The choice of...
In this series, employees and inspirational people choose their favourite piece from the MoMu exhibitions.
Alise Anna Dzirniece Monday, MA student at the Antwerp Fashion Department.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Hussein Chalayan Remote Control dress from his Before Minus Now show (Spring-Summer 2000) in ‘E/MOTION’. As a twelve-year-old, I discovered his work through the Table Dress video of his autumn-winter 2000 fashion show, also on display at MoMu.
"The contrast with what I had seen on FashionTV before that was stark. His models didn't just work the catwalk, they walked with a purpose – as if they were wearing something more than just a garment. The shows were almost theatrical plays, with a real story. Because I had watched the show so many times, it felt almost unreal to see the dress in real life now. In the performance, the hard ‘aeroplane shield’ reveals a dress of soft tulle (not on display in the exhibition). You can control it with a remote control. This Hussein Chalayan design looks like a simple silhouette. It doesn't include any bright colours, which makes it easy to miss. But there's more to it than that. Including mechanically, in the way the motors were hidden inside. I hope the dress will encourage even more visitors to want to discover this brilliant designer and his work.”
Caroline Das, has worked as a guide at MoMu since 2021.
“The doll's houses from ‘P.LACE.S’, especially the dolls that populate these houses, are my favourite at the moment. These dolls from the late 17th and 18th centuries are wearing miniature garments, and the exhibition highlights the lace that adorns both under and outer garments. In my view, this is a fantastic way to preserve historical costumes. In the 1980s and 1990s, my grandparents travelled the world and on each of their big trips, they brought me a doll in traditional costume. This grew into a family tradition. So at home I have a whole wardrobe full of folklore dolls in miniature clothing, as a colourful reflection of the cultural diversity that exists in our world. And now, I'm continuing this tradition myself. Whenever I travel, I always come back with a doll in traditional costume for my grandmother. The precision and stunning detail of their clothing makes the dolls in the exhibition extra special. You can say that these are items of genuine quality. Quality was also an important value for my grandmother. It wasn't until I started looking for this kind of dolls myself that I noticed how difficult seeking out that type of quality is and how much effort my grandmother must have gone to in the past. A beautiful value to cherish and honour.”
Santiago Vasquez, an HVAC technician who has been working for SPIE in MoMu since January 2021.
“As a fashion museum, MoMu is of course full of unique garments in beautiful settings, but what caught my eye is the video wall in ‘E/MOTION’. The digital nature of the video wall forms a nice contrast with the mannequin dolls on display and makes the exhibition even more surprising. Thanks to the video wall and the surround sound, it feels as if you are in the video clips yourself. There's also one by Kanye, ‘Closed on Sunday’, one of my favourites. I never expected to see that video in a museum and on a great big video wall like that makes it even more impressive, of course.”