Jumpsuit
Katharine Hamnett's irreverent trompe l'oeil (optical illusion) bodysuit carnivalizes classical notions of tailoring, masculinity, and seriousness by printing a men's striped suit and colorful tie onto a bodystocking. The body-conscious fit of the suit betrays the three-dimensional structure it projects; the childishness of the graphics undo the seriousness of the tailored men's suit.
Hamnett's pioneering use of DIY aesthetics and iconoclastic design tactics have put her at the forefront of activist movements in fashion propelling sustainable and ethical production methods. She has used fashion design as a platform from which to tackle sociopolitical issues, in fashion and the world at large.
Hamnett's pioneering use of DIY aesthetics and iconoclastic design tactics have put her at the forefront of activist movements in fashion propelling sustainable and ethical production methods. She has used fashion design as a platform from which to tackle sociopolitical issues, in fashion and the world at large.
Artwork Details
- Title: Jumpsuit
- Design House: Katharine Hamnett London (British, founded 1979)
- Designer: Katharine Hamnett (British, born 1947)
- Date: fall/winter 1993–94
- Culture: British
- Medium: Lycra, metal
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Dorothy Strelsin Foundation Inc. Gift, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.417
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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On loan to The Met
Katharine Hamnett London
Katharine Hamnett
1985
Azzedine Alaïa
fall/winter 1990–91
Azzedine Alaïa
spring/summer 1994
Multiple artists/makers
1978
Hussein Chalayan
fall/winter 1995–96
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