A new exhibition titled "Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion" opens September 25 at the Barbican in London, exploring how fashion designers have embraced decay, dirt, and imperfection. Curated by Karen Van Godtsenhoven, the show features garments from over 60 designers, including Hussein Chalayan's iron-filing-stained dresses, Vivienne Westwood's transgressive tears, Issey Miyake's gunpowder-speckled pleats, and wine-stained couture by Robert Wun. It also highlights five emerging designers like Elena Velez and Michaela Stark who use dirt and decay to challenge conventional beauty standards.
This exhibition matters because it marks the Barbican's first fashion-focused show in nearly a decade, reaffirming the institution's commitment to fashion as a serious visual art form. By centering on themes of rot and rebirth, the show critiques the fashion industry's obsession with glossy perfection and waste, suggesting that embracing imperfection could lead to more sustainable and creative practices. It positions fashion within broader cultural conversations about beauty, environmental impact, and artistic innovation.