells, both of which were regularly featured in the cabinets.

Within the main gallery, a playful exhibition design encouraged exploration of the show’s ten themes, divided into sections, through custom-made sets, each of which offered a contemporary, fashion-focused take on cabinets of curiosities.