Statement Pieces

The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, presents Statement Pieces: Contemporary Fashion Design and the Gibbes Collection, on view from January 31st to April 27th, 2025. The exhibition is co-curated by Sara Arnold of the Gibbes Museum, and Kelly Peck of Barrett Barrera Projects. Kelly Peck notes, “Barrett Barrera Projects is thrilled to partner with the Gibbes Museum of Art on this exhibition. The visual relationships between the designer fashions and the artworks from the Museum’s collection really come to life in such a striking and elegant dialogue.” The exhibition will be the centerpiece of this year’s Art Charleston, the city’s annual five-day festival of visual art (April 23rd-27th)

Visitors will encounter striking pairings, from an ombré Alexander McQueen gown alongside a Hokusai print to a billowing Molly Goddard dress set against a Joan Mitchell painting. The illuminated display by Barrett Barrera transforms Goddard’s piece into a luminous interplay of light and color, echoing the vibrant energy of Series: July 25 I. Its glow mirrors Mitchell’s bursts of yellow and crimson, creating a cinematic sense of movement. Elsewhere, a Dapper Dan creation—celebrated for its reinvention of luxury iconography—appears alongside a Barkley Hendricks portrait, both amplifying themes of identity and cultural influence.

Another standout pairing is a sculptural red dress from COMME des GARÇONS’ Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which echoes the bulbous texture of a 2020 stoneware sculpture by Donté K. Hayes. Similarly, a gilded Gucci mini-dress finds its counterpart in an 18th-century portrait by Benjamin West, where the subject’s ocher-draped attire reflects the same opulence.

The exhibition also highlights deeper conceptual dialogues between designers and artists. Romare Bearden’s abstract painting Untitled (Green) (ca. 1950s) is paired with a structured look by Serena Gili, both artists known for their experimental techniques and personal narratives.

“The Gibbes Museum of Art is thrilled to kick off the new season by celebrating the many ways art and fashion are forever intertwined in our culture,” says Angela Mack, the President and CEO of the Gibbes Museum. “The dialogues between each artwork and garment create a striking visual courtship between the two art forms. By pairing these works from our Museum’s permanent collection with the fashions from Barrett Barrera Projects, together we are taking the phrase Statement Pieces to a whole new level,” adds Angela Mack.

Beyond aesthetic connections, Statement Pieces underscores how fashion and art have historically shaped perceptions of status, identity, and innovation. As the Co-Curator Sara Arnold notes, “The exhibition expands the definition of fine art and invites visitors to reconsider how design influences everyday life.” Presented in collaboration with Barrett Barrera Projects, Statement Pieces offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing dialogue between fashion and art.