Curating Fashion with G. Bruce Boyer

Posted on December 19, 2013by lvartscouncil

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is pleased to present the first program in the Arts Alive 2014 series, titled Curating Fashion, on Saturday, January 18, 2014, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Payne Gallery, Moravian College. The event features noted men’s fashion writer and editor G. Bruce Boyer, who will speak about his career in fashion and his upcoming exhibition, Elegance in an Age of Crisis: Fashions of the 1930’s, at the Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology from February 8-April 19, 2014.

G. Bruce Boyer has lived most of his life in Bethlehem, an alumna of Moravian College, he went on to do graduate work at Lehigh University and taught literature for eight years at Moravian and DeSales University.

“The Lehigh Valley is fortunate to be home to so many artists whose work is respected around the world,” says Arts Council executive director Randall Forte.

For more than thirty-five years, Boyer has been a dynamo in the fashion media; internationally recognized for his articles in Esquire, The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Forbes, among others. He was the men s fashion editor for Town and Country magazine for fifteen years and currently serves as their Consulting and Contributing Editor. Boyer has written several books on men s fashion history; one of his most recent, Gary Cooper: Enduring Style (PowerHouse Books, 2011) was co-authored with Gary Cooper s daughter Maria Cooper Janis. His extensive knowledge of the fashion industry has led him to image consulting and public relations for clothing manufacturers and retailers from Ralph Lauren to Bergdorf Goodman. He has also appeared on national TV, National Public Radio, and as a commentator on the TV documentary series, The Hollywood Fashion Machine.

His current exhibition, Elegance in an Age of Crisis, was organized by Patricia Mears, deputy director at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and co-curated by Boyer. They have written an accompanying book that provides a historical overview, examining how the Great Depression and political upheaval influenced the restrained style of the era. The best of both men s and women s fashion from the 1930 s are represented among the eighty outfits and thirty accessories from the finest dressmakers and men’s clothiers.

The exhibit examines the beginnings of modern fashion when cutting-edge technology meets fine hand-craftsmanship. Tailors and dressmakers were inspired by classicism to experiment with new techniques, creating designs that highlighted movement, proportions and the classically idealized body. The 1930 s glamorous new look spread internationally and revolutionized the fashion industry.

Arts Alive 2014 is a three-event series designed by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council for members and their friends who are eager to rub shoulder with the creative process. The fee for each session is $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers. Attendance is limited and reservations are required. For further information, contact 610-437-5915. Click to purchase tickets!

View G. Bruce Boyer’s Exhibit: Elegance in an Age of Crisis: Fashions of the 1930’s at the Fashion Institute of Technology