Darnell-Jamal Lisby, the Cleveland Museum of Art's first fashion curator since 2021, has organized the exhibition "Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses," on view through February 1. The show connects Renaissance artworks from the museum's collection with modern garments by major Italian brands like Armani, Versace, and Capucci, including pieces worn by celebrities such as Blake Lively, Zendaya, and Judy Garland. Lisby, who previously worked at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Costume Institute of the Met, and the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, has also curated exhibitions like The New Black Vanguard, Egyptomania, and Korean Couture. The exhibition features a generative AI video created by Francesco Carrozzini and Henry Hargreaves to show the garments in motion.
This article matters because it highlights a growing trend of major art museums embracing fashion as a serious art form, following recent fashion exhibitions at the Louvre, MoMA, and the Met. Lisby's role as the CMA's first fashion curator and his rapid development of a new department from scratch underscores how institutions are expanding their curatorial scope to engage broader audiences. The exhibition's blend of historical art and contemporary fashion, along with the use of AI technology, reflects innovative approaches to making fashion exhibitions relevant and accessible to diverse viewers.