Avedon & Fashionable Dolls Invade ICP

The Met may have its muses, while London is currently housing Bourdin. But back across the pond, NYC’s International Center for Photography is gearing up for an equally exciting fashion exhibition by way of photography legend Richard Avedon. Entitled “Avedon Fashion 1944-2000,” the show, which opens Friday, will feature art works spanning Avedon’s lengthy career. From haute couture circa 1949 to a decidedly scary look at Jean Paul Gaultier and Geoffrey Beene concoctions in the mid-90s, the exhibition is sure to satiate any fashion fiends appetite for thrilling fashion showcased in innovative ways. And, speaking of models, the exhibit is chock-full of iconic mannequins.

Verushka is pictured at the height of her heyday fully contorted, feet interlaced behind her head. Meanwhile, a decade-old shot of Kate Moss shows the mannequin fresh-faced as ever. There are also quite a few celebs included in the mix, like longtime Givenchy muse Audrey Hepburn channeling a couture version of something out of Ursula’s cave in The Little Mermaid. The Moment has a great slideshow of seven images from the exhibition. But to really appreciate the fashion and fine art icon’s work, get yourself to ICP sometime May 15 or after. And while you’re there, don’t miss an accompanying fashion exhibit, Paris Fashions. The moniker might not make the show sound like much, but the show houses a slew worthwhile photographs featuring fashions from the post-WWII era. “The exhibition of over 230 dolls, [originally] displayed in artist-designed sets, opened in Paris on March 27, 1945 at the Museum of Decorative Arts.” The ICP’s show, however, features photographer David Seidner’s shots of the dolls and frocks in question in an abandoned theater, taken decades after the fact. In other words, this summer ICP is essentially one-stop shopping for some truly inspiring fashion images.