Atlanta museum opens with de la Renta show

ATLANTA — A new museum focusing on international fashion has opened in Atlanta.

The first exhibition at SCAD FASH features more than 80 Oscar de la Renta designs and opened to the public in October on the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The pieces come from the school’s permanent collection and donations from collectors and celebrities who worked with de la Renta before his death in 2014.

De la Renta was a frequent donor to SCAD’s collections and the natural choice for the opening, said Laurie Ann Farrell, executive director of museums and exhibitions and curator. She hopes visitors whether casual observer or devoted student will learn something about design.

“Everybody selects their clothes as one way of signifying their identity,” Farrell said. “Even if somebody doesn’t consider themselves a fashion aficionado, I think they can come in and be inspired by what different designers have done through the years.”

The pieces on display in Atlanta until Dec. 31 cover decades of work, from a 1965 black cashmere dress with a white satin collar and waist bow to a silk color-block gown designed by creative director Peter Copping for fall 2015 and worn at the Emmy awards by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Student-docents hold iPads with information about each garment as they guide visitors through the 10,000 square-foot space, winding through curved galleries and small rooms featuring a source of inspiration for the designer. A white, mirrored room contains romantic wedding gowns and a silk-patterned dress inspired by Marie Antoinette while a nearby platform holds a gathering of black and red flamenco-inspired garments with dramatic ruffles.

De la Renta’s technique and influence is the exhibition’s focus, but the people once inside the garments add to each item’s appeal.

An embroidered silk gown worn by Taylor Swift at the 2014 Met Gala stands next to the entryway. A black and white gown worn by Sarah Jessica Parker at the same event features a large version of de la Renta’s signature embroidered in red near the bottom of the skirt’s cross-hatched train.

De la Renta received a lifetime achievement award from SCAD in 2001, beginning a relationship with the school. De la Renta donated pieces to SCAD’s permanent collection in the years following the recognition.