Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/921419
PROUD MARY A s k J u s t i n e Ludwig, Dallas Contemporary's d i r e c t o r o f exhibitions and senior curator, why British fashion designer Mary Katrantzou was made the subject of an exhibition, and the answer — of course — comes back to clothes. "I've been following Mary's career since her fi rst collection," says Ludwig, who will also curate the exhibit. "I came across it online and was completely mesmerized by her vision." Katrantzou is a perfect wardrobe match for any museum curator; she has carved out a brilliant niche that blurs the lines between technology, art, and fashion. Dallas Contemporary has also famously blurred lines of its own, redefi ning the art exhibition, consistently mixing fashion and design into its programming of shows that focus on traditional, contemporary art mediums. So, this month, Katrantzou — who is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of her debut collection — joins artists Enoc Perez and Valerie Keane as the third com ponent of Dallas Contemporary's winter exhibition line-up. The survey will count as Katrantzou's fi rst museum show, an overview of her work that includes clothing, accessories, fabric, and sketches. To have a museum exhibition at the ripe age of 34 is quite the coup — a testament to the impact she has made on the worlds of fashion and art, with her platform of pattern and texture, innovative textile design, architectural silhouettes, and intricate embellishment. "My fi rst collection was mapped around the idea of trompe l'oeil prints, specifi cally prints of oversized jewelry," Katrantzou recalls. "That idea evolved into thematic collections based on perfume bottles, interiors, objects of art, everyday objects, and more abstract ideas such as symbolism or nostalgia. I want to challenge the boundaries of imagination and what is desirable in fashion." Katrantzou's graphic punch and advanced textile creation is a testament to her ingenuity and quick grasp of new technology that greatly e x p a n d e d d e s i g n capabilities starting in the early 2000s. "One of the most important infl uences in my work were the advances in digital printing," she says. "The digital revolution allowed me to dream, turn the surreal into reality, and use print as a vehicle to elevate dressing into statement- o c c a s i o n [clothing] that tells a story." Katrantzou's sculptural a e s t h e t i c , g r a p h i c prints, and otherworldly ready-to-wear collections caught the eye of many of our city's most fashionable. One of her fi rst forays into Dallas came early in her career, around 2012. In town for a personal appearance and trunk show at Neiman Marcus Downtown, Nasiba Adilova hosted a cocktail party in her honor. The designer has since expanded her close ties to Dallas, visiting often and most recently joining Adilova at this year's TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art. It's no surprise, then, that her museum debut would happen here. "Mary Katrantzou" at Dallas Contemporary, January 14 through March 4. 161 Glass Street, 214.821.2522; dallascontemporary.org. B Y C H R I S T I N A G E Y E R DALLAS CONTEMPORARY TOASTS MARY KATRANTZOU'S MONUMENTAL INFLUENCE WITH AN EXHIBITION EXAMINING HER DECADE OF WORK. Gwen Stefani in Fall 2011 "Pencil" look, as photographed for Elle Mary Katrantzou at the British Fashion Awards, 2011, where she was given the Emerging Talent Award Infl uencer Miroslava Duma in an early Katrantzou look, 2009 Mary Katrantzou Spring/ Summer 2011, "The Rooms Collection" Rihanna in Rihanna in Rihanna in the Fall 2013 the Fall 2013 the Fall 2013 collection collection collection 42