At a time when poetry performances are increasingly taking the world stage and their fashion trending on Pinterest boards, this compact show explores the intersection between fashion and poetry. This exhibit shows their importance by showcasing imaginative recreations of clothing worn by seven twentieth-century poets whose works incorporate clothing as part of their composition process.
Edith Sitwell’s veil conveys her permanent drama, while Wilson Oryema uses clothing as part of his installation to highlight poetic lines’ rhythm and texture.
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Amanda Gorman wowed audiences at the US Inauguration with her performance poetry, inspiring an incredible response across continents and generations. Search engine Lyst reported an astounding 1,328 percent spike in search for yellow coats similar to Gorman’s attire, prompting talent agency IMG to sign her as their representation – proof that poetry and fashion now go hand-in-hand. Poetry is fashion’s new partner!
Fashion can convey so much information about who we are. To see its message, write a persona poem by adopting another individual’s voice and clothing style- from an imaginary fictional character to someone you know personally. What would this outfit convey about their nature?
As curators of Poets in Vogue, Sophie Oliver and Sarah Parker invite us to consider how poets and clothing interact. Their exhibition combines seven twentieth-century women poets with fashion worlds & poetic work in imaginative recreations of their signature looks, alongside archived garments reconstructed to fit these looks. Thus challenging assumptions of fashion being superficial while emphasizing poetry as an embodiment practice.
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Fashion show coverage often uses the term “poetic” to refer to any outfit with a sense of beauty or technical brilliance. Clothing and poetry have always shared an intimate relationship: In the 1920s, textile artist Sonia Delaunay collaborated with Dadaist poets Tristan Tzara and Joseph Delteil to cover dresses in snippets of their words for what became known as Robes Poems. Recently, London designer Xu Zhi unveiled a collection of pale garments inspired by Emily Dickinson (it is well-known that she favored white clothing). Meanwhile, Tokyo designer Takahiromiyashita The Soloist patched poems across cutout windbreaker sleeves, nylon pant legs, and overalls from Tokyo designer Takahiromiyashita The Soloist for Tokyo design house Takahiromiyashita The Soloist. At the same time, Amanda Gorman made waves online with her performance of “The Hill We Climb” at the US presidential inaugural celebration. Amanda Gorman made waves of social media attention – sending searches for yellow coats on the Lyst platform!
Poets in Vogue brings seven twentieth-century women poets’ clothing worlds and poetic work together through visual depictions. Some garments shown are recreations, like Audre Lorde’s asymmetric kaftan worn after her mastectomy; others have been imaginatively recreated to illustrate how garments inspired and informed their work.
Poets in Vogue is an exhibition curated by Sophie Oliver, Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Liverpool University, and Sarah Parker, Professor of Modernist Women’s Writing at Loughborough University, featuring original displays created by fashion designers Gesa Werner and Laura Cumming that offers a fresh perspective on how poetry meets fashion in ever-evolving ways.
SHOWstudio invited British poet Sonny Hall, one of their favorite creatives, to respond to some recent fashion collections that most resonated with him through poetry. Sonny depicted pieces from Miu Miu, Valentino, and John Galliano’s Maison Margiela, amongst other lines – creating striking images conveying how fashion is always an expression and creativity.
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Poetically poetic clothing has long been defined by how its fabric drapes, blend colors and textures, wears over time, and feels soft against the touch. All of these qualities combine to define what makes Poetry clothes unique.
The exhibit showcases the fashion worlds of seven women poets through artistic interpretations of their signature looks, such as Sylvia Plath’s skirt or reconstructions of Anne Sexton’s red “reading dress” or Audre Lorde’s extravagant shirts.
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There are various approaches to social media poetry promotion, and experimentation can help you select which platforms best suit your brand. No matter which channel is chosen, however, it’s essential that posts maintain an identifiable visual style so followers don’t become disoriented over time.
Canva can simplify the task of formatting posts, with many helpful resources available for learning how to optimize posts across each platform. Also, keep up-to-date with algorithm changes so your strategy is always adjusted appropriately.
One effective strategy to build your audience is becoming involved in online communities devoted to poetry or literature like Reddit subreddits devoted to these subjects. By joining such communities, your work may reach a broader audience while offering feedback and suggestions that could help strengthen its composition.
Fashion and poetry often coexist harmoniously, with designers borrowing heavily from ancient and contemporary poets for inspiration in their collections. This was especially evident during AW19 menswear collections: Siki Im featured sections from Pablo Neruda’s poem Lost in the Forest on pieces, while Valentino collaborator Pierpaolo Piccioli worked closely with four contemporary poets (Yrsa Daley-Ward, Mustafa the Poet, Greta Bellamacina and Robert Montgomery) to imprint their words across coats and leather dungarees.
Poets in Vogue explores the relationship between poetry and clothing through displays of reconstructed garments and imaginative recreations alongside archival items. Curators Sophie Oliver and Sarah Parker have tasked us with writing a poem inspired by Poets in Vogue to write one about fashion or clothing inspired by this exhibit.
