For some women, fashion is resistance. For others, it is provocation. Fashion provides a spark that powers social and economic advancement— however incremental, incomplete, and belated it might be. It can serve as psychological armor and social pronouncement, clothing us in the courage to broadcast to the world who we are and how we would like to be seen.
Women designers have long harnessed fashion’s power for communication and connection. They use their position in the industry to create clothes that urge the acceptance of new ideas and necessary change. From Vivienne Westwood to Stella McCartney, these designers embody new values, practices, and methodologies that strive to move themselves, consumers, and our society forward.
Katharine Hamnett meets with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Courtesy of PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo.
Explore the sections
Past Exhibition: Made It
Section 1: Breaking in
Past Exhibition: Made It
Section 2: Gaining Momentum
Past Exhibition: Made It
Section 3: Seismic Shifts
Past Exhibition: Made It
Section 4: Making Choices
Past Exhibition
Made It: The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion
November 21, 2020 to March 14, 2021